I Still Think of Him
A long time ago now, a wet November evening as I bundled my guy down the stairs and out the door dragging him down the road to our chosen spot I sat on the wall and he sat grinning on the floor his head to one side with his hat half over his eyes, I jumped down to sort him out a bit, I liked to cross his legs and arms so he was more comfortable, he had a lovely face with a sunny smile he wore green dungarees over a red jumper and odd socks but no shoes we could not afford to get him shoes, I named him Burnie as after all, that was going to be his fate, I jumped back on the wall as the bus came into sight, Friday night was a good night for guying, pay day for a lot of folk and I was going to catch them as they got off the bus from their work, "Penny for the guy?" I started as they came past, some threw pennies some threw more and others told me where I could shove Burnie!! "Charming" I would reply. We did quite well that night me and Burnie can't remember how much but enough to share between two as half way through the evening a girl came up to me and asked "If I put some money in for the guy can I help you?" I agreed and we spent the evening chatting, she was new to the area and would soon be starting at my school, and she also turned out to be very good at guying, when we got cold and fed up we took old Burnie home and shared out the money,"Hey" she said "some one has given us foreign coins!" wonder who that was I thought, but it did not matter we shared the money became firm friends and still are some forty odd years later, even after she cofessed that she had put in the foreign money!! So every now and then I have to remind her she owes me and Burnie money!
That tradition of going "penny for the guying" seems to have died out now and I don't even know if kids make guys any more, but every year my friend and I raise a glass to our friendship and the toast? "To Burnie!"
That tradition of going "penny for the guying" seems to have died out now and I don't even know if kids make guys any more, but every year my friend and I raise a glass to our friendship and the toast? "To Burnie!"
By:
dustydaisy
Age:
51-55
,
Female
5
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