Third place fiction contest winner
A summer adventure

It was July 1953.

When you are 10 years old and live in a small town in south Georgia the whole world looks larger than it really is.

Third place fiction winner Q&A H.L.“BUSTER” WASDEN When he retired from working as an insurance agent 10 years ago, H.L. “Buster” Wasden of Albany didn’t have visions of literary grandeur. Instead, he didn’t have much appreciation for books at all until he started reading to pass the time. “Then, I was hooked,” the 71-year-old said in a recent telephone interview. Since then, that appreciation of the written word has only deepened. So much so, that a couple of years ago Wasden started writing as a way to document his life’s adventures for his grandchildren. “Like when I was younger and we planted corn in the yard of Albany High School,” Wasden said, “or put frogs in the girls’ lockers.” Those efforts served as the inspiration for “A Summer Adventure,” Wasden’s work of short fiction that is the third-place winner in The Albany Herald’s 9th annual Southwest Georgia Fiction Writing Contest. But it’s an accolade Wasden never intended to seek on his own. “My wife goaded me into it,” the only child said. It turns out Brenda Wasden noticed her husband’s increased love of reading over the years. So she challenged him to try his own hand at writing. “That’s really about it,” Wasden said. “She said, ‘You read so much, you should try writing, yourself.’ ” So he did and subsequently submitted his efforts to The Herald’s annual literary contest. “I had no idea I would even place,” Wasden said. But he’s happy to have done so. “It feels wonderful,” Wasden said. “It feels really good.” So good, that he’s been inspired to challenge himself even more by working on a novella. “I just wanted to see if I could do it,” Wasden said. It seems an initial desire to preserve memories for family, combined with encouragement from Wasden’s wife, has unearthed a creative pastime. “It’s really been fun,” he said. HOMETOWN: Columbus, but has lived in Albany since age 6 EDUCATION: Attended Albany public schools and graduated from Valdosta State University FAMILY: Married 49 years and has two grown children and four children OCCUPATION: Retired State Farm insurance agent Q: What else have you written? A: I’ve started on a little novella. Q: What are some of your hobbies? A: I’m an avid woodworker. I love photography, and have taught photography at Darton (College). I play golf, fish and read. I’m really dedicated to reading. I can finish two or three books in a week. Q: What was your inspiration for writing this story? A: I’m not real sure. The dog is my dog. She goes everywhere I go. And when I was a little boy I got lost. But this was just a story I made up. Q: Who are your favorite writers? A: Nelson DeMille, John Grisham, James Patterson, Randy Wayne White, W.B. Griffin and James Grippando, Frank Peretti, Arthur Hailey and Philip Margolin. I’m like a kid with a new toy. I can’t get enough of reading. Q: What is your favorite book genre? A: I love mysteries. On the other hand, I like other stuff. My preferences are varied, and I like a lot of things. Q: What are the last three books you’ve read? A: ‘Chasing Darkness’ by Robert Crais, ‘The Evening News’ by Arthur Hailey and ‘Utopia’ by Lincoln Child. Q: What is your most memorable quote? A: Teddy Roosevelt said, ‘I’m only an average man. But I work harder at it than an average man.’ I can relate to that because I work hard. Interviewed by Cathy Higgins

Billy had two special friends; his dad, Ben Wilson, and his buddy Boots, his German shepherd dog that he had raised from a puppy. She was named Boots because of the unusual markings on her feet.

It was summertime and as the old song suggested, “the living was easy.”

Ben ran the local auto garage in Shiloh and was well known and respected. He had achieved a degree of success by being just plain old honest. A virtue one couldn’t learn. It had to be lived.

His dad was a tall, lanky man that was quiet and unassuming. He always had his trusty pipe in the side of his mouth. You could always tell when Ben was around by the scent of his old worn briar pipe and the pleasant aroma of cherry tobacco. It was his trademark. Everyone loved the smell.

For Billy, every day was a new adventure. It meant playing along the banks of the Nochaway Creek or stomping through the woods nearby. As always, his pal Boots was by his side.

One day as Billy was leaving the house for a fresh trek into the woods he heard his mama call out.

“Billy, don’t forget to take your raincoat,” she said. “It looks like rain today!”

