Sunday, January 18, 2009

MY GROWING UP YEARS

WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG, ONE OF MY FIRST MEMORIES IS RIDING IN A LONG OLD WAGON BEING PULLED BY TWO OLD HORSES. WE TRAVELED TO MY GRANDMOTHERS HOUSE.

GRANDMA'S YOUNGEST GIRL WAS YOUNGER THAN I WAS BUT SHE QUICKLY TURNED INTO, "AUNT MAUDIE." I WAS INFORMED THAT GOAT PILLS WERE MEDICINE AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE THEM. NOW I NEVER DID TAKE MEDICINE WITHOUT A SWITCH BEING USED OR TO SCARE ME WITH, SO THAT WAS THE END OF THAT.

ONE DAY WE (ALL OF US KIDS) WERE SITTING IN A CIRCLE, PLAYING IN THE DIRT. MAUDIE(I GREW OUT OF THAT 'AUNT MAUDIE' BUSINESS, TOO) HAD AN OLD AXE AND WAS DIGGING AND I WANTED A TURN USING IT SO GRANNY TOLD MAUDIE TO TAKE TURNS. MAUDIE HAD A TEMPER AND SHE GOT MAD AND THREW THE AXE AT ME.
WELL, IT HIT MY TOE AND CHOPPED THE BIG TOE OFF, EXCEPT FOR A TINY PIECE OF SKIN UNDERNEATH.

EVERY ONE WAS SHOCKED AND SCARED, BUT MOM PICKED ME UP AND TOOK ME INTO THE HOUSE. SHE WRAPPED MY TOE WITH A LONG PIECE OF SHEET. I CAN'T REMEMBER IT EVEN HURTING. I WENT ON PLAYING AND RUNNING ABOUT IN MY BARE FEET, HORSE LOT AND ALL.
GRANNY WAS UPSET AND AFRAID OF INFECTION BUT MY TOE HEALED FAST. I BELIEVED THEN AND NOW THAT GOD SENT AN ANGEL TO LOOK OVER ME. DURING THE BAD TIMES,-I REALLY NEEDED ONE. THAT WAS JUST ABOUT THE LAST TIME I GOT TO ENJOY BEING A CHILD.

DAD SHARE CROPPED SOME BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER HAVING MONEY FOR FOOD EXCEPT THE BARE NECESSITIES. WE LEFT GRANDMA'S AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE WENT NEXT, BUT WE STILL WENT IN THE OLD WAGON.

DAD STOPPED ABOUT ONE MILE FROM A CREEK. HE TOLD ME I COULD GO WITH HIM THE NEXT MORNING TO CATCH FISH. I WAS SO EXCITED! I GOT TO GO AND BUDDIE DIDN'T. OF COURSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE BUDDY WAS, BUT I GOT TO GO!

WELL, THE NEXT MORNING I WOKE UP EXCITED AND WENT TO EAT MY BREAKFAST. I ASKED MOM WHERE DAD WAS AND SHE SAID,"WELL HONEY, YOUR DAD LEFT A LONG TIME AGO."

I FORGOT BREAKFAST AND TOOK OFF RUNNING. I RAN AND RAN, CRYING AND GASPING FOR BREATH. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED AT DAD BUT HE JUST SAID, "YOU DIDN'T WAKE UP, SO WE WENT ON TO THE CREEK." BUT I DID GET TO FISH ANYHOW.

DAD GOT THE FISHING POLES BY CUTTING SOME LONG LIMBS AND CLEANING THEM. I EVEN GOT A HOOK TO TIE TO MY LINE. WE SAT THERE FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT GETTING A BITE AND SUDDENLY DAD SAID, "NOW HERE'S WHAT WE'LL DO; FIRST THING IS SPIT IN THE WATER."

SO WE SPIT IN THE WATER AND WAITED AND WAITED. DAD SAID, "HARRUMPH, FIRST I HAVE TO CHEW UP A MOUTH FULL OF TOBACCO." (I THINK HE ONLY DIPPED SNUFF) SO HE CHEWED FOR A WHILE THEN, WHEN HE WAS READY, HE SPIT A BIG GOB OF SNUFF IN THE CREEK.

COURSE MY OPINION DIDN'T COUNT BUT I FELT SURE WE'D NEVER SEE A FISH. STILL, I COULDN'T HELP THINKING THAT THAT SPITTING WOULD REALLY GET US SOME FISH.

GUESS WHAT? I GOT A BITE! IT WAS SO BIG, I KEPT PULLING AND DAD KEPT TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!
I GOT TIRED SO DAD FINALLY PULLED IT IN AND IT WAS A TURTLE! WE WENT HOME AND DAD SAID "WE'LL EAT TONIGHT" WE HAD TURTLE SOUP, AND I WAS REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF!

WE STAYED THERE ABOUT TWO WEEKS, MAYBE MORE, AND DAD TOOK US "EXPLORING." THE TREES WERE BIG AND SOME VERY OLD. (COURSE SOME WERE LITTLE AND STILL GROWING) ANYWAY, DAD EXPLAINED ABOUT THE TREES AND SHOWED US THE MUSCATEL (GRAPE) VINES THAT WRAPPED AROUND THE TREE TRUNKS, GOING WAY UP INTO THE TREES.
SEEMS THAT I GOT TO TASTE ONE BUT I'M NOT SURE BECAUSE, ABOUT THAT TIME WE THOUGHT WE HEARD A WOMAN SCREAM,- VERY LOUD AND SHRILL. WE WERE SO SCARED THAT WE COULDN'T HARDLY TALK!

DAD SAID,"COME ON KIDS, LET'S GO HOME NOW," AND WE DIDN'T NEED COAXING.

WHEN WE GOT HOME, WE STARTED TELLING MOM THAT SOME WOMAN WAS GETTING KILLED DOWN BY THE CREEK AND WE WERE ALMOST CRYING. MOM TOLD US IT WAS A PANTHER AND SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A BIG BLACK CAT.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE DIDN'T CARE TO GO DOWN THERE AGAIN.

SO UNTIL WE LEAVE THIS PLACE AND HEAD FOR ANOTHER PLACE WITH THE OLD HORSE AND WAGON, I'LL REST ON MY LAURELS.

'TIL NEXT TIME,- MIZMICKS...

SEE YA'...