Excerpts from “The Leaky Raft - A Story of Deloro

In a series of short vignettes, Rev. Dalton describes true life stories of two small boys who can't seem to stay out of trouble, and the importance of the whole community in raising its children. Here is our fourth excerpt.

Vera

Along with our many new friends at this time was someone named Vera, taller than any of us and, as I remember, with red hair and some freckles. Vera was always around and was a part of our early wanderings and growing up. Underneath our house at #7 O'Brien Avenue was a storage area, if you will, housing everything from garden tools, lumber, and a saw horse to cut wood, old doors and more.

Does anyone ever know when one's genitalia becomes the object of one's discussion? We were at that age, I suppose, of "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours." Remember that? It seemed that was the topic of this day, as we made our way into the storage area. There was Vera, along with myself and a few others gathered for this grand showing, as it were. I remember Bernard was there along with a couple of the Brooks' boys and, well, a few girls. Quickly the saw horses were moved, an old door flung on top—.-then—well, who goes first?

After long discussion, Vera said I should go first. Funny how you remember these moments. Up I go, down go the shorts, and there in all of my earthly nakedness lay my worldly genitalia for all to see. —silence--a pause —snickers from Bernard—and without blinking an eye--and to this day I am sure she knew what she was doing—Vera had a clothespin—the spring type—quickly and with laughter placed on my worldly genitalia, and she leftwith haste, laughing all the way.

Well, damn it, this I do remember—did it ever hurt. But even more, I felt as humiliated as one can be at that age. Everyone else was laughing as well—off goes the clothes- pin, thinking, as I reflect back—I'm ruined for life. This event became village knowledge, of course, and like Canary, was a moment one never forgets, but soon becomes a moment of laughter in one's exploration of life.

I'm left only with this saying in remembrance of this day. "Don't worry, it only seems kinky the first time." —Author unknown