“OK, Mom,” replied Billy, as he opened the door to the hall closet to retrieve his yellow slicker raincoat.

“Be careful son.”

“I will Mama,” said Billy as he hurried out the front door with his buddy Boots tagging along beside him.

“Where do you want to go today, Boots?” asked Billy. Boots looked up at him and kind of cocked her head to one side as if to say, “I don’t care Billy as long as we’re together.”

The two plunged into the thick undergrowth and proceeded to forge ahead. The farther they went, the more limbs and leaves they had to endure. It was extremely dense, but it was fun finding new pathways.

Finally, they came to a clearing and decided to take a well deserved rest before going deeper into the woods. Billy was breathing hard and Boots’ tongue was hanging from one side of her mouth. Billy had a Cub Scout canteen filled with water and took a long drink. He also had a little wooden bowl for Boots to enjoy water as well. He poured a generous portion for Boots and watched her lap it up.

Billy loved his dad. Ben was a hardworking mechanic and as a part-time job belonged to the National Guard. He went away several times a month and for two weeks every summer to “camp.” Billy declared that when he was old enough, he would join the Guard, too. His dad looked sharp in his uniform and he had three stripes on his sleeve. He was Sgt. Wilson, and he wasn’t afraid of anything. Billy’s mama was always reading the paper and asking questions about a country a long way away called Korea.

For some reason she didn’t seem happy when it came up. Her eyes would fill and she looked a little scared! “I guess that’s one of those ‘grown up things’ ” thought Billy.

“Well Boots, are you ready to go?” said Billy. Boots instinctively stood and headed for the tall brush. This time Billy was behind but coming up fast. Deeper and deeper they went until suddenly a familiar sound was heard.

“Do you hear that Boots?” said Billy. It was the sound of the Nochaway Creek rapidly moving along. There had been a lot of rain lately and the creek was higher than normal. The speed of the water had become rapid and a little frightening.

Billy knew about where he was, however things seemed a little different. He couldn’t tell why but they just did.

Billy didn’t see the slippery rock until it was too late. He had fallen right into the creek, slicker and all, and was being carried downstream at a swift pace. He was a good swimmer, but it wasn’t fun doing this! Actually, he really wasn’t swimming, rather he was just floating with the current.

He saw Boots running through the woods trying to keep up with him. As he called out for his buddy, he swallowed a large mouthful of creek water. He coughed and gagged a little, but eventually was able to get his breath.

It seemed like an eternity until he came to a stop. He was able to grab hold of an overhanging limb and pull himself out of the water. He was exhausted but he was safe once again.

He lay down on the grassy creek bank to rest and to gather his thoughts. He then called out for Boots, but she didn’t appear.

“Boots... Boots... Boots... come on girl, where are you?”

Boots didn’t answer. The uncertainty surrounded Billy and he became frightened. He was alone deep in the woods, and his best friend was missing.

“What do I do now?” thought Billy. “Where is Boots?” “Daddy... please help me!” he pleaded.

When he tried to stand up it seemed that his legs wouldn’t hold him. He had a sharp searing pain in his ankle. Billy looked down and discovered that his jeans were ripped on the bottom and blood was seeping out around the hole. Upon inspection, he noticed a deep cut just above his swollen ankle. It hurt so bad!

Trying to walk was a difficult undertaking. He felt the pain every time he took a step. The bleeding had sped up. Billy tore the bottom of his white T-shirt and fashioned a bandage. He had seen one of his Boy Scout friends do something like this one time. It wasn’t very neat, but it was working. The red blossom appeared on the bandage, but it stayed inside.

“Boots, Boots...” and then quietly he said, “...Boots, I need you.”

Billy imagined all sorts of things. If Boots was OK she would have been right there with her master. Something must have happened to her. The creek water had been moving fiercely... “Please be all right Boots...” Billy uttered.

Several hours passed and he was even deeper in the woods. He was in an area that he had never seen before. But then he recollected once a long time ago he remembered that his dad had walked into the forest with him and told him about the times that he had explored these very same woods when he was a boy about his age.

Billy remembered that conversation vividly. He had noticed the twinkle in Ben’s eyes when he talked about those days, and how he had remarked about his “private place.” It was coming back to him now. He had been here before.

