The Mountain Life

The beautiful mountaintop was the ideal life for a teen-age boy to live. In the year 1941, Brigom Jones was exploring the wild life on the mountain that he loved and grew near to as he watched the animals roam from hilltop to hilltop. He would run with the animals and feel alive.

One day his life took a sad turn when his father came home from teaching school and told Brigom's mother that he was leaving them to make a new home for himself. Brigom took over the head of the household and found odd jobs to get money to buy his crippled mother's medicine. He learned to work at a sawmill with adult men in the deep dark woods. He learned how to find wild greens and to kill the animals that he loved so much. This was a way of life to survive. He found out the hard way his life had changed forever. Many hardships made him grow up in a hurry in his tender years.

Uncle Andrew sent little money and gifts to help Brigom and his mother Ruth. The most valued gift was a watch Brigom received for Christmas, little did he know this would bring heartache when Larry, a boy that lived on the mountain, wanted to buy the watch and would not take no for an answer.

Brigom became so frightened of Larry trying to take the watch off his arm or threatening to beat him up. Brigom began to walk over the mountain to the valley below, where he made friends with a family that helped him and his mother survive the winter months.

Mr. Keyes told him about a cave that he wanted to explore. This was something he could do and not worry about Larry haunting him. The mountain that Brigom loved so much had become a haunting ground. Everywhere he went, he imagined seeing Larry laughing and making fun of him. Each day he became more afraid of his life. Something was telling him he may have to move off the mountain or his life may be no more. Fear was overtaking him, and he even had thoughts of death.