The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 12, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 28, 1956 Page: 5 of 8
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WEDNESDAY, MOV. 28. WM
THE THRESH BR
Five!
THE MAN
• • •
(Continued from Page 8)
began to collect the pecans in an
old buehel basket
It was my senior year in high
school. Never able to go places
with the rest of the fellows,
never able to do things. No car,
no money; not really caring
^ about sacrificing these things,
wanting only happiness and sec-
urity.
I finished picking up^- the
pecans and put the basket on
the back porch. I went into the
dimly lit kitchen, got a glass out
of the cupboard, filled it, and
poured the water down my dusty
throat. Behind me I heard the
strong, hard, footsteps of my
father.
"Have you finished?"
"Yes."
"Well, you can start cleaning
«p the garage now."
"Yes, sir."
"That brother of yours is go-
ing to get it when he gets
home."
I Aimed and walked out to-
ward the back porch. I heard
the squeak as he twisted the
«ork from the bottle, the clink
of glass on glass, the gurgle of
the clear brown liquid.
As I went out the back door,
I saw mother drive up along-
side the house; the wax-berries
along the curb popped like small
firecrackers under the tires. She
picked up her purse from the
seat and stepped out. She looked
tired, her eyes didn't sparkle,
her hair was neglected, her body
sagged.
Just then I heard a noise from
the house, a boy's terrified
screams.
""No! No!"
These were followed by a deep,
drunken, bellow.
"Come here, you little — ."
Peter came running out the
porch door and stood there,
looking anxiously to mother and
to me, and then back at the
door.
Daddy tripped over one of the
rattan chairs on the porch. He
opened the door and stood there,
With his belt in his hand.
"Come in here and get in the
bathroom."
' "No, dadyl Nol Mommy told
me I could go."
"All right, you'll get it right
here then."
He stepped forward and grab-
bed Peter's arm, turning him
around. As the first blow fell and
the child's screams filled the air,
Mom started toward them.
"I'm going to try and put a
stop to this."
I reached out and held her
back.
"It might as well be me that
gets the beating.
I started up the short walk
toward them. Time suddenly
slowed down, then seemed to
stop completely. A giant hand
grabbed my guts and squeezed.
I could feel my hands trembling;
my voice was high and strained.
"No more, daddy, no more!"
He turned and focused'his eyes
on me.
"So, you want some too?"
His fist struck me on the
chest, leaving a dull, heavy, im-
print. The blow seemed to sud-
denly refease the pent-up time
and it rushed past obliviously.
Without willing it, without know,
it, I swung baek. I felt the griz-
zly beard of his face against my
knuckles, I heard the fltahy
sound of the blow, but it wasnt
me hitting him. I was a far-off
spectator. Again and agan I hit
him. All the beatings, drunken
whippings, cursings, were p'aid
back. Then he was down, and I
was on top of him, pushing his
face in the muddy flower-bed,
hitting him. Once he looked at
me and, in his eyes, I saw fear,
a bully's fear, and I knew that
I could never again respect this
man. This man who had lorded
over me, like a whip bearing
Colossus, for eighteen years.
Then I heard Mommy yelling.
"Stop, Buddy! You'll kill him!"
It took a moment to register.
I got up, "suddenly exhausted,
drained completely of all energy,
gasping for air. I reached down
and helped the man up; he was
no longer my father but just a
man whom I had beaten. He
stood there, his face covered
with blood and dirt, his hair
caked with mud, sobbing not to
hit him any more. I turned and
walked away.
Society
BY ESTELLE KESTENBERG AND NAOMI ROBINS
BITTER RICE ... The area in front of the library was declared
U.S. territory qn Thursday, November 22. Drooling, we spied turkey
eaters Bill Willidms, Anna Magnani, and the rest of the gang being
thankful for one less meal at the Commons.
DON'T FENCE ME IN . . . At Pat Watson's {eyery square inch^
tpos covered by a person, so certain Sophs found refuge in a closet•
(for further details see the 1957 Campanile.) In the crowd were Billy
Hall, Sharon McStravick, Natalie Loehr, David Rush, Hans Brandt,
Abe Wilson, and boppers James Aronson and Ann Battlett.
SENIORS SIP SEDATELY IN STUDY at Sara Heale's house
before the Engineer Ball. Participants were David Watl(ins, Ann
Westerfield, Barry Driggs,J3etty Arnold, Jay Myers, Dixie Sick.
ENGINEERS EMERGE . . . and the crowd had two rooms of
the Shamrock to travel in. Eager to see the Rice engineers' "well-
known taste in the subject of women" were Charlie Roberts, Ellen
Cartwright, Sally Stegall, Norman Hall, Eleanor Mengden, Jimmy
Ebanks. Congratulations to Rilda Richardson who was chosen "Miss
Slipstick" and to NG, XNP, LLU, PRQ, (See Footnote) Phyllis
Phair and Carolyn Dearmond,
IN THE CASUAL COMFORTS OF HOME Lin Davis and
Barbara Farren provided something for everyone. Choosing between
ping-pong, dancing, eating, or knocking lamps off tables were guests
Bruce Hendrickson, Ray Chilton, Barbee Scott, Pete Huff, Ken
McKinney, and Tommy Mclllheran.
E.B.'S INVASION AT 1 730 SUNDAY . . . Treasure seekers
Lynn Hart, Cene Miller, Mary Lacy, and Don Payne, turned ow
| fair city into chaos. And the winners-—Annita File and Joe Coemer.
FOOTNOTE . . . translated, means rurmers-up.
Stop everything—start laughing!
x v //
olerl's
in THE village
Frames Repaired — Lenses
Duplicated
Village Optical Co.
In The Village PHONE
5429 KELVIN DR. JA 9-2766
STEVENS
RECORDS - RADIOS - TV
Sales and Service
RALPH BELL - Owner
6125 KIRBY JA 3-9669
/-mi the meanest
SHEEP IN THE riv
J (J HflVC n ~
WHAT ELSE
\jfit) NEE
W'ooly Bu y
J0aK sELLy • COVA.ttt
t,STE«N ILLINOIS SW
hat is *
cVIDfD . MiOcer
FUSING GNO*
WHAT IS AN
m
tit'****
Droll Troll
•stfssx
"""" « '
DON'T JUST STAND THERE . .
°ys*r Cloister
UN'VEBsin°pNryou*G.
__ " or c0nwtct,cut
IF YOU'VE GOf a Lucky, you've got it made.
That's 'cause you just can't beat a Lucky for
taste. Luckies are made of fine tobacco—light,
naturally good-tasting tobacco that's TOASTED
to taste even better. In fact, you'll say Luckies
are the best-tasting cigarette you ever smoked.
What more could you want? Oh, the answer to
the Stickler! If you're in a light plight, what you
need is a Match, Natch!
"IT'S TOASTED"
to taste better!
tSITY
Dresses
• MtUinery
• Sportswear
lucky
strike
xvr:>-.&r?T
STICKLE! MAKE $25
Sticklers are simple riddles with two-word rhyming answers.
Both words must haye the some number of syllables. (No
drawings, please!) They're so easy, you can think of dozens
in seconds. We'll shell out $25 for every stickler we use—and
for hundreds more that never see print. So send stacks of 'em
with your name, address, college and class to Happy-Joe-
Lucky, Box 67A, Mount Vernon, N. Y.
Luckies Taste Better
CLEANER, FRESHER, SMOOTHER !
•AT.Co. PRODUCT OF
AMERICA'S LEADING MANUFACTURE* Of CIGARSTTB*
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The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 44, No. 12, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 28, 1956, newspaper, November 28, 1956; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth231042/m1/5/: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.