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THAT BOY!!
She was standing at the kitchen counter; the littlest one was cranky and crying after the nap, and on her hip. “What is it Sis?†Her brother had come to visit and check up on things, he arose from the kitchen table and headed to her side. Baby girl had quit crying, leaning over and pointing to the Corning Ware ™ percolator, Brother, the kids Uncle, let out a laugh. Instead of coffee was dirt; in the dirt wriggling and squirming were earthworms!
Momma sat down, the uncle put the worms and dirt back into the coffee can, replaced the can back on top of the washer. Uncle cleaned up and made the coffee; he then went outside and broke a watermelon on the front steps for the baby and his other nephew to eat. Uncle washed up and noticed the beans simmering and the cornbread covered with a cloth in the basket, teabags in a saucepan. “What happened to the Corning Ware™ teapot?†he asked. “My hands were soapy and I dropped in the sink.†Momma was still a bit startled about the coffee, she didn’t even think about the can, having anything but coffee, she just popped the lid and shook out the contents like she always did. That Boy was always up to something.
It was Friday and he had taken off early. Normally they would have gone shopping, but daddy was at National Guard drill. Normally it was only 2 weeks, with an ill wind a blowing; they didn’t know when he’d be back. The paycheck had paid all the bills and the doctor had been paid, finally. Momma was supposed to live off the Guard check, but it hadn’t come. That boy and daddy had had words before he left, he wasn’t treating momma right, and he had broken another promise. All he wanted was a pc of leather, he had even given his daddy the money, it had gotten ugly, momma had cried, the siblings had cried, that boy had gotten angry. “Daddy you ain’t treating us right, other men don’t break promises like you …that’s when daddy had taken a belt to that boy. He didn’t flinch, he didn’t cry, daddy hit harder, and that boy just dared him to hit even harder.
That boy had taken to sleeping on the couch, little brother was kicking at night, and well that’s what he told her. She had caught him reading that Ruark fella, in the middle of the night on the front porch with a flashlight. He had been all wide eyed and beside himself about Cory Ford and something about the north forty, the other morning. He read those old Field & Streams late at night, his Uncle brought over. She figured he’d snuck off to hear the tent revivals going on, down across the way; he had been bringing back soda bottles. He had two cases of bottles mom was going to take to the corner market, sitting in the car, at 3 cents a piece, well that was a lot of money. He had saved his money from mowing yards, cutting hedges, and that widow women was paying him as he went along for painting inside. He really needed leather for his holster, and he was getting low on bullets. He kept a full box of 22lr and two silver dollars for emergency, he wouldn’t touch that, no you didn’t get into to emergency stuff.
That boy had his own way about life, and he was about to do it again. He touched his pocket and his heart skipped a beat, his heart had almost jumped out his chest the other night. Looking for soda bottles after the tent revival had finally ended and everyone left he thought “if I could discover as many soda bottles as whiskey and wine bottles; I’d be richâ€. He was finding money, nickels, dimes, a two bit piece here and 4 bit here there, a silver dollar over yonder. His flashlight caught something, sticking out of a sack that had once held a full pint of whiskey, but now empty…was a Twenty Dollar bill! He hadn’t seen that much money in while, that was a lot of money, and he could almost get a gun like he saw in the magazine. He could go to Sears, no wait, he could take that postcard and send it in and the gun would be shipped to the house! He was so exited, then he thought a minute, no, he was the man of the house, a man takes care of business first. He thought about the fact this was tent revival meeting, he pondered a minute. He kinda had mixed feelings about church folk, oh he went, and had friends; just saw a lot folks hiding behind a pew one day a week. And these folks getting liquored up, well that’s there problem, he was gonna keep the money. He had taken to checking the sacks after that find, and lo and behold he found a fiver and some folding dollars in some others. He was rich!
He had the lady wrap the packages, he had looked at the guns and the man had let him hold and touch, that boy knew safety and the man at the counter knew he did, he knew this boy and his uncle. The Uncle had sent off a postcard and delivered to the house was one of those M&P .38 special revolvers, he had shown his nephew what type of cartridge it used among the other ammo on the shelf. He wouldn’t let many kids handle the guns by themselves, but this boy was different. Unlike some of the adults he even wiped off the prints with the soft cloth with gun oil kept behind the counter before he put them back.. He paid the man for the box of 22 shells, the ones in the white box, with the WW on top, he knew his revolver shot these well. He caught the bus but got off before he got home, went into the corner market and “your mom dropped off the bottles, you want your money?†“No Ma’am, a credit is fineâ€.
