Three older men gather together greeting each other with grins, moist eyes, and bear hugs. Their faces weathered by years of hard labor and sunshine. They sit around the table and begin to talk. Suddenly, long ago years become only yesterdays. Voices once quiet and rough become animated as they share memories perked by their reunion.
Memories of their upbringing transport thoughts back to the interesting and humble life they led. Shaking their heads and looking down at their hands, the wonders of God's plans to bring them where they are today...they never would have imagined. Their stories have been told to me from the time I was knee-high to a jaybird. My Granny, was their half sister. I sit with the three of them today trying to capture their stories for my children, so they too can know where our roots got their start.
They began to expand on a story they all vividly recalled. Three young brothers; J.B., Eull, and Gilbert traveled in a pack across the countryside. Just 18 months separate each of them--their momma was busy! They lived in the far northeastern part of Oklahoma outside Sallisaw and near Fort Smith, Arkansas, (if you take the back roads). There really wasn't a town per se, but there was a country store and a one-room school house.
On this particular day, the boys had a long day at school and they were glad to get home to their log house that their Papa built on a spot of ground north of Nicut. The place was back off the main road , so Papa had to carve out a path to the house which sat close to the hillside near a natural spring. They were lucky because that spring provided running water year 'round. Papa used logs that he had cut up on the hill that was located northwest of the place where he built the home. He borrowed some horses from a friend to drag the logs down to the spot he picked out. He hewed two sides before he stacked the logs. Papa hand-built a one-room house with a front and back door and one window on the south side.
The boys were glad to get home from school and like all kids, especially boys, they were hungry. They had some biscuits with fat back for breakfast. Eull was the first to burst into the house, "Mom is there somethin' that we can eat?"
"Eull you know that I try to have somethin'. Look under the cloth on the table there," Momma quipped.
They began to expand on a story they all vividly recalled. Three young brothers; J.B., Eull, and Gilbert traveled in a pack across the countryside. Just 18 months separate each of them--their momma was busy! They lived in the far northeastern part of Oklahoma outside Sallisaw and near Fort Smith, Arkansas, (if you take the back roads). There really wasn't a town per se, but there was a country store and a one-room school house.
On this particular day, the boys had a long day at school and they were glad to get home to their log house that their Papa built on a spot of ground north of Nicut. The place was back off the main road , so Papa had to carve out a path to the house which sat close to the hillside near a natural spring. They were lucky because that spring provided running water year 'round. Papa used logs that he had cut up on the hill that was located northwest of the place where he built the home. He borrowed some horses from a friend to drag the logs down to the spot he picked out. He hewed two sides before he stacked the logs. Papa hand-built a one-room house with a front and back door and one window on the south side.
The boys were glad to get home from school and like all kids, especially boys, they were hungry. They had some biscuits with fat back for breakfast. Eull was the first to burst into the house, "Mom is there somethin' that we can eat?"
"Eull you know that I try to have somethin'. Look under the cloth on the table there," Momma quipped.
The three boys greedily gathered the bread left from breakfast and slathered blackberry jam across the thick slices. J.B. still swallowing his first bite and with traces of blackberry jam staining his cheeks asked. "where's Papa?"
"Son, your daddy left this morning with his old pistol and I haven't seen him since", she said.
After the boys finished their after school snack Momma sent them out to gather wood to burn that evening. Curiosity on the whereabouts of their father and why he carried the old pistol with him, gave them fanciful ideas on his real mission. Before they could muster more than a couple of 'hero to the rescue' stories they heard a strange noise. It was not a familiar sound to their ears. They looked up and were astonished to see a Model A driving up their dirt road. It was the car their road had ever hosted. The wood dropped from their arms and they went running to the house to see who was coming to visit, and very excited to see this man-made marvel.
It was the thirties and there weren't many cars around, much less cars that traveled to see them. They made it to the house before the car and to their surprise Papa was driving! When Papa got out and shut the door he had a sideways grin and a twinkle in his eye, "What do ya think boys?" he asked.
"Whose is it?" Eull piped.
"It's mine", he said, standing back looking at it with an admiring gaze. Papa folded his arms in pure satisfaction.
J.B. had run into the house to get Momma and they appeared on the porch.
