The Mystery In Motion, Or, Will I Go To Hell For This?

[Kevin Nye]

The Mystery In Motion,
Or,
Will I Go To Hell For This?

My favorite time in the Tenth Corps was during our first year in residence at the end of the year. As you remember, we’d all been preparing for the 8th Corps Corps weddings, and Steve Lowder and the Maintenance crew had been pumping the mud and swan crap out of the pond for like a whole week. But then, when the pumps got most of it out but there was still serious amounts of muck with about ten inches of water on top of it, we, as the “Mystery In Motion” were called upon to do the mud bucket “hand over hand” thing to get the rest of the water, muck, pond scum, and Aquilla and Priscilla crap out of there. I remember that the guys did the hand over hand thing with the buckets full, sending the buckets to the back forty behind Uncle Harry, and the gals handed the empty buckets hand over hand back to the pond. No doubt, Phyllis Solomon, Mary Dougherty, Cheri Hall, and the other tough gals in the Tenth Corps made sure to get in line with the boys with the full buckets. But everybody, it seems, did their time in the pond, slopping mud on their backs to prevent the sun, etc. I remember a few guys and gals writing “I Love God” on their backs after the mud was slathered on, and after it was washed off later in the day, the same words stood out in “sun burned pink” on their backs. I remember that it was insufferably hot, and we all worked very hard, with guys throwing crawdads, baby catfish, and baby bass at the girls, and all was lots of fun.

And then I remember at one point in the afternoon, Britt Lynn and then Phil Bonadies (those guys were like two peas in a pod), decided to change the afternoon for the better. I was working on the northern edge of the pond about half the distance from the rope swing. I remember hearing a big “who hoo!” from someone, and looking up just in time to see Britt Lynn flying through the air off the rope swing and landing in a belly flop right smack dab in the mud! And then, Phil Bonadies followed suit, and the “order of the day” quickly began to unravel! I remember Britt (at least I think it was him-coulda been somebody else) going up to Linda MacDuffy and dumping two whole handfulls of mud straight down the top of her bib overalls! Which in turn caused her to start grabbing mud and flangin it at anybody within reach! And all hell just flat out broke loose!!

Now, I remember standing on the sidelines there thinking; “Man, I don’t want to get all muddy like that. I’m just going to watch”. But then I remembered the scene in the movie “McClintock” with John Wayne where there was a huge mud fight, and I decided right then and there that I was going to jump in with both feet. And so I did. I remember throwing people in to the middle where there was still water and slop, and I particularly remember grabbing Bob Kriebel from the sidelines (he’d been cheering on the fight but staying safely “away”), and dragging him in and throwing him in the muck. And I too was thrown down a time or two, and it was great.

But then, I looked to the edge of the pond on the circle drive side and saw our own Reverend Richard Thomas standing up in the much dryer mud at the edge of the pond and throwing people in with great vigor and gusto. When I saw that, I noticed that Jay Wilson had also seen what I’d seen. So I went over to him, and we conspired to tackle Richard and give him a taste of his own medicine. We retreated way back even to downstairs doors of the “garden level” of the Wierwille Library and consulted with each other. Both of us were convinced that “Richard T” had to go down. But we were also seriously worried about tackling a “Reverend” who also happened to be our Corps Coordinator. But we came to the conclusion that; “If he could dish it out”, he shouldn’t have a problem “getting it back”. And so, Jay made up the plan. He’d played football, I had not, although I could have I think. But Jay says; “Okay Kevin we’ll run at him from behind. You hit him high, and I’ll hit him low around his legs and into the slop he goes”. And so, with a little worry on our faces, we commenced. With great alacrity of mind (great alacrity of mind?-I just like that term, although it isn’t really fitting here), we ran at him as he was yelling and jeering at people that were getting all mucked up. He seemed to be enjoying his “immunity” as well as his physical ability to throw people into the sludge! It was wrong man, just plain, wrong, and we were going to fix that...

He never knew what hit him. I flew through the air at the same time Jay did and I wrapped my arms around his arms and chest just as Jay wrapped his big ol arms around Richard T’s legs. Our momentum was serious and we drove him straight into the pond! Richard was face down in the muck as I rode on top of Richard’s back. We drove him, rode him, straight into the water, the muck, the crawdads, and the swan shit! It was beautiful man!!

And when we came to a halt, Jay and I looked at each other and grinned from ear to ear. But, just then, Richard started cussing and saying “motherfuckers” and all kinds of bad shit and stood up and wiped the mud from his eyes which showed his rage. And I was thinking; “Oh shit! I am goin to Hell after all! I just tackled The Lord’s Annointed! The wrath of God be upon me!” He looked right at me and lunged. I tried to sprint in the mud with my legs going like Fred Flintstone trying to make his car go fast, and finally started to make way and get away from Richard. But man, he was pissed! He was not going to let me get away! I made it about fifteen feet before he tackled me and slammed me face down into the water, the muck, the crawdads, and the swan shit. He had the back of my head by the hair and repeatedly slammed my face into the slop, over and over and over while he cussed me out. Then he let me go and got up.