He went back to the meat counter, one of the two brothers that owned the market was cutting up something, the other brother came up and that boy and he went over in the corner and whispered. The brother went to the ledger card the boys family had “you really want me to do this†he asked “Yes Sirâ€. “I gotta ask, ‘cause your momma is gonna have a cow …â€
That boy walked home, but made one last stop at the gas station. The he went to the neighbors shed and hid the packages. He came in and washed up, beans and cornbread-again. “Honey, me and the kids are going to the Preachers house for a pot luck Saturday Watermelon, kids from church are going to fish and well frankly your mom could use some getting away from here, I need to talk to some adults. You want to come?†“No I have stuff to do†he replied. Mom winked “ well I figured so much, still painting I guess, anyway your Uncle is going to come by later on and you can spend time with him, he’ll bring you to church .Your Aunt and nieces are going to her sisters for a bit before school starts, just be you guys fending for yourselfâ€. That boy like that, he’d have to do his â€deed†he’d been figuring on doing Saturday before Uncle came over.
“Two dollars worth pleaseâ€, she told the gas station attendant, she looked into her purse, SIGH, dished out some pennies “ you watch your sister†she told that second boy, something about kids, service stations, and gumball machines. “THAT BOYâ€! “What momma, momma you gonna cry, don’t cry…what? The attendant had filled up the car, brought three Grapettesâ„¢ soda and three candy bars, he handed the mom her two dollars back. “You seen my boy?†Ma’am he insisted on doing this, I questioned him but he is--if I may say so--pretty stubborn about things.†Momma can we, please can we?†Kids were bouncing on the seats with treats, well they had had breakfast and a treat was pretty rare these days…she started to caution about spilling and getting chocolate on the seats…no she’d sound like a mom then. “Why sure lets have our treats nowâ€. The attendant waved goodbye, could have sworn he saw a tear being brushed aside. That Boy the attendant thought, were WAS he headed so early this morning. He had seen that kid out WAY before daylight. He himself had gone in early to due paperwork, and wait for the gas delivery truck, still hours away from daylight.
The Boy covered his bike with the burlap back in the trees, it wasn’t even daylight but he had work to do. He took the empty milk cartons tied the fishing line in the holes he punched with his yellow handled Case Trapper, and baited the hooks; he then tossed them into the large pond. His old cane pole was right were he had hidden it, but it wouldn’t get used today. Not many people knew about this place, if anyone did. He hadn’t’ told the neighbor kids he played and went to school with. All the neighbor kids were gone visiting grandparents and such since school was about to start. He didn’t have any grandparents, well he had known one but she died when he was five. In his being a kid and scouting around he had found old remnants of a house, a creek fed the large pond, and he thought about how it might have been. He had shown the hobos so they could fish, but they had a respect for each other. The hobos would come off the train nearby, and well he’d gotten a pretty good whuppin when his daddy found out about him hanging around them, but well they were ok. Some had been in a “conflict†and one had part of his hand missing, another had shown him a medal, something about getting metal in his legs and back. There was an understanding and respect.
He had made a blind from the burlap not for shade but well these doves according to the magazine were spooky. He had been watching he had walked the train tracks; he knew the area, even sketched a map and used his compass. Now he wasn’t real sure about game laws and license stuff, but he wasn’t that old. He also knew hunting was –how did that Ruark fella put it? Well he was sick and tired of beans and cornbread, oh he liked it, but sick and tired of that and potatoes He figured he was doing the right thing, like that old man in the book has said to his grandson. He wished he had a grandpa; he wished he had a daddy. Never mind, he was hungry for meat and well this was .what you did.