"Oh Lord! Harve where did you get that thing?", Momma said while wiping her hands on the faded apron that had seen better days.
This 'thing' as Momma referred to it was just partly a Model A. Someone had cut off the backside making it resemble a pickup truck. To Momma it looked awful, but for the boys it was beautiful.
"Papa, tell us where'd you get it?", all three boys chimed in unison.
"Well, I'll tell ya, I traded my old pistol for it."
"Son, your daddy left this morning with his old pistol and I haven't seen him since", she said.
After the boys finished their after school snack Momma sent them out to gather wood to burn that evening. Curiosity on the whereabouts of their father and why he carried the old pistol with him, gave them fanciful ideas on his real mission. Before they could muster more than a couple of 'hero to the rescue' stories they heard a strange noise. It was not a familiar sound to their ears. They looked up and were astonished to see a Model A driving up their dirt road. It was the car their road had ever hosted. The wood dropped from their arms and they went running to the house to see who was coming to visit, and very excited to see this man-made marvel.
It was the thirties and there weren't many cars around, much less cars that traveled to see them. They made it to the house before the car and to their surprise Papa was driving! When Papa got out and shut the door he had a sideways grin and a twinkle in his eye, "What do ya think boys?" he asked.
"Whose is it?" Eull piped.
"It's mine", he said, standing back looking at it with an admiring gaze. Papa folded his arms in pure satisfaction.
J.B. had run into the house to get Momma and they appeared on the porch.
"Oh Lord! Harve where did you get that thing?", Momma said while wiping her hands on the faded apron that had seen better days.
This 'thing' as Momma referred to it was just partly a Model A. Someone had cut off the backside making it resemble a pickup truck. To Momma it looked awful, but for the boys it was beautiful.
"Papa, tell us where'd you get it?", all three boys chimed in unison.
"Well, I'll tell ya, I traded my old pistol for it."
The boys swiftly looked up at Papa, then looked at each other before looking at the beautiful machinery sitting in their front yard.
Papa was working for the WPA--the Works Project Association. He worked up the road just a few miles from home. He explained to Momma that he planned on hauling other workers to and from the job to help pay for gas. A gallon of gas could be purchased for only five or six cents. Momma agreed with him that it was a good move no matter how hideous she thought the 'thing' looked.
The next day the boys could not wait to tell everyone at school about Papa's truck. The stunned expressions on the other kids faces made the boys popular and caused the once silent school room to burst in animation. The teacher was quick to silence the class and retrieve control with just a tap on her desk and a raised eyebrow.
Life began to change for the better because of the Model A truck. Papa went to work every day and got home before the sun set behind the hill. The 'thing' was making his job easier.
Near sundown, the boys were ready to jump into bed. Momma would read to them for a short time from an old western book she borrowed from a neighbor. It was a "shoot 'em up" where the crooks were being hunted and chased by a Texas Ranger. Momma only read a short time mainly because she didn't want the book to end too soon, and because she had to read by a coal oil lamp which didn't give much light.
Papa was working for the WPA--the Works Project Association. He worked up the road just a few miles from home. He explained to Momma that he planned on hauling other workers to and from the job to help pay for gas. A gallon of gas could be purchased for only five or six cents. Momma agreed with him that it was a good move no matter how hideous she thought the 'thing' looked.
The next day the boys could not wait to tell everyone at school about Papa's truck. The stunned expressions on the other kids faces made the boys popular and caused the once silent school room to burst in animation. The teacher was quick to silence the class and retrieve control with just a tap on her desk and a raised eyebrow.
Life began to change for the better because of the Model A truck. Papa went to work every day and got home before the sun set behind the hill. The 'thing' was making his job easier.
Near sundown, the boys were ready to jump into bed. Momma would read to them for a short time from an old western book she borrowed from a neighbor. It was a "shoot 'em up" where the crooks were being hunted and chased by a Texas Ranger. Momma only read a short time mainly because she didn't want the book to end too soon, and because she had to read by a coal oil lamp which didn't give much light.
Coal oil was costly and Momma was frugal. It cost a whole nickel for one gallon at the Shannon store. There was a charge ticket at Shannon Blaylock's store which the boys had watched Momma use every time they went. J. B. still thought Momma could just get anything she wanted with that charge ticket, but Eull and Gib knew better.
