LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
R. D. ICE

"Grandma! Grandma! Today's the Last Day of School!"

"That's right, Roger. It's May 26th. School will be over today. Next fall when school starts again, you'll be in the third grade. I'm proud of you. You are a good student."

"Grandma! Think of the food today! My friends have been telling about what their mothers plan to bring. I like to eat and this will be my day!"

"Yes, Roger. I know you like good food, and so do I. I have made a big kettle of chicken and dumplings, a pan of macaroni and cheese with tomatoes in it, and I baked three pies. I'll load it all into the car after while and bring it to the school. All the families will be there. We'll have a celebration. This is a day for the school families to get together."

"Grandma, I'm sure glad we live on a farm and can raise all those good things in the garden. I even like spinach. Popeye eats it."

"Yes, Roger, we certainly are blessed. And don't forget that our good friends are a blessing too. Friends are more important than food. But now you must get ready to get on the bus. It will be here soon."

In this year of 1937, the schoolbus was a 1929 Chevrolet truck chassis, with a custom built wooden body. It was well-used, but still serviceable. The Depression motto was: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

The bus stopped on the road in front of Roger's house. He stepped up into the bus and looked for a seat.

"Hey, Roger, sit by me!" That was Eddie Niday, one of his good friends.

There were no more stops after Roger got on. The bus went the half-mile to the school.

The Brice Grade School was a large red brick building, with four classrooms. Two grades met in each classroom, with one teacher who taught both grades. Miss Naomi Rawn, Roger's teacher, would teach the First Grade for a half-hour, then teach the Second Grade for a half-hour, alternating. Each of the three other teachers did the same for the two grades in their rooms.
Roger and his friends went immediately from the bus to the classroom this morning, as they always did. I should say that all the students were good friends. This was a rural community, even though it was in the shadow of the big city nine miles away. Rural ways were the norm.

Each student took his or her seat and sat quietly.

Miss Rawn rapped for attention. "All right, boys and girls. Today is the Last Day of School. We want to get our songs and recitations ready for our part of the program. Things will begin around 10 o'clock. Roger, come up here and tell us about the 'Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly.'"

Roger stood by Miss Rawn's desk and began his recitation. Then Jessie Strawser read a poem about the "Brave Little Pig."

Meanwhile "Jiggs" Bennington and other farmers and their wives began bringing the food for the festivity into the gymnasium. The farmers "worked wonderful hard and ate wonderful good!" It was their way of life.

Grandma Hefflin drove up in her almost new 1936 Willys car. First she took the kettle of chicken and dumplings down to the lunch room in the basement of the building to keep it warm on the stove there. While the kettle was keeping warm, she went back to take the other things into the gymnasium.

In the gymnasium, tables had been set up along one wall. Pans and dishes of food were being put in place on the tables.

As it neared 10:00 a.m., the people began taking seats on the folding chairs facing the stage, which rose about six feet above the floor of the gymnasium.

Jim Thornton was master of ceremonies. He came out to center stage. "Ladies and gentlemen. Today is the Last Day of School. Our students have prepared a program for your entertainment and also to show you something of what they have learned during the past year. And now let the program begin! Miss Naomi Rawn, bring your students out."

Miss Rawn came on the stage followed by the First and Second Graders, who formed two lines. As she directed them, they sang a song about the sunflowers and the birds and the beauty of summer.

Roger Hefflin stepped to the front of the stage and told his story about the "Poor Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly."

"Poor old lady, she swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed that fly? Poor old lady, she swallowed a spider, that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. I don't know why she swallowed that fly? Poor old lady, she swallowed a bird. How absurd to swallow a bird. She swallowed the bird to catch the spider, that wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed that fly? Poor old lady, she swallowed a cat. Think of that, to swallow a cat. She swallowed the cat to catch the bird. She swallowed the bird to catch the spider, that wiggled and jiggled and tickled insider her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed that fly? Poor old lady, she swallowed a dog. What a hog, to swallow a dog. She swallowed the dog to catch the cat. She swallowed the cat to catch the bird. She swallowed the bird to catch the spider, that wiggled and jiggled and tickled insider her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed that fly? Poor old lady, she swallowed a horse. She died of course."

The people clapped their hands in appreciation.

Then Jessie Strawser read her poem about the "Brave Little Pig."
"The brave little pig
went to visit
the County Fair.
As he trotted along the road
he met a doggy,
who began chasing him.
He ran and ran!
Help! Help!
Bad dog! Run away!
He saw Farmer Brown
and scampered between
his legs. Safe now!