That boy had practiced shooting at the ends of Vienna sausage cans, and small stuff like the tops of whiskey and wine bottles, He had kept the busted ping pong balls from church, he got pretty good at hitting them too. The neighbor had given him some old golf balls, these were better practice caused they held up well... He knew the birds would come and where they’d be. He really wished he had a shotgun…he couldn’t think about that now. Daylight was close but he heard them cooing. He had a plan, he knew where the water was, the gravel, he’d just move when the shots scared them, he had practiced shooting faster. He took careful aim and fired, he got a second one on the ground at the pond…he noticed two of his milk cartons were dancing like crazy. He cut through the woods to the creek, he moved to the tracks, he was hunting and his small burlap tote had weight. He kept moving when need but still as a church mouse when needed. He tried to remember all the stuff he had read. He kept note on the pond and more cartons were dancing, but that water would feel good being such a hot day. He noticed the water moccasins, but he wasn’t worried, why worry, if they started his way, well he had shot a plenty of them already. He went back to retrieve the other burlap of birds, he had hunted well. Being early well—technically season hadn’t started, or had it. He had called the Wildlife place to ask, but the lady just thought him a kid and had just hung up. Or maybe no one had obviously hunted here before …that or these birds were dumb. He would shoot one off a limb, sometimes the doves would scatter, and in 5 minute return to grovel, and roost. Well without a shotgun maybe doves acted different than the magazines had written. He was hunting, that what mattered. Other kids had dad’s that took them, not his. He had read and learned from his uncle and men at church, well actually bugged the fire out them was more like it. He had walked the area with the two hobos; the one with the bad hand had agreed he had a good backstop. That grandpa in that Ruark book and the other men said that was important with a 22. He had been taught not to shoot if in doubt, didn’t have a good backstop, or shoot at noise. Huh—if he known what to do with a raccoon he could have had one first off this morning, but he wanted doves. His uncle had had cooked them before. Uncle had fixed quail too, grandpa in the Ruark book talked about quail, but he needed a shotgun. Oh he could shoot a shotgun, just well, maybe someday he’d have one, and maybe Uncle would take him quail hunting.
The old black man said he’d help; he nailed the catfish to a tree, the boy cut and pulled with pliers. The dove breasts were soaking in a tub. The boy gave the old black man some of the fish he wouldn’t take the doves, the boy insisted, but the man said the boy deserved them more. The old black man took only fish, and smiled real big when that boy left.
He hurried home; he had to finish this “deed†before his uncle came to pick him up. He peeked into the mailbox, that darn check had finally come, mom would be happy. He then got busy in the kitchen. While cooking he ran to the neighbors shed and got the packages.
He cleaned up the gun, then himself, and then cleaned up the kitchen. Though he was tired and hungry, he was excited about going to his uncles. Uncle pulled his truck into the driveway, the boy ran out and put his gun and Sunday clothes in. “ Tell you whatâ€, his uncle said, “Put them Sunday clothes back and get some real clothes , sometimes what a man needs ain’t in church walls, your mom can yell at me laterâ€. The boy hurried inside to get some real clothes. Uncle eased the gun out the holster, yep it was loaded, always was, gently laid it on the seat.
His brother –in-law had bought that gun just before this nephew was born. It was a High Standard 9 shot 22 revolver. The holster was second hand and didn’t really fit, hadn’t been taken care of, but had come with the gun. That boy had used braided fishing line, punched new holes and gotten by for a bit longer. Now it dawned on him why that boy had wanted leather, explained why when he had taken that nephew in the shoe repair place when he bought new laces for his work boots that nephew had been watching the man in back. Umpteen questions that boy had asked the man about leather, cutting, sewing, fixing boots and the like. It wouldn’t have hurt that boy’s daddy to have gone out his way for that boy. That daddy wasn’t fooling anybody when he was around them at church… He heard the screen door slam and saw the nephew with real clothes in hand; he put the gun back in the holster …†We gonna go shoot tomorrowâ€â€¦, “huh please, can I shoot that Gov’t model, huh pleaseâ€. “We’ll see†, “Oh by the way I put the sights back on that M&P 38 you’ve been shooting too, bet you can’t hit with sights†The nephew grinned, I bet I outshoot you, but I want to shoot that one tooâ€. He pointed to the Gov’t .45 the Uncle had in his waistband, the one he always carried. That dang kid had gone nuts about that type of gun every since he shot one…well he was six at that time. Had gone to drill with his daddy and the Sgt. running the range had taken a shine to the kid. About the only thing the daddy did right was around other folks. But that “gunnyâ€, what the kid called him, taught that kid safety and obviously had taught the boy right.
