64

 

       THE FAMILY

 

    Are these from your garden?

    Yeah, the ground up here is much better than down at the other place.  Look at those radishes.

    When you're done there, I'd like the ham.

    Anybody for iced tea?  And I made some Kool-Aid for the boys.  Just pass your glasses down; the jug's heavy. 

    Boy, this corn is nice.  Did you see it at the store?  They wanted a dollar for eight ears, and they weren't any bigger than this.

    The IGA?

    No, I've been going over to Brucher's.

    Ah, they can just have a little tea if that's all right.  I don't give them Kool-Aid; it's almost all sugar.

    You should see what it its for us at home.  A dollar isn't bad.

    Oh.  I just thought          You and Doug were just about weaned on it.  I don't recall ever seeing either of you without a big red or purple ring around your mouth.

    The IGA wanted a dollar nineteen.  You remind me to wrap you up some of this.  You too Elvira; it's better right out of the garden anyway.

    Well, they didn't know everything back then they know now about sugar.  It's amazing the things          Well, I guess a little just this once won't hurt them.

    Don't eat too much.  We have some cake, and there's a watermelon on ice back there.

    How you doing, Wes?  Anything I can get for you?

    No, I'm doing just fine.

    Jim?

    Where's the          Oh, there he is.  Why'd you move the doghouse way out there?

    Your father said he stinks.  Your grandfather had Doug give him a bath but

    I just don't like to see him pacing like that all the time.

    Oh, you weren't here; I guess you didn't hear the story about

    Janice, you don't need to tell this again just for me.

    What story?

    Oh come on, Uncle Art.  Susie hasn't heard it yet.

    What?

    Well, one night about what, three weeks ago?  Anyway, your mother and father come home, and the dog is in the house.

    Oh, no!

    And never being in there before he didn't know what to do with himself.  There was stuff down off the shelves and chairs tipped over and

    And you should have seen the floor in the kitchen.  The whole place smelled like

    Eric!

    cereal all over the floor.  Somebody left the closet open and

    Well, who let him in?

    Nobody knows.  Grandpa wanted him in before, but Uncle Art said no, and you know that he couldn't have gone out there all by himself.  Well, anyway, you can just picture it.  They open the door, and there sits Grandpa in the middle of the kitchen and the house a mess and then your father chasing the dog up and down the stairs and around the living room.

    That's right, go ahead and laugh.  Next time I'll call you, and you can come in and clean it up.

    How'd you finally catch him?

    Got hold of a lamp cord that he had wrapped around his leg.  Your mother wanted me to shoot him.

    And what did Grandpa have to say?

    Never left on he noticed a thing.  Acted dumb about the whole thing.  Go ahead and laugh.

    So you moved him way out there?  Poor thing.

    Poor thing!  He's alive, isn't he?  I'd planned to move him anyway.  He's got a nice fresh place to tramp down and mess up now.  He had a rut worn in the ground there.  I might build a garage there.

    Is that your next project?

    I don't know.  Maybe.

    Eric!

    Yeah, Grandpa?

    You tell Susie about them plums?

    No, Grandpa.  Not yet.

    What plums?

    Anybody ready for another burger?

    He wants me to show you the plum tree.  He's been telling me for the last week about how much you like the purple plums.

    Yeah, I'll take one, Art.

    I don't like plums.

    Well, tell her!

    Thanks.

    I just did, Grandpa!

    Thank you, Grandpa.  I'll be sure to get some.  You want anything over there?

    I don't know.  Maybe some macaroni and cheese

    Oh, Elvira, I wanted to ask you; have you gone down to that new bakery yet?

    No.  Can't say that I have.

    Well, don't.

    Why not?

    Oh Susan, you wouldn't believe this girl that works in there.  Fat and dirty.  I went in last week to get rolls----it was my week to make lunch for the Garden Club--and I just          She handles the money and then right back to the food.  I ended up back at the baked goods counter at the IGA.

    What's this?