The people clapped their hands again.

As Miss Rawn and her students filed out, Jim Thornton spoke.

"And now we have Miss Florence Reynolds and the Third and Fourth Grades."

When they had finished, Jim announced Miss Marie Swonger and the Fifth and Sixth Grades.

And finally, Mr. James Roth, who was also the school principal, and the Seventh and Eighth Grades.

Now Jim Thornton walked to the front. "Ladies and gentlemen. This concludes our program. We're proud of our children and our school! Let's give them all a big hand!"

All the people clapped their hands as hard as they could. Some whistled and shouted and stamped their feet on the floor.

Jim Thornton waved his hands for quiet. When the crowd became silent, he spoke. "Isn't this a great day! Our thanks to all who have brought food and to the marvelous cooks who have prepared it. But before we begin our feast, we want to ask Reverend Allan Smith of the Brice Methodist Church to come up here and return thanks for our blessings."

Reverend Smith walked up the steps to stand on the stage. "Let us pray. Our Father who art in heaven. We thank Thee for this beautiful day, the bright sunshine that makes things grow, the beautiful flowers and the grass. We pray Thy blessings on these students and teachers. We ask Thy guidance for them as they march into the future. Bless all this good food and bless these wonderful cooks who prepared it. Bless all of us as we share in this bounty from Thy hand. Bless our U.S.A and bless our President Roosevelt, and may this Depression soon be over. For Thine is the power and the glory, in the name of Jesus, Amen."

Jim Thornton came to center stage again. "Ladies and gentlemen. It'll be a few minutes until the ladies have it all ready. Go outside and run around the yard a few times and then come back in."

The ladies really had things ready now. But there were a few pots to be brought up from the lunch room in the basement where they were being kept warm on the stoves.

On the tables were baked beans, potato salad, chicken and dumplings, deviled eggs, lots of homemade bread, ham, roast beef, meat loaf, macaroni and cheese with tomatoes cooked in it, lots of cakes and cookies and pies. Cool Aid and coffee and iced tea. The Depression was forgotten on the Last Day of School! Good time were here today!

By now the others already had their pots and pans in place. Grandma Hefflin brought in the big kettle of chicken and dumplings and put it on the table. She looked around to the others, then nodded her head to Jim Thornton.

Jim was holding a cowbell. When he saw Grandma nod her head, he began ringing the cowbell as loud as he could! "Food!" he shouted. "Come and get it! Food! Time to eat! It's the Last Day of School Dinner!"

Each family had brought plates and silverware for its own use. No disposables in that depression era. Recycling was the only way possible. You used it and washed it and used it again.

Lines formed on both sides of the tables. People began spooning up the various items and piling them on their plates, then reaching for something to drink.

Roger filled his plate with all the goodies he could get on it and took a thick slice of bread. He picked up a glass of milk. Then he went out into the yard to sit on the grass, to eat with a group of his friends.

"Sit down and join the crowd," said Harold Lamp.

"Thanks, Harold." Roger sat down carefully, trying not to spill anything.

"What're you going to do this summer, Eddie," Roger asked?

"Wouldn't you know it," Eddie said. "We're going to move this summer. Dad has a new job and we are to move to Columbus, to the north side, somewhere up on Stelzer Road."

Roger's face looked so sorrowful. "Eddie, you can't do that. You're my good friend. Who will I have to play with if you move away?"

"We will all surely miss you this summer," said Harold. "We had such good times together."

"I'll miss you, too," Eddie said. "All my friends are back here. What'll I do in a new place? But I don't have any choice."

"Grandma has me taking piano lessons," Roger said. "Miss Zettler comes once a week to give lessons here at the school. I ride my bike to get here. Grandma pays her fifty cents for each lesson."

"Roger, you are lucky," Eddie said. "I wish I could look ahead to things like that."

"Well, Eddie, look on the bright side. Maybe your mother will do something special for you this summer. After you get moved, that is. You might even like your new home. But I sure will miss you."

"I may go to Day Camp this summer," said Harold. "My Dad wants me to go. I'll go swimming every day and get to play games and such."

They got up, still feeling sorrowful, but not too much to keep from going back for seconds on the chicken and dumplings and potato salad. It was a good day. They played hard, using every moment of the time they had.

Finally it was time to go home. The three friends said their good-byes. Would they ever see each other again? They stood sorrowfully in silence a few moments, then ran to get on the schoolbuses.