Bessie's Extra History (4)

MEMORIES

DADDY ALWAYS HAD BEES AND THE HIVES WERE NEAR THE OLD OUTDOOR TOILET SO WHEN YOU WENT TO ANSWER NATURE'S CALL YOU USUALLY HAD A FEW BEES FOR COMPANY. MANY PEOPLE WERE BIT BY BLACK WIDOW SPIDERS ON THOSE OLD TOILET SEATS. THEY WERE USUALLY BUILT LIKE A BENCH AND SEVERAL HOLES--DIFFERENT SIZES FOR DIFFERENT REARS. THAT IS ONE REASON I WOULDN'T CARE ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE OLD DAYS. WHEN AUNT ALICE WENT TO THE TOILET ROSIE AND SALLY WOULD GO BEHIND THE TOILET AND STICK HER REAR WITH STICKS.

BEDS SWARM EVERY SO OFTEN AND DADDY DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE ANY OF HIS SO WE'D HAVE TO GO OUT WITH BUCKETS OF WATER AND CUPS AND THROW WATER IN THE AIR TO TRY TO SETTLE THE BEES. BEATING ON TIN PANS WAS SUPPOSED TO SETTLE THEM TOO. SO THERE WE WERE RUNNING AROUND THROWING WATER IN THE AIR AND BEATING ON PANS. IF SOMEONE SAW YOU ACTING LIKE THAT NOW THEY WOULD THINK YOU BELONGED TO SOME STRANGE CULT. I WAS ALWAYS HOPING ALL THE BEES WOULD LEAVE.

WE ALWAYS RAISED PEANUTS AND ONE YEAR DADDY THOUGHT WE SHOULD PLANT AN EXTRA BIG PATCH. WE PLANTED--PLANTED--AND PLANTED. MARION AND I DECIDED WE'D NEVER GET THEM ALL PLANTED SO WE DUG SOME DEEP HOLES AT THE END OF THE ROWS AND BURIED SEVERAL BUCKETS FULL. OF COURSE A BUNCH OF THEM CAME UP SO WE WERE FOUND OUT. THE HARD PART OF PEANUTS WAS PULLING UP THE VINES AND STANDING THEM WITH THE PEANUTS UP SO THEY COULD DRY. THEN THEY WERE ALL HAULED AND STACKED. THEN IT WAS PICK OFF PEANUTS AFTER SCHOOL AND ON SATURDAYS AND SOMETIMES ON SUNDAY.

DADDY ALWAYS PLANTED POTATOES ON ST. PATRIOT'S DAY AND DUG THEM QN THE 4TH OF JULY. SO WE SPENT THE WITH PICKING UP POTATOES. AFTER WE WERE THROUGH THERE WAS ALWAYS LOTS OF HOME MADE ICE CREAM. I THINK WE DID GET A FEW FIRECRACKERS BUT NO FANCY FIREWORKS. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY HAD THEM THEN.

MARION NEVER LET ANY OF US WALK ANYWHERE WITH HIM AND AFTER HE GOT OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE THE CAR HE DIDN'T LET US RIDE WITH HIM. ONE NIGHT WHEN ROSIE STAYED WITH ME, MAMA MADE HIM LET US RIDE TO TOWN WITH HIM. HE PARKED IN FRONT OF THE POOL HALL WHERE ALL THE BOYS HUNG OUT. I TOLD HIM THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO SO WE WOULD JUST GO WITH HIM. HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND IN HIS NORMAL LOUD VOICE TOLD US TO GET OUR G.D. ASSES OUT OF THE CAR. ROSIE AND I WERE SO EMBARRASSED WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WENT UP THE STREET AS FAST AS WE COULD.

' WE HAD A BIG GRAPE PATCH ACROSS THE CANYON FROM THE HOUSE. WHEN WE GATHERED THE GRAPES, THERE WOULD BE LITTLE GREEN SNAKES WRAPPED AROUND THE VINES. YOU COULD HARDLY SEE THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE THE SAME COLOR AS THE VINES. LATER DADDY PUT A BERRY PATCH THERE. WHEN WE PICKED BERRIES WE HAD THORNS, SPIDERS AND SNAKES. I WASN'T BUILT TO BE A FARM PERSON. I NEVER LIKED GROWING AND HARVESTING THINGS.

WHEN WE HAD GRAPES DADDY MADE A LITTLE WINE. ONE DAY BETTY AND A LITTLE MEXICAN GIRL PLAYED IN THE CELLAR AND DRANK SOME OF THE WINE. BETTY REALLY GOT SICK AND AFTER SHE VOMITED MAMA KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG. SHE WAS NOT A VERY HAPPY MAMA.

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