In 1953, over 35,000 cases of polio were diagnosed in the United States. By 1958, when I was in the 6th grade, we began receiving the Sabin Oral Polio Vaccine. In 1958, polio was still a very dangerous disease in South Georgia, but the polio vaccine came too late for Ernie Kelsey.

Ernie had many friends in the 6th grade, and we would go over and swing with Ernie during recess. While we were sitting and swinging with Ernie, he would talk and laugh. I guess that when he was swinging, he was just like the other kids. But the swinging only lasted for 15 or 20 minutes, and then Ms. Goodwin would call for her students to go inside for class. Then the polio came back.

There was one person in the 6th grade that was never very nice to Ernie, his name was Claude Hammonds. Claude was tall for his age and he was the best at everything on the playground.

When Ms. Goodwin wasn't looking, Claude would often make cruel remarks to Ernie. "Wanna come and play kickball?" "Let's go tree climbing after school today?" "I can't wait until we are in 7th grade, that's when we start playing baseball!"

We didn't like to hear Claude talking like that, but we didn't say anything to him. After all, he was the biggest kid in the 6th grade.

Ernie was pretty smart. In class, when we had projects to do, I always tried to get Ernie on my team. I knew if I got Ernie to help, I would get a passing mark. My daddy really liked for me to get passing marks.

The school year passed very quickly. The hot summer months gave way to autumn. Thanksgiving and Christmas came and passed and the cold winter months soon became the warm days of spring.

Ernie seemed to fit in with our class. He always had his studies done first, if I forgot my pencil, he usually had a spare, and every Monday morning, Ernie had a brand new pack of Blue Horse notebook paper. Ernie was doing just fine, just fine except for Claude.

As March ended, everyone in our school began making preparations for our May Day Festival. This year was really going to be special for us. The May Day Festival was for all students in grades 6 through 12. That meant that this year, we would participate in an entire day of ball games, contests, dances, relay races and the final event of the day, the race to the May Pole.

The May Pole Race was about 1/4 mile long. The May Pole was set in the middle of our playground. Coach Hagin, the high school gym teacher, used his baseball chalk to make 7 lanes, one lane for a representative from each grade. On the May Pole there was one long streamer make of gold ribbon. The first class to get to the May Pole and grab the gold ribbon, was declared the May Day Champions. Of course, the older kids always won, it was someone from the 12th grade almost every year. Maybe when I'm in the 12th grade, I'll win the May Pole Race.

Beginning in April, Ms. Goodwin began planning which student would be in which event. Every morning she would select an event, take out her grade book and carefully check the marks for everyone in our class. You see, students earned their entry to an event by their marks in school, not by how they played at recess.

There were ten events. Each day, Ms. Goodwin would hold up a card with the name of the event, look at her grade book and call out the name of the student who would represent our class in that event.

I waited anxiously everyday to hear my name called, finally on the 7th day, Ms. Goodwin held up a card with the words "sack race" written on it. The three 6th graders in the sack race are - Tubby, Tony and Shane.

Finally, I had a chance to race against all the older guys in our school in the sack race.

We only had a few days left, and everyone knew that our entry into the May Pole Race would be Claude. But then came the next to the last event, the softball throw, our entrant is Claude Hammonds. We all looked at each other, if Claude is in the softball throw, then who would be in the May Pole Race?

The next day was April 24th, only one week left before the May Day Festival. Ms. Goodwin stood up in front of the class, the student with the highest marks in our class, and the May Pole contestant is......Ernie Kelsey.

Not a word was said, until we hit the playground that is.

Claude was furious. "How could old lady Goodwin pick Ernie, he can't even run. How is he going to race?"

Then he glared at Ernie and said, "Kelsey, that's my race, I should be the one in the May Pole Race, not some...." His voice trailed off here, I was glad.

Ernie looked at the rest of us, "Don't worry about me, I'll do the best I can. I'll make you all proud."

Then he turned slowly and began to shuffle to the swings. But this time, nobody went over to swing with him. To this day, I've never seen anyone look so lonely. And to this day, I can't explain why I didn't go swing with Ernie.

The last thing Claude yelled at Ernie was that he would meet him before school Monday morning and they would have their own May Pole Race, just the two of them.

Before anyone could say anything, Ernie accepted and the Monday race was on.

The next day was Saturday. Claude's family lived on a farm and Mr. Hammonds was putting up some new fence. Putting up fence involved two people and a fence stretcher. One person pulled the fence stretcher, using a 4x4 to tighten the fence. The other person nailed the fence as it was tightened. Claude's dad handled the stretcher. As soon as the fence was pulled very tight, Claude had to stand behind the stretcher and nail the fence to the post. On this morning, something went terribly wrong. The 4X4 that Mr. Hammonds was using to pull the fence stretcher broke, the metal stretcher flew around the post where Claude was standing and caught him just above the knee. The force of the stretcher knocked Claude to the ground. He was writhing in pain.

