By Rick Ryckeley
Fayette County Fire & Emergency Services

Big Brother James and Neighbor Thomas were considered to be the responsible kids by all the parents in our neighborhood. If anything had been broken, if anyone got hurt or was in trouble - they were always the ones responsible. Case in point: Big Brother James and Neighbor Thomas' idea of fun in The Forest.

The house we grew up in sat on top of a hill with a back yard that sloped down to the edge of a swamp. To the right of the swamp was a path that led up to the lake where we'd spend most of the summer. On the far shore of the lake stood a huge oak tree with limbs overhanging the water, one of which we tied a rope swing to. Back behind the rope swing tree lay The Forest - which no one ever entered.

Most days Brother Richard, Twin Brother Mark, Big Brother James, Neighbor Thomas and I could be found up playing at the lake, skipping rocks, hitting each other with cat tails or seeing who could do the most spins and flips off the rope swing. It was while up at the lake, one hot summer afternoon, that Big Brother James came up with his best idea yet - riding trees in The Forest.

The Forest was thick with pine trees and hardwoods and was rumored to be haunted - we all stayed away from it - all but Big Brother James and the Neighbor Thomas. One day, when the rest of us were playing up at the lake, they just disappeared. For hours we called their names - looking for them around the lake and in the swamp but staying well clear of The Forest. The swamp held many treasures for us that day - we found two old red wagons, one tractor tire, and three footballs - but no lost boys. We were about to call the police when Big Brother James and Neighbor Thomas emerged from The Forest. They were covered in dirt and sticky pine sap but smiling from ear to dirty ear.

When I asked what they had been doing for the last two hours, Big Brother James announced, "We've been riding trees. It's fun, you gotta try it. Don't worry, Rick. You won't get hurt."

Oh no," I thought, "There were those words again." Big Brother James always said those words right before someone got hurt. That someone was usually The Sister or me. (And The Sister was up at the house nursing a broken wrist due to the last great idea he had.)

We followed them back into The Forest to a clearing that was surrounded by small pines and hardwood trees. Neighbor Thomas climbed a sweet gum tree that was 15 feet tall and about six inches in diameter at its base. When he got to the top, he jumped away from the tree, only holding onto it with his hands, and rode it safely to the ground below. At the same time, Big Brother James climbed a large oak tree, reached across to the smaller oak tree growing next to it, held on with both hands, and jumped! To our amazement, he rode the smaller tree safely to the ground also.

He said, "See. I told ya it's safe, and you can't get hurt. Are you gonna do it, or are you chicken?"

"I'll show you who's chicken."

And with that, I started to climb the closest pine tree. About half way up, I was covered in sticky pinesap, but I kept climbing. All the way to the top of the twenty-foot pine tree I climbed. As I looked down, Big Brother James said, "Rick, all ya have to do now is to hold on with both hands and jump away."

I jumped and was riding the tree slowing down to the ground thinking, "Hey this isn't so bad. It's really fun." That is until I was about ten feet above the ground. I heard a loud snap and Big Brother James' words ringing in my head: "Don't worry it's safe; Trust me; you won't get hurt." Then the lights went out.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital with my parents at my bedside. Dad was mad (Dad was always mad when we got hurt), and Mom was crying (Mom always cried when we got hurt.) About that time, our family doctor came in and gave me a once-over. He looked at my chart and x-rays and talked to my Dad. He said, "Mister Ryckeley, I have some good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Dad answered, "Doc, tell me the bad news first."

"Your son has a mild concussion, no broken bones, and we would like to keep him here over night for observation."

"If that's the bad news, what's the good news?"

"With your daughter in here just two weeks ago for a broken wrist, and your son's fall out of the pine tree, you've met your insurance deductible faster this year than any other."

Come to find out, Big Brother James and Neighbor Thomas neglected to inform us of one important detail about riding trees in The Forest. You can ride sweet gum trees, oaks, and poplars because they will bend. You can't ride a pine tree. Pine trees will not bend. When they bend, they break, and if you don't land the right way, so will you. We rode only hardwood trees the rest of that summer, and oh, what a summer it was!

[Rick Ryckeley is employed by the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services. He can be reached at saferick@bellsouth.net.]

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