“WHAT?†she exclaimed, That Boy! “Momma look,... look here momma,…me too…smells good …what is that?’ You kids wash up, help your sister. She went back into the kitchen, she didn’t’ know what to do. There in the basket were dove breasts, catfish, and biscuits. On the back burner was a new Corning Wareâ„¢ teapot and the tea had been made. While the kids were eating, she noticed a bowl of Jell-O, in the fridge with bananas in it; baby sister was going to go nuts. She called her brother and took the phone from the hallway into the bathroom...â€Sis, I asked him what he had been up to all day, he first said “stuffâ€, then I …â€hang on someone’s at the doorâ€. There the man from the market was, he had sacks in hand, she let him in “What’s all thisâ€, There was a roast, tinge of pain hit her, that was a Sunday treat, that or fried chicken, but things being the way they had been…flour corn meal, coffee (she shook her head at that site) dried apples…oh that meant that boy wanted the fried apple pies , that boy would could live off those things, sacks of stuff they were out of, things they needed. The man said listen, before you day anything, well, that boy of yours insisted, your ledger is clear and you have a credit. “Huh? The grocer explained what he boy had told him about the money, of course nobody figured he had stolen it. What little balance due the family had on ledger since the daddy had left for summer camp the boy had paid off, had paid for the sacks he had wanted delivered, and left a credit on the acct. “Oh here†he handed her a box of 22 shells, give’em to the boy, “but†no buts, he replied†that boy did right, and he has a credit from bottles, but we , brother and I know how that boys likes to shoot and well, we finally got some shells in, no charge, he needs a treatâ€. “Sorry, that was…†“I heard said her brother, and I also know that check came in today, nephew says its in the mailbox…I had to pull teeth to get him to tell me what he’d been up to, and what he’d done…he did right “.†I want to speak to himâ€â€Sis, ain’t his way, let him be, oh, we ain’t going to church either, and got other plans for Sundayâ€. “What am I supposed to do?†Well give ‘em some breathing room , he’s been giving and not getting, he ‘s got to charge his batteries before school, he’s plumb tuckered out trying to do for you ‘all and playing being the man of the house..., but you better have some fried apple pies when he gets back. I’m gonna keep him here for a few days since my bunch is gone for a bit.â€
“What’s he doing†“What do you think he hounded me so I took apart my .45 and put in a box, told him if he could get it back right he could shoot it…laughing he added, so he’s done that about 3 times already and he and the dog are out back shooting the 38…Sis I have a feeling I’m gonna have to run to the plant tomorrow and get more .45 ACP…I have case and well he’s loaded up all the mags and keeps saying more bullets.†What about 38 specials mom asked, “I have plenty of those, he darn near run me dry last time out, got some new ones, and loaded up some too. We stopped by the drive –in and got a shrimp basket, and root beer float…that young’un can eat. Don’t know where he put it being thin and lanky, must have hollow legs.â€
The kids were actually behaving when she sat down to eat, baby sis got all exited over the Jell-O, second boy was making a dove and biscuit sandwich, and putting honey on it…well he always was strange. That boy had bought his siblings those T shirts they had seen in the catalog; these had pockets on the front. Baby sis wanted a red one, well she may have been a girl, but turned her nose up at pink, too much tomboy I guess. Brother got a black one, because Zorro wore black. The coffee can wasn’t there, but in its place was a new pair of jeans-sigh, the daddy said he’d have to make do for school without new jeans for awhile. She poured a glass of tea, admiring the new teapot. Sat down and finished eating, the kids were done, brother was helping sis take a bath for church, well with all the fussing that’s what it sounded like. She stared at the stove, and thought about getting the kitchen cleaned up, thought about how that boy had said that everything would be ok, when the daddy had left. She figured it was just his way of being the man of the house, putting her at ease. She gathered up the dirty clothes from the hamper, might as well put them in the washer with the new jeans, later she’d run a load. She opened the lid to the washer and there was a coffee can…huh? She felt something inside jump, she eased the lid open…a frog!...THAT BOY!....
continued...
