"My Little Red Wagon"

“My Little Red Wagon”

By Carly Carson

 

            I remember the first time I saw it quite well! It sat in the corner of the back porch of my grandparent’s home just out side of Little Rock. My mom and dad brought my brother, and me Tony, up for a visit that weekend. While my grandparents and my mom and dad sat in the living room having “grown up talk” I grabbed my brother by the hand and led him over to the back door of their house.

            “Where are we going Roof?” He asked me. My name is Ruth, but at the time he always pronounced it as Roof, which really got on my nerves. To tell you the truth, I didn’t know. But they were out of their minds if they were thinking that a seven year old and a four year old would sit there in front of the television screen and not move.

            “We are going outside!” I told him as I stood on my tiptoes to unlatch the highest golden lock on the door. I unlocked the doorknob and twisted it pulling the door open. I motioned for Tony to follow me and I lead him outside to the back porch.

            That’s when I saw it. To be honest, it wasn’t much. It was what really looked the average little red wooden wagon that most children played with when they were little. That’s what it looked like, but it was so much more.

            I felt drawn to it for some strange reason. As if it was calling out my name. I slowly began to make my way towards it. When I got to it, I slowly stroked the edge of it with my hand.

            “Wow!” my brother said from behind me. I smiled at him and we began to exchange looks. I knew right then exactly what he was thinking.

            Behind our grandparent’s house was a large bank that spanned about forty yards. I grabbed the wagon by the black handle at the front of it and pulled it away from the corner.

            “Jump in Tony!” I said to him. He smiled at me and giggled. He lifted his little legs and climbed over the wooden rails on the side of the wagon and plopped down in it. I pulled the wagon over to the ramp of the back porch and went down it.

            “Wee!” Tony said with glee. I pulled the wagon forty yards up the bank and turned it around to face down hill.

            “Move forward Tony!” I told him.

            “Okay Roof!” Tony said as he moved forward. I jumped into the wagon behind him and sat down.

            “Okay Tony, are you ready?” Tony nodded his head rapidly. “Okay! One! Two! Three!” I said as I placed her palm down on the ground and pushed the wagon forward. The wagon rolled down the hill and gained more and more speed as we approached the bottom. The closer we got to the bottom; I noticed a rock on the bank. “Hang on Tony!” I said. I reached forward and turned the handle of the wagon. I turned it hard right and the wagon turned over on its side. We fell out of it and tumbled down the bank the remaining ten feet.

            I sat up and dusted myself off when I noticed that just across from me was Tony-laying face down in the grass covering his head.

            “Tony!” I shouted out preying that nothing bad happened. I ran over to him and rolled him over. He sat up and shot me a smile.

            “That was fun can we go again?” He asked me. I hugged him. We did go again. In fact we continued riding that little red wagon down the bank every time we went up to my grandparents house. Tony is no longer with us. He passed about a year ago. It was lung cancer that claimed his life. He may no longer be with us but the wagon remains. My little red wagon sits in the corner of my back porch. And every weekend when my grandchildren come up to visit the first thing they do is grab the little red wagon and ride it up and down that little bank at the back of my house.

Copyright 2014 by Carly Carson

Reviews

[Shannon April Alice]

I love this story. it touches a place in my childhood memories. if you have a sibling, you can't not love this. carly i hope your busy writing a novel about your childhood. i truly love this story. where you pause, wondering if he was okay? without saying it, you had us wondering too, worrying as well. beautiful.

[Carly Carson]

Thank you very much Shannon.

[Dayran]

A fine job of story telling ... and the way you paced it ... brought the reader to the sidewalk ... watching the two of you whizz by. Children certainly won't sit in one place watching TV ... its true. Nice ...

[Carly Carson]

Thank you dry much!

[Matching Socks]

:) takes me back to when I was a kid and more recently my own kids.
Who have unfortunately outgrown their wagons...

I would change this line:
I grabbed the wagon by the black handle at the front of it and pulled it away from the corner.

It sounds too wordy, just grab the handle and go! The front is a given with wagon handles. :)

preying is praying

Love 'Roof' - that adds such charm

Great little story.

[Carly Carson]

Thank you very much!

[Matching Socks]

My pleasure. :)

[Coyote Poetry]

I enjoyed the story. Those simple days of red wagons and time with family are the best days of a life. Thank you for sharing the outstanding story. This is what I like to read about. Family and love.
Coyote

[Carly Carson]

Why thank you very much!

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome.