#1 "A SCHOOL PRANK."

After school (3 p.m) in the evenings I usually returned home with a group of boys (most of them were older than I). On the way, we had to pass a Chinese Restaurant (with home above) that was close to two main streets (Regent & Camp) in the City. The Chinese owner had a white fence (about 6 feet high) that surround most his property and only the entrance to his store was open (guess the fence was to protect his dog). Behind the white fence that along the sidewalk the owner had a 'bad-dog' who barked at people as they 'walked-by'.

For some unknown reason one of the boys started running his rule along the fence. It made sounds that created a rhythm that continual to the end of the fence. It became 'music-like' to our ears and was loved. The sudden and unusual sound made the dog started barking and running along the fence until it had no more space to move. When the dog reached it limited area, it would bark for a long time. Before the week was over we all used our rules along the fence as we passed but running as we did it. We knew that we were doing a wrong and also knew that our actions created an anger in the Chinese owner. We started running as we made the unusual sounds on the fence because the Chinese man started 'run-out' of his store leaving his customers' to catch/hold one of us.

He didn't only leave his store running but swearing at us in Chinese at the top of his voice. It 'went-on' for some time but one afternoon we were surprised by the Chinese man who was hiding in his 'door-way' waiting. We got the dog barking as we ran (laughing and having fun) using our rules against the fence. As we got in line with the entrance of the store a 4 x 4 x12 ins wooden bar came flying in the air (the wooden bar was used to secure the main doors of his business).

I guess it was some kind of luck that it didn't strike anyone of us but 'passed-over' our heads. The Chinese man not only threw the wooden bar at us but came running after us. He had intended to hold one of us but he wasn't that fast. In a short time he was 'out-of-breath' (his age & size was a big factor) and had to stop and we laughed our heads off from a distance.

After regaining his breath; he returned to his store after retriving the wooden bar. That was the last time we ever passed his store because it was the end of the school term. It was not only the end of the term but most of us were enrolled in different schools' for the new term. I never saw them again because I was sent to live with my parents in the country (26 miles from Georgetown).