Mr. Hammonds quickly picked Claude up and placed him carefully in his old pick-up. There was only one doctor in town, Doc Hodges. Mr. Hammonds picked up Claude's mom and they drove as quickly as possible to Doc Hodges' office.

After about an hour, Doc came out with a concerned look on his face. "Doc", asked Mr. Hammonds, "how is my boy?"

"He's lucky. The muscles on the front of his leg took most of the impact. If that stretcher had hit him about 2 inches lower, on his knee, he might have been crippled for life. I've put a bandage on his leg, he'll be sore for a couple of weeks, but he's going to be alright."

Claude left Doc Hodges' office using one crutch. On the trip home, his dad told him what Doc Hodges said about his knee. The phrase "crippled for life" kept running through Claude's mind.

Claude's leg was really sore for a couple of days and he didn't go to school. He had a lot of time to think. And he couldn't help but wonder how he would have felt to be crippled......to be just like....Ernie....for the rest of his life.

On Thursday Claude's mom said he should go to school. Everyone was glad to see Claude. His leg was still bandaged up and but he no longer used the crutch. But since he couldn't bend his knee. When he walked, his right knee remained straight and he had to drag his right foot. Claude knew exactly what everyone was thinking.

At recess, I saw Ernie going over to Claude. "Hey Claude", said Ernie, "I'm glad you are back in school, and I'm glad your leg is going to be better in a few weeks." Claude nodded his head, but I don't think he looked at Ernie.

Friday was May Day. We were all excited to get out of class the entire day. We all got involved in the games, the food and just being outside and watching everyone in school have so much fun. It was a great day.

Finally, it was time for the final event, the May Pole Race. The runner from each grade was announced, beginning with the 12th grade. All the girls would giggle when the older guys were introduced. Finally Mr. Brown announced, "And representing the 6th grade is Ernie Kelsey."

Claude had to sit on the grass, he couldn't stand for very long. He was sitting next to Ms. Goodwin.

Coach Hagin raised his hand, "Ready, set, go!" The other runners were off, but Ernie didn't move. We were yelling for Ernie, but it was hard to cheer because he wasn't moving.

He looked over to where we were standing, but he wasn't looking at us, he was looking at Claude. With that familiar awkward shuffle, Ernie started walking over to where Claude was sitting. Claude didn't know what to do.

Ernie stopped and held his hand out to Claude, "We were supposed to race on Monday, remember?"

"Yeah", said Claude, "I remember."

"Well since you couldn't make it on Monday, how about joining me today?"

Claude looked over at Ms. Goodwin, she smiled and nodded. Claude began to pull himself up, then paused, took Ernie's hand and stood up."Come on", said Ernie, "we've got a race to run!"

One of the other runners, who was leading the race, turned around and saw what was going on. He stopped and held up his hands and the other five runners stopped. They turned and watched Ernie and Claude, arm in arm, and doing the most awful attempt at running any of us had every seen. But everyone loved it.

By the time Ernie and Claude reached the May Pole, they were exhausted. Claude grabbed the golden ribbon and they both collapsed in a heap laughing and accepting congratulations from the other runners. Everyone in the school stood and cheered. Ms. Goodwin was crying, Coach Hagin was crying, heck, I was even crying. I don't think there was a dry eye on campus.

We all ran over to Ernie and Claude and it looked for a minute like Claude was crying, but no.....Claude didn't ever cry.

From that day on, Claude was never very far from Ernie. Claude became an outstanding runner on our track team. Ernie would stay after school just to watch Claude run. You could just tell by watching Ernie, when Claude won a race, Ernie was winning that same race. Ernie never had to worry about sitting in the swing alone after the May Pole Race in his 6th grade year.

Polio took Ernie from us in the 10th grade. At Ernie's funeral, Ms. Kelsey addressed the congregation and thanked everyone for being so kind Ernie and to his family.

"But", she said in closing, "I can never thank Claude enough for all he meant to Ernie. That May Pole Race was the only race that Ernie ever won, and I'll never forget Claude for his friendship".

That day, everybody in our little town cried, even Claude Hammonds.

But even now, I still remember what Ernie said when Ms. Goodwin announced that he was our May Pole Race contestant. "Don't worry", Ernie said, "I'll make you all proud!"

And Ernie, you did make us proud.

Now, get off that couch and let's go out for a run!!!!

See ya

Ray