She was standing at the kitchen counter; the littlest one was cranky and crying after the nap, and on her hip. “What is it Sis?†Her brother had come to visit and check up on things, he arose from the kitchen table and headed to her side. Baby girl had quit crying, leaning over and pointing to the Corning Ware ™ percolator, Brother, the kids Uncle, let out a laugh. Instead of coffee was dirt; in the dirt wriggling and squirming were earthworms!
Momma sat down, the uncle put the worms and dirt back into the coffee can, replaced the can back on top of the washer. Uncle cleaned up and made the coffee; he then went outside and broke a watermelon on the front steps for the baby and his other nephew to eat. Uncle washed up and noticed the beans simmering and the cornbread covered with a cloth in the basket, teabags in a saucepan. “What happened to the Corning Ware™ teapot?†he asked. “My hands were soapy and I dropped in the sink.†Momma was still a bit startled about the coffee, she didn’t even think about the can, having anything but coffee, she just popped the lid and shook out the contents like she always did. That Boy was always up to something.
It was Friday and he had taken off early. Normally they would have gone shopping, but daddy was at National Guard drill. Normally it was only 2 weeks, with an ill wind a blowing; they didn’t know when he’d be back. The paycheck had paid all the bills and the doctor had been paid, finally. Momma was supposed to live off the Guard check, but it hadn’t come. That boy and daddy had had words before he left, he wasn’t treating momma right, and he had broken another promise. All he wanted was a pc of leather, he had even given his daddy the money, it had gotten ugly, momma had cried, the siblings had cried, that boy had gotten angry. “Daddy you ain’t treating us right, other men don’t break promises like you …that’s when daddy had taken a belt to that boy. He didn’t flinch, he didn’t cry, daddy hit harder, and that boy just dared him to hit even harder.
That boy had taken to sleeping on the couch, little brother was kicking at night, and well that’s what he told her. She had caught him reading that Ruark fella, in the middle of the night on the front porch with a flashlight. He had been all wide eyed and beside himself about Cory Ford and something about the north forty, the other morning. He read those old Field & Streams late at night, his Uncle brought over. She figured he’d snuck off to hear the tent revivals going on, down across the way; he had been bringing back soda bottles. He had two cases of bottles mom was going to take to the corner market, sitting in the car, at 3 cents a piece, well that was a lot of money. He had saved his money from mowing yards, cutting hedges, and that widow women was paying him as he went along for painting inside. He really needed leather for his holster, and he was getting low on bullets. He kept a full box of 22lr and two silver dollars for emergency, he wouldn’t touch that, no you didn’t get into to emergency stuff.
That boy had his own way about life, and he was about to do it again. He touched his pocket and his heart skipped a beat, his heart had almost jumped out his chest the other night. Looking for soda bottles after the tent revival had finally ended and everyone left he thought “if I could discover as many soda bottles as whiskey and wine bottles; I’d be richâ€. He was finding money, nickels, dimes, a two bit piece here and 4 bit here there, a silver dollar over yonder. His flashlight caught something, sticking out of a sack that had once held a full pint of whiskey, but now empty…was a Twenty Dollar bill! He hadn’t seen that much money in while, that was a lot of money, and he could almost get a gun like he saw in the magazine. He could go to Sears, no wait, he could take that postcard and send it in and the gun would be shipped to the house! He was so exited, then he thought a minute, no, he was the man of the house, a man takes care of business first. He thought about the fact this was tent revival meeting, he pondered a minute. He kinda had mixed feelings about church folk, oh he went, and had friends; just saw a lot folks hiding behind a pew one day a week. And these folks getting liquored up, well that’s there problem, he was gonna keep the money. He had taken to checking the sacks after that find, and lo and behold he found a fiver and some folding dollars in some others. He was rich!
He had the lady wrap the packages, he had looked at the guns and the man had let him hold and touch, that boy knew safety and the man at the counter knew he did, he knew this boy and his uncle. The Uncle had sent off a postcard and delivered to the house was one of those M&P .38 special revolvers, he had shown his nephew what type of cartridge it used among the other ammo on the shelf. He wouldn’t let many kids handle the guns by themselves, but this boy was different. Unlike some of the adults he even wiped off the prints with the soft cloth with gun oil kept behind the counter before he put them back.. He paid the man for the box of 22 shells, the ones in the white box, with the WW on top, he knew his revolver shot these well. He caught the bus but got off before he got home, went into the corner market and “your mom dropped off the bottles, you want your money?†“No Ma’am, a credit is fineâ€.
