Mt Pleasant Laundry Run

An all-points went out over the phone system saying that there was going to be a town run to the laundromat in Mt. Pleasant the next day and to meet at the head-of-the-roads at 9:00 am. I was assigned to do the laundry run and I called Carol, the lady in charge to make sure she had gotten money from the Bank -Lady. She said she got $100.00 dollars in quarters. She thought that should be enough. 

The laundry run happened each week and the Bank -Lady would go to the Bank in Summertown and get the coins needed. This was an important run with six ladies going to do the laundry for three large households, and it had to go off without a hitch.

At the motor pool I checked the truck for gasoline and started it up. You never knew if a vehicle would have gas in the tank because syphoning was rampant at the motor pool. I had checked out the truck the day before to make sure the turn signals and brake lights were working and that it was running well. It was. The truck was a sweet running one-ton cab-over with an open box configuration.

I pulled out of the motor pool and headed to the head-of-the-roads. The road was muddy and slippery, and I had to go slow not slide into a side-ditch. I got there a little late and the ladies were there sitting on the laundry bags. 

As I pulled up, they all hollered, “Yea!” 

Once the laundry was loaded the ladies climbed in and arranged themselves comfortable on the bags. I got in the drivers’ seat and yelled to the back, “are you ready folks?” 

“Yes!”, they yelled, and we were off. 

In those days part of the main road ran through the field next to where the soccer field is now. There was a low spot about halfway down where a large puddle formed after each rain. I was nervous about getting through it because I had driven through it before and had almost got stuck. 

I got to the puddle and stopped. The puddle was huge, bigger than I had seen it before. But there was no turning back now. 

I gunned the engine and hollered “Here we go, hang on tight.” 

The truck sped forward and the suspension groaned as it hit a hole in the puddle and bounced violently. I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw everyone suspended in the air for a split second and then land onto the laundry bags.

The truck slowed down to a crawl and the back wheels were spinning in the water and mud. I kept the engine revved some and we crept forward slowly. The tires finally got purchase and we were through the puddle. 

I hollered to the back, “is everybody okay?” 

“Yes, that was exciting!” they yelled. 

I drove on and when we got to the gate I stopped. The gate man came out and I told him we were doing a laundry run to Mt. Pleasant. He made a notation in the gate log and waved us through. We went down Rock Dale Hill and shortly arrived at the laundromat.

As we were unloading the laundry Carol came up to me and said, “That was good driving Buddy, thanks for getting us through the puddle safely.” 

Her comment made me feel good, and as I walked up the block to Rippiy’s auto store to buy parts for a car I was working on I thought. “This has been a good start to the day.”