Wiping the mud from my eyes, I could see Jay Wilson standing there in disbelief with his jaw dropped and all that mud all over him. And Richard went after Jay. And it was the same story. And Jay started trying to run in that mud with his feet slipping and flyin but really getting nowhere. (polysyndeton) Yet, Richard seemed to get traction just fine! Within seconds, Richard T had Jay by the back of his head by the hair and was systematically slamming his head in to the, you guessed it, the water, the muck, the crawdads, and the swan shit. Richard muttered something and walked back to the rim of the pond…

I don’t think Jay and I talked to each other just then, but rather, just went our way, wondering if we’d done something “wrong” by “tackling a man of God” like that. At least that was what I was thinking. I did get back into that mud fight, and thought of it as one of the best times I was to have had when I was in The Way Corps. And it was. Man youz guys, we had some fine times, didn’t we? Dammit all, it was brilliant, that mud fight! I think Britt Lynn and Phil Bonadies were walking by the spirit that day!

I also remember a few years later, once I was on more of a “peer level” with Richard T, asking him if he thought we “were out of line spiritually” for doing that, or, if he was just pissed off. And he told me flat out that he was simply pissed off and wanted to pay us back plain and simple. So, Jay and I had made the right decision after all. We nailed your ass Richard! Hah!!

[Kevin Nye]

Shootfire Rick, glad I was able to help prompt that good old memory. You said; "After my surgeries..." And so, apparently, you had some surgery done on your cabasa (head)? Well, I am so thankful to learn after the fact that it must have been a success! God bless you Rick!

In Christ,

Kevin

[Ric Cox]

Man, I have the headphones on and I'm listening to the music on opening page. "Our hearts knit together" in my ears. As I read this, I got all choked up! There are things that were deeply instilled in me during that year in residence. I remember all the characters in the event and specifically laughing at thinking you guys were going to hell for your assalt on Richard T. Then, I thought about how great it was that we knew I Peter 1:23. Thanks for the story. After my surgeries, there are details that need prompting for me to remember vividly. I am so thankful I remember this one as you told it and could have a heart felt moment of thankfulness.

[Kevin Nye]

I can't remember Richard's wife's name. He did marry an 8th Corps gal who had long black hair. A real beauty...

[Janis Lang Johnson]

That was hilarious! One question though, was that the Richard Thomas married to Karen Thomas?

[Kevin Nye]

Well, at least I am proud to say that even though I was swayed by the "MOG" thing, I still believed in "reality", and acted on it with my friend Jay. It was just a plain and simple fact that Richard T, as our MOG, was totally into throwing people into the mud with great gusto! And in a Normal World, Jay and I figured that he had some pay back coming. So, we gave it to him big time. And ya know, giving him the benny of the doubt, maybe he was just trying to see if anyone would "look outside the nine dots", and have the guts to challenge him back. But, when it actually happened, his natural "caveman male ego" (I think all of we Boys have it to some degree), got the best of him and he went into "revenge mode", which, I too, appreciate and respect...

It was a cool moment fore shore. And Mike Prahm, thanks for setting up the afternoon's scenario by pumping the pond the night before. Sorry you weren't in on the Mud Fight...

Oh Linda McDee, wish you'd join us and read this! You were/are such a lovely woman!
...

[Michael Prahm]

Kevin:

i stand guilty. I am the one who pumped the pond. The push desperate. we pumped all night. I slept all day, and miss the mud fights in the pond. I awoke about the time every one was leaving the pond covered with a 1,000 lbs of do do, but you could still see the smile in the eye.

Mike Prahm

[Kevin Nye]

Yeah Jan, some very fine times were had! Remember the Blue and White Cafe in Baker? Yum! And, I still laugh at your joke "hit the nickel hit the dime, hit the quarter hit the dollar..."

[Janice Rawlins]

Kevin, you really made that "incident live" as we were encouraged to do in our Christian Communications class! I happened to be one of those standing in the middle of that pond (or at least not close enough to the edge to be able to get out fast). As I recall, a couple of the Way Builders were helping, one of whom was chewing tobacco. I made a casual comment about never having chewed tobacco (although I was a smoker at the time). He offered me some and I was reluctant to take it, but he assured me that it really was not bad at all (yea, right). So here I stand in the middle of the pond with AWFUL chewing tobacco in my mouth and swan crap up to my elbows not being able to grab the tobacco and get it out of my mouth. I spit and spit and spit for a looooong time and finally could take it no longer and waded out of the pond to get that nasty stuff out of my mouth.

I have a couple of other really favorite memories of Emporia, of Oregon (we could write a book about those, huh, Kevin) and can't leave out memories from Baker, Oregon either but that will have to be another time!

[Kevin Nye]

Yes, those really were some fine times. Thanks Pat and Chere :-)

[Chere Poole]

Absolutely awesome story telling...way to make it live! I remember the pond and the muck well. Both were still alive and well when I was in residence w/the 17th. Didn't keep us from diving in, though! I remember Phil Bonadies from my apprentice year in CA, and I can SOOO see him doing that stuff you described! It's good to remember the good times. I have to say those were some of the best years of my life, and I still have friends from those days that are closer than family. Wouldn't trade those days for anything. Bless you for sharing, Kevin.