He went back to the meat counter, one of the two brothers that owned the market was cutting up something, the other brother came up and that boy and he went over in the corner and whispered. The brother went to the ledger card the boys family had “you really want me to do this†he asked “Yes Sirâ€. “I gotta ask, ‘cause your momma is gonna have a cow …â€
That boy walked home, but made one last stop at the gas station. The he went to the neighbors shed and hid the packages. He came in and washed up, beans and cornbread-again. “Honey, me and the kids are going to the Preachers house for a pot luck Saturday Watermelon, kids from church are going to fish and well frankly your mom could use some getting away from here, I need to talk to some adults. You want to come?†“No I have stuff to do†he replied. Mom winked “ well I figured so much, still painting I guess, anyway your Uncle is going to come by later on and you can spend time with him, he’ll bring you to church .Your Aunt and nieces are going to her sisters for a bit before school starts, just be you guys fending for yourselfâ€. That boy like that, he’d have to do his â€deed†he’d been figuring on doing Saturday before Uncle came over.
“Two dollars worth pleaseâ€, she told the gas station attendant, she looked into her purse, SIGH, dished out some pennies “ you watch your sister†she told that second boy, something about kids, service stations, and gumball machines. “THAT BOYâ€! “What momma, momma you gonna cry, don’t cry…what? The attendant had filled up the car, brought three Grapettesâ„¢ soda and three candy bars, he handed the mom her two dollars back. “You seen my boy?†Ma’am he insisted on doing this, I questioned him but he is--if I may say so--pretty stubborn about things.†Momma can we, please can we?†Kids were bouncing on the seats with treats, well they had had breakfast and a treat was pretty rare these days…she started to caution about spilling and getting chocolate on the seats…no she’d sound like a mom then. “Why sure lets have our treats nowâ€. The attendant waved goodbye, could have sworn he saw a tear being brushed aside. That Boy the attendant thought, were WAS he headed so early this morning. He had seen that kid out WAY before daylight. He himself had gone in early to due paperwork, and wait for the gas delivery truck, still hours away from daylight.
The Boy covered his bike with the burlap back in the trees, it wasn’t even daylight but he had work to do. He took the empty milk cartons tied the fishing line in the holes he punched with his yellow handled Case Trapper, and baited the hooks; he then tossed them into the large pond. His old cane pole was right were he had hidden it, but it wouldn’t get used today. Not many people knew about this place, if anyone did. He hadn’t’ told the neighbor kids he played and went to school with. All the neighbor kids were gone visiting grandparents and such since school was about to start. He didn’t have any grandparents, well he had known one but she died when he was five. In his being a kid and scouting around he had found old remnants of a house, a creek fed the large pond, and he thought about how it might have been. He had shown the hobos so they could fish, but they had a respect for each other. The hobos would come off the train nearby, and well he’d gotten a pretty good whuppin when his daddy found out about him hanging around them, but well they were ok. Some had been in a “conflict†and one had part of his hand missing, another had shown him a medal, something about getting metal in his legs and back. There was an understanding and respect.
He had made a blind from the burlap not for shade but well these doves according to the magazine were spooky. He had been watching he had walked the train tracks; he knew the area, even sketched a map and used his compass. Now he wasn’t real sure about game laws and license stuff, but he wasn’t that old. He also knew hunting was –how did that Ruark fella put it? Well he was sick and tired of beans and cornbread, oh he liked it, but sick and tired of that and potatoes He figured he was doing the right thing, like that old man in the book has said to his grandson. He wished he had a grandpa; he wished he had a daddy. Never mind, he was hungry for meat and well this was .what you did.
