Mountain Boy: He Stands Alone

By Justin King and Mike Sheetz

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 11, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450004121

Justin King

Registered Life Planner® and coach Justin King is one of the UK's most qualified independent financial advisers. Motivated by helping people find fulfilment, he supports others to take control of their lives and thrive in retirement. Justin is the co-author of 'Ready, Steady, Retire! Plan Your Way to Success in a Redefined Retirement' and host of The Retirement Café Podcast and his YouTube channel, Justin_King. Discover more at www.theretirementcafe.co.uk.

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Copyright © 2010 by Mike Sheetz and Justin King.

ISBN:                    Hardcover                          978-1-4500-3688-7

                              Softcover                           978-1-4500-3687-0

                              Ebook                                978-1-4500-0412-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER ONE

AFTER A BACKBREAKING day of stooping to hand set tobacco plants in the heat from a blazing sun, twelve year old Justin King removed his sweat soaked shirt and lay on his back absorbing the cool of a grassy slope behind his mountain home, resting.

As now, he often wishfully daydreamed of owning a Tennessee walking horse. He had Jack, his aged mule, to ride but his special wish was yet to come true.

His mother’s call of, Your supper is ready., brought him to the present. Justin drew his knees up then raised his body to a sitting position and was about to stand when he heard a soft rattling sound from close by. He instantly recognized the sound as a warning of a grave danger. Fearful, he stopped all body movement. By moving his eyes only, he glanced in the direction of the noise and was horrified to see not five feet from his being a large rattle snake. It was staring at him with unblinking lidless eyes, coiled and ready to strike. His first thought was that Ole Mose was right when he said even if you’ve never heard a rattler before, you’ll know what it is the second you hear it.

Justin’s second thought was to jump and run, but realized the snake was quick in movement and would bite him before he could move out of its reach.

Steeling his nerve, he froze in fear and hoped the deadly snake would soon feel no threat, uncoil and crawl away. While he waited for this to happen, unwanted thoughts of himself laying in a casket passed through his mind, causing a cold sweat to break from his body. It ran in tickling rivulets down his back and over his rib cage. To assure himself of no movement on his part, Justin set his jaw which gave his face a stony look. Slow, agonizing minutes ticked away.

Soon his mother called for him again, yet he dared not move nor answer her. When he heard the screened door open onto their back porch his mind spun in total confusion of what to do. Somehow he had to keep his mother from coming near to where he sat. Intently listening, Justin heard his mother’s foot steps as she walked across the back porch and down the steps where she stopped and looked direct to him. With a slightly raised voice, she said, Son, I’m calling you for supper. Come and eat before it gets cold.

When there was no response of any kind his mother became a bit agitated. Her words were more stern, Justin, I’m talking to you! Look at me! Come and eat! Then she noticed the set look of his pale face and asked of him, Is something wrong? Are you sick? When there was no answer she added, Hon, I’m coming out there!

Fearing for his mother’s safety, Justin knew he must do something and be quick about it.With dread he moved the toe of his field boot. The snake struck with lightening speed at the moving object and bit into the tough leather sole. Before it could coil for another strike Justin quickly tumbled to his side and spun his body into a frantic roll down the sloping bank all the while screaming, Stay back! Snake! Stay back!

Now fired by a rush of adrenaline into his blood stream, Justin flung his arms out to stop the roll, scrambled to his feet, and raced toward the porch, yelling, My walking stick! My walking stick! He grabbed for the cut length of a willow sapling and raced toward where the snake had coiled again. It was ready and waiting to enter into a fight for its life or that of Justin. Justin stopped short. With the stick drawn to his far left, he started a backward right hand swing that split the air with a sizzling sound of keenness, striking the snake’s body with a commanding blow just below its poised head.

With its lower body paralized from a severely injured vertebrae the snake could only gape its mouth and extend its fangs in a futile effort to inject its deadly venom into any part of Justin’sbody.

Justin was now very much in control of the frightful fight. He yelled to his mother, The chopping axe! Mom, quick! Get me the axe!

Justin’s mother ran to the winter’s wood pile and grabbed for the axe. In seconds shebreathlessly gasped, Here., and shoved the axe to him.

Knowing the injured snake couldn’t coil and strike again, Justin quickly stepped forward and brought the sharp cutting edge of the axe down with a forceful chop, severing the snake’s head from its body.

Badly shaken, Justin’s mother stepped to him and tightly grasped him in a motherly hug saying, I wondered what was wrong with you. The snake was where I couldn’t see it. I thank God you didn’t get bit.

Justin added, Yea, me too.

In a gesture of her maternal love, Justin’s mother tightened the grip of her arms about his body and pulled him close saying, I love you Hon. Now let’s eat then you can get rid of that nasty thing.

With his mind racing on another track of thought Justin reached his foot and rolled the snake’s lifeless body with the toe of his boot, looked at his mother and said, Think I’ll skin itand make me a hat band like Frank’s got.

CHAPTER TWO

WHILE EATING HIS evening meal Justin’s mother casually asked of him, Have you had a hard day, Son?

Yes, my back is killing me from all that bending over.

Did you get a lot done?

Justin answered from around a mouthful of pork roast, Yes, an acre or more. – Uh, where is my money jar?

It’s where you always keep it. In the back corner of you clothes closet.

After shoving his now empty dinner plate aside Justin stood and went to get his jar ofmoney. Sitting at the table again, he began to sort and count, stacking each to its own kind.

His mother commented, You’ll have that money worn out, countin’ it.

Without losing track of his count Justin turned to look at his mother. As a broad grin spread across his youthful face he said, Someday I’ll have enough to get the horse I’ve always wanted.

After Justin had counted the money and put it away again, he returned to the kitchen where his mother noticed that he was carrying his hunting knife and asked of him, What are you going to do now?

I’m going to skin my snake before it gets too dark to see outside.

You’d better wait for your Pa to help you.

I think I can do it. Shouldn’t be too hard. All you gotta do is roll the hide down like you would a dirty sock.

Speaking of dirty socks, there were only two pair of yours in the wash today. Have you changed lately?

After I get the snake skinned, I’ll take a bar of soap and go to the creek for a quick dip. Probably will change then.

While you’re taking care of you snake, I’ll lay out a clean change of clothes for you.Including socks! Wash good now.

I will Mom.

Oh uh, Hon. I’ll put your stuff in the porch swing. That way you won’t need to come in until you have clean clothes on. You know, blood and the like.

*     *     *

When finished with skinning the snake, Justin walked to the house where he saw laying in the swing of the back porch all as his mother had said. He reached for the bar of soap and washcloth laying atop the clothing then scooped