The woods had thinned out somewhat when he came upon a clearing. It seemed familiar, but he wasn’t sure. As he rested on an old pine log, he noticed something underneath that didn’t belong there. Billy picked up the old Army surplus ammo can that was latched on the top. It was olive drab and had been partially hidden by the fallen limbs and overgrown vines. It appeared that it had been under there a very long while.

Billy struggled to open it, but it wouldn’t give. He tried harder and harder, but it still wouldn’t budge. He just knew that something wonderful was inside the old can and he was determined to find out what it might be. He would rest for a while before trying again.

The shadows were becoming longer and the sun was setting in the west. Night was falling and Billy found himself alone once more.

Even in south Georgia in July, the nighttime brought on a chill in the air when it fell. All he was wearing was a pair of faded jeans, his white T-shirt and a pair of Keds tennis shoes.

Normally, he would have been barefoot, however today he had decided to wear his tennis shoes to help him avoid stubbing his toes as he walked. His canteen was almost dry and there was nothing to eat.

This was a terrible situation to find yourself in.

As he lay on his back looking at the early summer’s night sky, he was in awe of just how big this world was and how small he was. He imagined himself a grown man with the courage of a giant, but that really didn’t help a lot. He was just a 10-year-old boy that was hopelessly lost in the woods. What would happen to him now?

Night sounds were heard everywhere. It’s funny how sounds get louder and louder just when you don’t want them to. He had listened to them hundreds of times before, but he was always with his dad or Boots. Neither one was present now and this seemed to be different.

One time he thought that he had heard Boots coming through the woods, but it turned out to be just a big old hoot owl hunting a mouse for supper. Then he heard another rustling and saw a red fox running faster as he caught Billy’s scent.

“Oh Boots, I need you girl,” thought Billy.

Then he finally remembered something that Ben had said once. Billy had suffered a nightmare and woke up crying. Ben came to his bedroom and gave him comfort. When asked what was wrong Billy said, “Daddy, I dreamed that I was alone and I was scared.”

Ben looked down at his son and said, “Billy, that happens to all of us every now and then. You are never alone son. If you close your eyes real tight and think about me, I’ll be right here with you. I’ll never leave you. That’s a promise.”

This gave Billy reason to think. If he closed his eyes tightly and called on his dad, would he really be there? It was worth a try.

For hours Billy’s eyes were shut and his little hands were folded together as if in prayer and he thought over and over again, “Daddy, are you with me now?”

When he opened his eyes, things did look a little different. He wasn’t quite as scared, and he didn’t feel so much alone, even though Boots was still missing. He was more peaceful than he thought he should be.

Suddenly, he noticed that it wasn’t dark anymore. He had been outside all night in the woods. Still lost, but it wasn’t so bad now since the daylight was coming in.

As he sat by the log he noticed once again the old Army can. Picking it up he saw that he had missed something before. There was a small catch on the side. It must have been some kind of a lock.

Sliding the catch to one side, the lock sprang open, and then Billy was able to remove the top from the can. It made a whooshing sound when it came off. It had been airtight and the inside was completely dry.

Reaching deeply inside the can Billy felt something stiff and loose. He removed the object from the container. It was a dark brown book with frayed pages. As he opened it he began to read.

Page one stated that this book belonged to Ben Wilson, age 10, Shiloh, Georgia. And Billy began to read his dad’s journal that he had hidden in his private place when he was a boy.

Ben had written his personal thoughts in the journal. On one page Billy saw that his dad loved to trek through the same woods at the same age. Then he read that he, too, had a best friend, named Honey, a golden retriever that he remembered his dad telling him about.

Billy could see his dad through the pages of the old book. He was experiencing many of the same things that his dad had as a boy. Ben had loved the creek. It was fun fishing and swimming there. He liked to walk barefoot every day of the summer and enjoyed playing with his buddy, Honey.

Billy felt a strange sensation in his leg. It was a pain, but not sharp. A dull, throbbing feeling was there and he had difficulty walking. He pulled his pant leg up and saw that the cut was deeper than he had thought. The blood had dried but the area around the wound was fiery red and there were several lines going out from it that were just as red. Billy had a serious problem and he needed help right now.