That boy had practiced shooting at the ends of Vienna sausage cans, and small stuff like the tops of whiskey and wine bottles, He had kept the busted ping pong balls from church, he got pretty good at hitting them too. The neighbor had given him some old golf balls, these were better practice caused they held up well... He knew the birds would come and where they’d be. He really wished he had a shotgun…he couldn’t think about that now. Daylight was close but he heard them cooing. He had a plan, he knew where the water was, the gravel, he’d just move when the shots scared them, he had practiced shooting faster. He took careful aim and fired, he got a second one on the ground at the pond…he noticed two of his milk cartons were dancing like crazy. He cut through the woods to the creek, he moved to the tracks, he was hunting and his small burlap tote had weight. He kept moving when need but still as a church mouse when needed. He tried to remember all the stuff he had read. He kept note on the pond and more cartons were dancing, but that water would feel good being such a hot day. He noticed the water moccasins, but he wasn’t worried, why worry, if they started his way, well he had shot a plenty of them already. He went back to retrieve the other burlap of birds, he had hunted well. Being early well—technically season hadn’t started, or had it. He had called the Wildlife place to ask, but the lady just thought him a kid and had just hung up. Or maybe no one had obviously hunted here before …that or these birds were dumb. He would shoot one off a limb, sometimes the doves would scatter, and in 5 minute return to grovel, and roost. Well without a shotgun maybe doves acted different than the magazines had written. He was hunting, that what mattered. Other kids had dad’s that took them, not his. He had read and learned from his uncle and men at church, well actually bugged the fire out them was more like it. He had walked the area with the two hobos; the one with the bad hand had agreed he had a good backstop. That grandpa in that Ruark book and the other men said that was important with a 22. He had been taught not to shoot if in doubt, didn’t have a good backstop, or shoot at noise. Huh—if he known what to do with a raccoon he could have had one first off this morning, but he wanted doves. His uncle had had cooked them before. Uncle had fixed quail too, grandpa in the Ruark book talked about quail, but he needed a shotgun. Oh he could shoot a shotgun, just well, maybe someday he’d have one, and maybe Uncle would take him quail hunting.
The old black man said he’d help; he nailed the catfish to a tree, the boy cut and pulled with pliers. The dove breasts were soaking in a tub. The boy gave the old black man some of the fish he wouldn’t take the doves, the boy insisted, but the man said the boy deserved them more. The old black man took only fish, and smiled real big when that boy left.
He hurried home; he had to finish this “deed†before his uncle came to pick him up. He peeked into the mailbox, that darn check had finally come, mom would be happy. He then got busy in the kitchen. While cooking he ran to the neighbors shed and got the packages.
He cleaned up the gun, then himself, and then cleaned up the kitchen. Though he was tired and hungry, he was excited about going to his uncles. Uncle pulled his truck into the driveway, the boy ran out and put his gun and Sunday clothes in. “ Tell you whatâ€, his uncle said, “Put them Sunday clothes back and get some real clothes , sometimes what a man needs ain’t in church walls, your mom can yell at me laterâ€. The boy hurried inside to get some real clothes. Uncle eased the gun out the holster, yep it was loaded, always was, gently laid it on the seat.
His brother –in-law had bought that gun just before this nephew was born. It was a High Standard 9 shot 22 revolver. The holster was second hand and didn’t really fit, hadn’t been taken care of, but had come with the gun. That boy had used braided fishing line, punched new holes and gotten by for a bit longer. Now it dawned on him why that boy had wanted leather, explained why when he had taken that nephew in the shoe repair place when he bought new laces for his work boots that nephew had been watching the man in back. Umpteen questions that boy had asked the man about leather, cutting, sewing, fixing boots and the like. It wouldn’t have hurt that boy’s daddy to have gone out his way for that boy. That daddy wasn’t fooling anybody when he was around them at church… He heard the screen door slam and saw the nephew with real clothes in hand; he put the gun back in the holster …†We gonna go shoot tomorrowâ€â€¦, “huh please, can I shoot that Gov’t model, huh pleaseâ€. “We’ll see†, “Oh by the way I put the sights back on that M&P 38 you’ve been shooting too, bet you can’t hit with sights†The nephew grinned, I bet I outshoot you, but I want to shoot that one tooâ€. He pointed to the Gov’t .45 the Uncle had in his waistband, the one he always carried. That dang kid had gone nuts about that type of gun every since he shot one…well he was six at that time. Had gone to drill with his daddy and the Sgt. running the range had taken a shine to the kid. About the only thing the daddy did right was around other folks. But that “gunnyâ€, what the kid called him, taught that kid safety and obviously had taught the boy right.