Time passed quickly and before long the old Model A began to have flat tires nearly every night. Papa would have to fix a flat or two every time he got home from work. The road was dirt and the path to the house was full of rocks and small stumps left over from where Papa had cut the brush and trees down to build the road that went to the log house. The boys just knew it was the road to the house that caused all the trouble.
One night Papa got home right at dark. It was in the wintertime and the days were shorter. When he pulled up to the house one of the tires was going down. The swoosh of escaping air continued as he got out of the truck. Papa set right off to take care of the latest flat. He got a hand air pump and the patches and boots that he used to do the repairs. It was dark by now so he brought the tire in the house to fix. The boys liked to watch him work.
Time passed quickly and before long the old Model A began to have flat tires nearly every night. Papa would have to fix a flat or two every time he got home from work. The road was dirt and the path to the house was full of rocks and small stumps left over from where Papa had cut the brush and trees down to build the road that went to the log house. The boys just knew it was the road to the house that caused all the trouble.
One night Papa got home right at dark. It was in the wintertime and the days were shorter. When he pulled up to the house one of the tires was going down. The swoosh of escaping air continued as he got out of the truck. Papa set right off to take care of the latest flat. He got a hand air pump and the patches and boots that he used to do the repairs. It was dark by now so he brought the tire in the house to fix. The boys liked to watch him work.
Papa first took the tire off the rim and pulled of the tube to see what he would have to do to get it fixed. Then he pulled it back together and started pumping it back up. Papa would pump a while then he would step on it to see if it had enough air. If the thought that it still needed more, he began to pump again. There were no gauges to check how much air was still needed. When he finally had enough air to make it firm he put the tire between the beds.
The house was so small that two beds set end-to-end with about one foot in between. This is where Papa put the tire.
The boys were already cuddled in bed under the thick quilts to stay warm. All that heated the small house was a barrel laid on its side that papa had made into a stove. The boys were more than anxious for Momma to start reading. When she had finished reading the night before the ranger was trying to catch some cattle thieves what had been running off the cows. The boys had talked about it and hoped that that there Ranger would catch them thieves all together and take them to jail. They could hardly contain themselves as they anxiously waited for momma to begin reading.
"Tom the Texas Ranger was up on a hill watching the cattle he was protecting, waiting for the rustlers. One of the thieves was sneakin' up on Tom getting closer and closer. He finally got close enough to take aim. He paused, then...
The house was so small that two beds set end-to-end with about one foot in between. This is where Papa put the tire.
The boys were already cuddled in bed under the thick quilts to stay warm. All that heated the small house was a barrel laid on its side that papa had made into a stove. The boys were more than anxious for Momma to start reading. When she had finished reading the night before the ranger was trying to catch some cattle thieves what had been running off the cows. The boys had talked about it and hoped that that there Ranger would catch them thieves all together and take them to jail. They could hardly contain themselves as they anxiously waited for momma to begin reading.
"Tom the Texas Ranger was up on a hill watching the cattle he was protecting, waiting for the rustlers. One of the thieves was sneakin' up on Tom getting closer and closer. He finally got close enough to take aim. He paused, then...
" BOOM!!!
The noise was so loud that it shook the whole house. Papa, sleeping on the backside of the bed, jumped clear over Momma and he hit the floor before the boom had quit ringing. Eull moved almost as fast. Gib, J. B., and Momma were all sitting up, and just as scared as papa and Eull.
Momma spoke, "Lord, Harve what was that? Is someone shooting or something?"
Papa looked around and he finally settled down enough to see what had happened.
"Aw that damn tire blowed out"
"I'll have to fix it again in the morning. Hell, Momma, I thought that Ranger had been shot."
Momma spoke, "Lord, Harve what was that? Is someone shooting or something?"
Papa looked around and he finally settled down enough to see what had happened.
"Aw that damn tire blowed out"
"I'll have to fix it again in the morning. Hell, Momma, I thought that Ranger had been shot."
Loud laughter filled the room and suddenly we had traveled full circle. The smiles brought out deep wrinkles that rippled across their faces. For a short time they had relived an episode from their past. Talk continued between the three and the rest of the world stopped as their reverie once again took them to the days of their youth and they took off on another adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment