The Old Rusty David Brown by Samantha White

Breathtaking!

To think that this was just my own backyard, the farm I grew up on.

Sitting there next to my Dad on the old rusty David Brown mud guard I felt like no one was judging me, there were no expectations. I could just be myself.

That was my favourite place - with my Dad, going home on the tractor together up Old Creamery Road while it was getting dark. Things were getting ready to lurk out from behind bushes, but I was OK. I had my Dad.

We were singing our hearts out in our same old tone deaf voices while competing against the icy cold blaring wind.

My hands were numb from hanging on so I let my left hand go and tucked it into my Dad’s sleeve that was holding me close. We nicked tree branches, which fell to the ground with a thud. The tractor tyres flew cow dung at us, including into my face, and bugs flew into the wet soggy cave in the middle of my face.

But did we care?

No, of course not!

We just laughed at each other and sang ‘In A Blaze Of Glory’ over and over again, with occasional shouts into each other’s earmuff.

I was watching out the back in case a car came, then we would pull over and let them pass. One of the cars we let past turned out to be Snow, a man Dad knew.

“Ah! It’s the snowmobile!” he yelled into the wind.

I caught it by a thread as it drifted to my ears. I nodded. All Dads have jokes that are past their use by date.

Finally the ride ended after 25 minutes driving through pot holes and being splattered with the unthinkable.

We arrived home, and my body returned to the real world. I felt dizzy and numb. A hot bath was needed.

Sigh ....

School tomorrow!

Until next time when I can be the farm girl I was born as— the tractor, my Dad, and me.

‘The Old Rusty David Brown’ was written for the Memoir & Local History Competition 2011, run annually by the New Zealand Society of Authors (Bay of Plenty Region) with support from Tauranga Writers, and was an entry in the category for Young Writers (13-18.)

‘A contestant rides an old David Brown at an A&P Show.’