He was hungry and thirsty. He had finished off all the water in the canteen during the night, and his leg was throbbing. His dog was missing and he was lost and alone.

Billy couldn’t walk very well, but he tried. He managed to limp back in the direction he had come, but his injury wouldn’t allow him to travel very fast. After a while, he came upon a spot that was familiar. Then, he saw the yellow rain slicker lying beside the water. He had forgotten and left it there after he had climbed out of the creek.

Walking faster, he finally was so tired that he just had to sit down and rest. He discovered another good pine log to lean on. As he sat he thought, “I’m so tired, so tired but I can’t give up now.”

Billy slept.

“What is that smell?” he asked. “It’s something that I know about, but I can’t place it?”

It was getting closer and closer. Billy was drowsy and half asleep when he suddenly sat straight up and shouted, “Daddy... I’m over here!!”

Billy had smelled the cherry tobacco aroma from Ben’s pipe. It was a silent message from his dad. Ben called out, “Hang on son, I’m coming, I’m coming!”

A great reunion was held in the middle of the forest. Ben and Billy were hugging and crying at the same time. These tears, however, were tears of joy. Little Billy wasn’t lost anymore. His dad had kept his promise.

“Daddy, I couldn’t find Boots... my dog is still lost,” Billy cried almost uncontrollably. “I’m afraid she might be hurt or sick, or worse.”

As he wiped his eyes he told Ben what had happened, and how he had become separated from Boots, and how he had spent the night in the woods all alone. He also told him about finding the old Army can and the journal. Ben smiled in remembrance of his days as a boy and his secret private place in the woods.

When Billy arrived home, Doc James dropped by and inspected his leg. He had the beginnings of blood poisoning and the doctor gave Billy a shot of some new kind of medicine called penicillin. It was supposed to be a miracle drug guaranteed to rid the body of any disease.

Billy hoped that it would work, because the shot really hurt. Thank goodness that part was over now.

For supper, his mama had fried chicken and had prepared his favorite dishes of mashed potatoes, butter beans and fried okra, along with a couple of big cathead biscuits chockfull of real butter. There was iced tea to drink and lemon pie for dessert.

When Billy finished supper all he could do was to sit down. He was happy to be home, but he still sadly thought about Boots who was still lost in the woods and alone like he had been before.

The news of Billy’s misfortune was out and Pastor Smith had heard of his ordeal and came by to visit. Billy relived the entire experience in the woods including the part about losing Boots and finding his dad’s journal and the rain slicker. He told Pastor Smith about his dream and how his father had told him that he would always be there for him.

Pastor Smith smiled and said, “Billy, that story goes a little deeper than you know, son.” He went on, “You see, I was here when your dad did the same thing when he was a boy about your age. I can remember telling him about the parable of the Prodigal Son and explaining that if he really believed in God and called on him, he would be like the son in the parable. He would never be really lost and alone, you see, God would always be there for him. I think you just heard part of the story in your dream. Your dad came to know the Lord shortly after his experience in the woods, and I am sure that the same thing will happen to you soon. God has a funny way about getting your attention.”

Ben looked down at his boy once again and smiled. Billy felt the love between the two of them and suddenly felt warm all over.

A scratch on the door. A small whine. Could it be? Boots? Is that you girl?

Springing up from his chair, Billy fled to the door to find his faithful Boots sitting at the opening. With her paw raised high it was as if he were saying, “Hi Billy, I’m home and I missed you!”

Boots was tired and hungry, but that didn’t stop her from licking Billy’s face over and over again. She had been just as lost as her master.

Billy was beaming from ear to ear and tears were streaming down his young cheeks. Boots continued to lick the tears off the little boy’s face as he held her close.

The family’s hearts were full as they were all together again. Mom was smiling because she had heard the war in Korea had ended and that meant Ben wasn’t going away.

The world was at peace once again.

As Billy prepared for bed, he said his prayers but this time he felt like he was really talking with God, and he knew that He was listening to his little prayer.

Billy couldn’t wait for Sunday to come... there was one more thing he had to do, and it was very important.

Next Sunday: Second-place winner Julie Hilburn’s “Perfection.”