| General Fiction posted May 31, 2021 | Chapters: |
...6 7 -8- 9... 
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the outsiders
A chapter in the book Fifty Days of Friendship
Eve and Clifford
by Bill Schott
Going through school exposes us to all types of people. As we get older we recognise others through a broad lens that compares new individuals to existing friends. When I was younger, however, I was only able to evaluate other kids through the narrow view I had at the time.
Rodeo enthusiasts are big in some parts of Michigan, but not others. I lived in a town, in a county, that was just on the outer fringe of a growing Western-lifestyle community. The rodeo was a summer event that moved through our county like the circus. Those who owned horses, farmers, or anyone else who wanted to watch these shows would flock to the county fairgrounds during a particular week in July. Bronco busting, bull riding, barrow chases, roping contests, and other farm and ranch festivities were in full display.
Eve and her brother Clifford were part of this rodeo community. They had moved to Michigan from somewhere southwest and tried to fit into our seemingly perfect world.
Eve was a nice person with a round, friendly face that usually displayed a smile. She was perpetually dressed in what I perceived as 'cowboy' clothes. She would typically appear in blue or red-checked blouses with a kerchief, and a long denim skirt. Other times she would be in a full-length cloth dress with a hundred buttons going from neck to knees. I'm sure she wore other things, but these are what stick in my memory.
Her brother, Clifford, was taller than the rest of us. This is at a time when I was probably ten or eleven and five feet tall. Clifford was about six inches above that. He would wear this double-breasted Western-style shirt at least three times a week. I assume it was laundered multiple times to allow its frequent use. He had cowboy boots, and I think I remember his wearing a stetson to school once. I can only imagine he was asked to leave it home.
I recall these two because they were happy and trying to assimilate into the school, but were not really blending in.
Eve seemed to always be the girl who would satellite others in a group, but couldn't wedge in with anything interesting to the circle of the elite. She wasn't a good student either, and was often failing. Clifford was high energy, but a bit awkward when we were at play. He was out of place playing baseball, always looking fierce, but never quite able to hit the ball or field one. Not a strong student either, he eventually became a bit of a bully on the playground.
I never really felt bad about Clifford; I mean, he was a guy. Eve, I always felt for as she seemed like such a nice person who was never given the time of day by other girls.
When I think about all these people now, I wish I could get in a time machine and return to those days to help them get through that soul-crushing ordeal of being an outsider.
Both Eve and Clifford moved away and I can only hope they weren't too badly damaged by having to face the scarring self-importance of school children.
Going through school exposes us to all types of people. As we get older we recognise others through a broad lens that compares new individuals to existing friends. When I was younger, however, I was only able to evaluate other kids through the narrow view I had at the time.
Rodeo enthusiasts are big in some parts of Michigan, but not others. I lived in a town, in a county, that was just on the outer fringe of a growing Western-lifestyle community. The rodeo was a summer event that moved through our county like the circus. Those who owned horses, farmers, or anyone else who wanted to watch these shows would flock to the county fairgrounds during a particular week in July. Bronco busting, bull riding, barrow chases, roping contests, and other farm and ranch festivities were in full display.
Eve and her brother Clifford were part of this rodeo community. They had moved to Michigan from somewhere southwest and tried to fit into our seemingly perfect world.
Eve was a nice person with a round, friendly face that usually displayed a smile. She was perpetually dressed in what I perceived as 'cowboy' clothes. She would typically appear in blue or red-checked blouses with a kerchief, and a long denim skirt. Other times she would be in a full-length cloth dress with a hundred buttons going from neck to knees. I'm sure she wore other things, but these are what stick in my memory.
Her brother, Clifford, was taller than the rest of us. This is at a time when I was probably ten or eleven and five feet tall. Clifford was about six inches above that. He would wear this double-breasted Western-style shirt at least three times a week. I assume it was laundered multiple times to allow its frequent use. He had cowboy boots, and I think I remember his wearing a stetson to school once. I can only imagine he was asked to leave it home.
I recall these two because they were happy and trying to assimilate into the school, but were not really blending in.
Eve seemed to always be the girl who would satellite others in a group, but couldn't wedge in with anything interesting to the circle of the elite. She wasn't a good student either, and was often failing. Clifford was high energy, but a bit awkward when we were at play. He was out of place playing baseball, always looking fierce, but never quite able to hit the ball or field one. Not a strong student either, he eventually became a bit of a bully on the playground.
I never really felt bad about Clifford; I mean, he was a guy. Eve, I always felt for as she seemed like such a nice person who was never given the time of day by other girls.
When I think about all these people now, I wish I could get in a time machine and return to those days to help them get through that soul-crushing ordeal of being an outsider.
Both Eve and Clifford moved away and I can only hope they weren't too badly damaged by having to face the scarring self-importance of school children.
Rodeo enthusiasts are big in some parts of Michigan, but not others. I lived in a town, in a county, that was just on the outer fringe of a growing Western-lifestyle community. The rodeo was a summer event that moved through our county like the circus. Those who owned horses, farmers, or anyone else who wanted to watch these shows would flock to the county fairgrounds during a particular week in July. Bronco busting, bull riding, barrow chases, roping contests, and other farm and ranch festivities were in full display.
Eve and her brother Clifford were part of this rodeo community. They had moved to Michigan from somewhere southwest and tried to fit into our seemingly perfect world.
Eve was a nice person with a round, friendly face that usually displayed a smile. She was perpetually dressed in what I perceived as 'cowboy' clothes. She would typically appear in blue or red-checked blouses with a kerchief, and a long denim skirt. Other times she would be in a full-length cloth dress with a hundred buttons going from neck to knees. I'm sure she wore other things, but these are what stick in my memory.
Her brother, Clifford, was taller than the rest of us. This is at a time when I was probably ten or eleven and five feet tall. Clifford was about six inches above that. He would wear this double-breasted Western-style shirt at least three times a week. I assume it was laundered multiple times to allow its frequent use. He had cowboy boots, and I think I remember his wearing a stetson to school once. I can only imagine he was asked to leave it home.
I recall these two because they were happy and trying to assimilate into the school, but were not really blending in.
Eve seemed to always be the girl who would satellite others in a group, but couldn't wedge in with anything interesting to the circle of the elite. She wasn't a good student either, and was often failing. Clifford was high energy, but a bit awkward when we were at play. He was out of place playing baseball, always looking fierce, but never quite able to hit the ball or field one. Not a strong student either, he eventually became a bit of a bully on the playground.
I never really felt bad about Clifford; I mean, he was a guy. Eve, I always felt for as she seemed like such a nice person who was never given the time of day by other girls.
When I think about all these people now, I wish I could get in a time machine and return to those days to help them get through that soul-crushing ordeal of being an outsider.
Both Eve and Clifford moved away and I can only hope they weren't too badly damaged by having to face the scarring self-importance of school children.
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