    Hey Doug, Art tells me the grapes are ready; you going to make wine again this year?

    Cole slaw, anybody?

    That's not cole slaw.  It's pepper slaw.

    What is it that the Mitchells are putting up over there?

    Oh, one of those swingsets for the kids, I think.

    Seems like a dumb time to be putting something like that up.  You'd think he'd've done that back when they could have gotten  some use out of it.  It'll be almost too cold in a month or so.

    Probably got it cheap.  end of the season and all.

    That one little one of theirs is something!  You should hear some of the stories that kid can come up with.  He'd come over when I was working over here or in the garden and watch me.  Talk a blue streak.

    Get in the way.

    He wasn't in the way, Lorraine.

    Pass the olives.

    What's the difference?  Cole slaw, pepper slaw?

    One has pepper.

    Well, what do you think of those Royals now?  Remember I said they looked good back in          what was it, April?

    Uh huh, April.

    Oh, I guess they look okay.  It's that Brett; without him, I don't know.

    Did anybody answer me?  I asked what is this stuff.

    You'll have to ask your sister; she brought it.

    Susie, what is this stuff?

    It's a tofu casserole.  It's good.

    It's what?

    Tofu casserole.  It's got soybean curds

    Oh, oh

    and cheese and barley and oatmeal and sea salt and sesame seeds and sprouts as a topping.

    Hey Doug, you want some curds?  We got some curds down here.

    Come on, try it!  It's got lots of protein.  How are you going to know if you like it if you don't

    No thanks.

    That in the Tupperware is potato salad.

    Anybody for more tea?

    I brought the badminton set along.  Who wants to play later?  The one racket is cracked, but I taped it.

    Lorraine, what do you think you'll take to the church picnic?

    Oh, I don't know.  I don't even feel like bothering.  It makes me mad; you see people there that you don't see all year.  Just to get a free meal.

    Maybe Grandpa would want some curds.  Hey, Grandpa

    That's enough out of you!

    What?

    Nothing.  Never mind.

    What'd he say?

    He said, never mind.

    I thought I'd take some kind of noodle dish.

    Oh, I meant to ask, did they have the big Steam Engine Show yet?

    Yeah.  It was back          When was that, Art?

    August ninth, tenth, and eleventh.

    Yeah, that's right.  We went.  Got your grandfather that nut mix he likes.  The fire department was having a big raffle to raise money for a new pump truck so's they can take part in competition next month, so we felt we should go down, but it's not the same as it used to be.

    I remember I used to love to go to that when we were here for the summer.

    Well, it's not as nice as it used to be.

    Did you see Diane Hornbaker?

    No.  What about her          Oh no, not again!

    Again.

    What were they raffling off?

    Sweet pickles please.

    I told Janice if it was me I'd get me a gun and the next time he came near me.

    Oh Momma, I don't see what the fuss is all about.

    You wouldn't.         

    I remember I used to love to ride the Merry-Mixer.

    What is it now?  Nine?

    Eight.

    Oh, did you hear about that?  Someplace down in Virginia

    West Virginia.

    one of them things--them Merry-Mixers--flew apart, and a boy got killed.  Broke his neck.

    So she wouldn't let me ride it this year.

    You want to end up like that?

    He wasn't even riding on it.  He was just standing there.

    All the more reason.

    Did they have funnel cakes?  I remember          I haven't had one of those in          it must be four years.

    Yes, and your brother came home with powdered sugar all over his brand new corduroys.  Navy blue.  I told him to wait, that corduroy was too warm for          it must have been eighty-five.  But no, he had to wear them the first day he had them and get them all messed up.

    Oh, Wes, have you ever tasted a funnel cake?

    Can't say that I have.

    It came right off.

    Well, it looks like your garden did real well.  Our tomatoes just withered up and died.  We had a few pretty nice sized ones and then nothing.  I think something got to them.

    And if it hadn't?

    Well anyway, Grandpa got his nut mix.