The character of “Big” David

First and I my opinion the very best is my friend David Owens, “Big” David to the rest of us. He’s a big un’ with huge fingers and thick hands. Even though he’s just in fifth grade he’s already nearly six feet tall. His head is covered with wavy dark brown hair which he keeps parted to one side. His face is wide and a pug noise barely sticks out from the center. That big head sits on top of a pair of broad shoulders by way of an unnaturally short thick neck.

His size is betrayed by his temperament. He seems to exist in a continuous state of mild mannered happy. I don’t reckon I’ve ever seen him with out a slight smile on his face. I’ve come to believe he’s just made that way. When he speaks the words come out soft and low, slow on the ears and easy to listen to. There’s a simple wisdom in his words, he don’t say much, but what he says is generally worth hearing. I’ve never seen him put one bite of food in his mouth with out asking for the Lord’s blessing first, and I ain’t never heard any sort of curse or swear from his lips.

Him and his folks live down the road on a hilltop known as Owens ridge. They’s a lot of em’ and like the rest of us, money is tight. I believe the ol’ boy’s got more brothers and sisters than were animals on good Noah’s ark. They’re always out in the yard, running and chasing, screaming and hollering. Climbing their big brother like an old oak, and David loves it, every minute of it.

When his pa ain’t at work in the mines or home in the garden, he’s always out there with the kids, running and screaming as loud as they. That’s the part that make me a bit jealous, my pa’s gone so it’s me and ma. Even when he was here, he didn’t have much to do with me.

The oddest thing about big David is the ever present smell of wood smoke. It follows him every where he goes and even goes so far as arrive just a little before him in most cases. Of all my friends he’s the best, ma calls him a sweet spirit, says friends like him are hard to come by. I reckon she right about that.

David’s size is about all our little group needs to stay out of trouble. We know if there are any problems all we gotta do is yell for him, that’s about enough to diffuse any situation. Even though Chucky and Stick have pushed that theory to the limit more than a few times.