“WHAT?†she exclaimed, That Boy! “Momma look,... look here momma,…me too…smells good …what is that?’ You kids wash up, help your sister. She went back into the kitchen, she didn’t’ know what to do. There in the basket were dove breasts, catfish, and biscuits. On the back burner was a new Corning Wareâ„¢ teapot and the tea had been made. While the kids were eating, she noticed a bowl of Jell-O, in the fridge with bananas in it; baby sister was going to go nuts. She called her brother and took the phone from the hallway into the bathroom...â€Sis, I asked him what he had been up to all day, he first said “stuffâ€, then I …â€hang on someone’s at the doorâ€. There the man from the market was, he had sacks in hand, she let him in “What’s all thisâ€, There was a roast, tinge of pain hit her, that was a Sunday treat, that or fried chicken, but things being the way they had been…flour corn meal, coffee (she shook her head at that site) dried apples…oh that meant that boy wanted the fried apple pies , that boy would could live off those things, sacks of stuff they were out of, things they needed. The man said listen, before you day anything, well, that boy of yours insisted, your ledger is clear and you have a credit. “Huh? The grocer explained what he boy had told him about the money, of course nobody figured he had stolen it. What little balance due the family had on ledger since the daddy had left for summer camp the boy had paid off, had paid for the sacks he had wanted delivered, and left a credit on the acct. “Oh here†he handed her a box of 22 shells, give’em to the boy, “but†no buts, he replied†that boy did right, and he has a credit from bottles, but we , brother and I know how that boys likes to shoot and well, we finally got some shells in, no charge, he needs a treatâ€. “Sorry, that was…†“I heard said her brother, and I also know that check came in today, nephew says its in the mailbox…I had to pull teeth to get him to tell me what he’d been up to, and what he’d done…he did right “.†I want to speak to himâ€â€Sis, ain’t his way, let him be, oh, we ain’t going to church either, and got other plans for Sundayâ€. “What am I supposed to do?†Well give ‘em some breathing room , he’s been giving and not getting, he ‘s got to charge his batteries before school, he’s plumb tuckered out trying to do for you ‘all and playing being the man of the house..., but you better have some fried apple pies when he gets back. I’m gonna keep him here for a few days since my bunch is gone for a bit.â€
“What’s he doing†“What do you think he hounded me so I took apart my .45 and put in a box, told him if he could get it back right he could shoot it…laughing he added, so he’s done that about 3 times already and he and the dog are out back shooting the 38…Sis I have a feeling I’m gonna have to run to the plant tomorrow and get more .45 ACP…I have case and well he’s loaded up all the mags and keeps saying more bullets.†What about 38 specials mom asked, “I have plenty of those, he darn near run me dry last time out, got some new ones, and loaded up some too. We stopped by the drive –in and got a shrimp basket, and root beer float…that young’un can eat. Don’t know where he put it being thin and lanky, must have hollow legs.â€
The kids were actually behaving when she sat down to eat, baby sis got all exited over the Jell-O, second boy was making a dove and biscuit sandwich, and putting honey on it…well he always was strange. That boy had bought his siblings those T shirts they had seen in the catalog; these had pockets on the front. Baby sis wanted a red one, well she may have been a girl, but turned her nose up at pink, too much tomboy I guess. Brother got a black one, because Zorro wore black. The coffee can wasn’t there, but in its place was a new pair of jeans-sigh, the daddy said he’d have to make do for school without new jeans for awhile. She poured a glass of tea, admiring the new teapot. Sat down and finished eating, the kids were done, brother was helping sis take a bath for church, well with all the fussing that’s what it sounded like. She stared at the stove, and thought about getting the kitchen cleaned up, thought about how that boy had said that everything would be ok, when the daddy had left. She figured it was just his way of being the man of the house, putting her at ease. She gathered up the dirty clothes from the hamper, might as well put them in the washer with the new jeans, later she’d run a load. She opened the lid to the washer and there was a coffee can…huh? She felt something inside jump, she eased the lid open…a frog!...THAT BOY!....
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