wandering hillbilly

life of buddy don, chaptur 9:
a bird that kin sang n wont sang shud be made to sang

thays big momints in yer life when ye do sumthin that changes everthang n years n years afterds ye git to recollectin how thangs dun went n thats when ye kin kindly spot sum of em. whut i dun the day i gut so wurkt up over whut mr iml sed, i made one of them momints.

n that puts me in mine of anuther them momints.

whenever i wuz in fifth grade n had miz schubert, thay wuz this woman cum from knoxvul to teech us bout musikul theeater. twuz decided we wood act out hms pinnafor by gilbert sulivan, whoever he wuz. cum to thank of it, thay had them musikal notayshun fer thatn but thay never made us pay it no mine so longs we sung the wurds. thay made everbidy awdishun n i won out sum kinda way n twuz decided i wood sang the parts of both the capn n rafe. n elaine jeffords wuz sangin the part of lil buttercup.

my mama n ant sary cum to see n thay wuz rite prowd. n thay kep it secret from daddy fer me. n miz schubert, she wuz proudist of all seem lack n i reckon now it had sumthin to do with that woman frum knoxvul agittin all the tenshun n corse the way she bragged on me made tother kids jellus.

twuz a awful hard time. everbidy laffed at me n cused me of wontin a mar up with elaine n ye cud see thay wuz a pickin on her too. n one day my bruther eli wuz a laffin at me n splainin that he'd dun herd her a tellin everbidy how she woodnt be seen daid roun a peebody lack me n that hurt sum even tho i wernt ever the leest bit sweet on her.

then thay cum up with the idee bout doin a nuthern of them musikul theeaters, dont member witchn, n thay wuz after me to sang the main parts.

n that promptid me to make one of them momints that change everthang: i quit the music program, witch miz schubert dun promist we dint have to even be int in the furst place. but it made her sore n seemt lack she wonted to change up the rules. n then mayhap she figgerd she cud call my bluf but it dint wurk.

sted of that, i gut to spend the chors hour back in the classroom with tammy lynn harper n nigel wilson n patty hanley, all em kids who cudnt carry a toon, n we did crafts.

but miz schubert woodnt turn aloose of whut i dun, n she'd say, 'a bird that kin sang n wont sang shud be made to sang.' she musta tole me that five hunnert times or more but i woodnt listen. n the kids that cudnt sang lookt at me lackt thay wisht thay cud trade with me. n i wisht i cudda undun thangs sum way, but i had my pride n twoodnt let innbidy tell me nuthin, n if thay wuz tellin me sumthin good id do rong jes to spite em.

n years later i wisht i had listent to mis schubert. fack is, i tuck to riting songs n a sangin mosly fer myself n never dun nuthin with em on acounta always a havin too much other reesponsubilty, witch i carred out while acarryin that other lil hope n twuz a hevy burden.

i seen miz schubert years afterds. she wuz in a nursin home whar they had my uncle pappy n i wuz thar avisitin him. n thar wuz mis schubert a'sittin in a wheel chair with her laigs swole up to three times thar norml size. n she cudnt talk n seem lack she cud barly tell who i wuz n it seem lack my hart wonted to brake to see her thataway. i tride to make her understand who i wuz n how i memberd her frum better daze but nuthin i sed made inny impresshun till i memberd whut id dun.

'miz schubert,' i sed then, 'im the boy ye dun tole that a bird that kin sang n wont sang shud be made to sang.'

n seem lack she focusst her eyes on me all a sudden n she smiled n nodded her haid. back whenever i quit the chors she probly new twuz one of them momints fer me n she tride to hep me cum out on the rite side of it but i woodnt allow it. n that thought made my hart ake so that i had to turn away.

cawz i new she wuz rite all long.

n i kindly wunder whut she wooda sed when i decided to quit day skool n git a job. twuz one of them momints. it give virgil a chants with darlene. n it give myra jane the only chants she'd need. n it mint i had to see ifn i cudnt git a job, witch sad thang wuz, i cud.

but sumbidy shudda made me sang in sted.