Berry

BLACK BERRY PIE

Episode #2

The black berries were blooming, the scent caring for miles away. Children were gathering in the meeting hall, an old house near the swap to map out the directions to the largest berry patch. Nikie and Murl directed to go to the east of the pasture where Mr. Moss keeps his three old sway back horses. Bobo and Tina to the north end of the pasture and Mae and Tyann to the west of the pasture pass the old cemetery.

Nikie and Murl singing along the path, picking big black berries the size of dimes to hear the sound of them falling to the deep bottom of the red chittening bucket was like hearing a miniature bomb explode. Shortly after the hour Murl decided to separate. He finally told Nikie that they could surely win the berry contest if they split up and pick a bucket a piece. Nikie didn't mind the separation as long as the reward would be the ten dollars that Mrs. Mary promised and a giant piece of the Black berry pie.

Nikie had a half of bucket full of black berries and the odor of the sweet berries was very tempting. She continued to pick one berry at a time and dreamed how juicy the berries would be if only she could taste a few. She fought with the temptation. Now about 10am the morning breakfast that was so filling started to fade and the hunger of the berries arose and her hand dug into the chittening bucket suddenly Placing hand full of juicy black berries in her mouth at a time. The wonderful taste for out weighted the ten dollars and waiting for Mrs. Mary black berry pie to finish, cool, and serve would take years it seem like to Nikie.

Soon after eating four or five hand full of berries, she was overly grieved wondering just how mad her partner would be after seeing the black berry stain on the front of her sky blue shirt. Even more important how her mother would feel knowing that the task of hopefully regaining that crisp color would ride in her capable hands. Just thinking about the idea of her mother upset, sent chills down her spine. Nikie hurried to another section of the pasture still in the east field started to pick so fast that the stickers didn't seem to matter. Nikie could hear Murl in the distance calling her name. She tried hard to ignore the voice, picking even faster to try to assure that her bucket would be full and perhaps she would even have more berries than Murl.

Murl soon caught a glimpse of Nikie and started making his way to her side yelling out how he had found a good spot. Nikie soon stop picking and focus on where Murl said it was a good spot. When Murl reached the side of Nikie he was slightly disappointed yes she had three thirds a bucket of berries but he seen the stain on her shirt and argue with her about how if only could have went without tasting the berries they could have won without going back to complete the bucket in which Nikie and Murl had. Murl red bucket was full and he had to be careful not to spill berries over the rim. Murl directed Nikie to the good spot and completed the bucket. Walking slowly back to the meeting house they called Liz Place to get more buckets to grantee a win. Murl told Nikie what he would do with the ten dollars.

Bobo and Tina were the lazy ones of the group they went toward the north end of the pasture. However, when they seen Candy, one of the horses of Mr. Moss they couldn't pass up an opportunity at trying to ride the sway back horse. Tina warned Bobo against trying to ride the horse. She was upset about going to the north side because about a month ago she was walking and Mr. Star's big black and brown German Sheppard had tried to bite her. So animals and her didn't seem to go hand and hand fearful of the horse temper she back up and quietly watched Bobo as he tried to ride her bare back.

Bobo being the typical boy was yelling at Candy. Bobo now on Candy's bare back began to kick the horse side. However, Candy continues to graze on the emerald green grass that was Mr. Moss pride in the middle of a drought in the majority of the Southern United States of America. Bobo soon bored with Candy uninterested in galloping to the kick of his feet. He proceeded to get back to the idea of picking berries. So once again Tina and Bobo were off to the north of the pasture. Tina noticed a small berry patch near the railroad. They immediately changed directions and headed northeast to the patch. Picking berries and eating berries after 2 hours of picking they didn't have enough between the two of them to fill not even one bucket. Tina disappointment in the efforts to win the contest decided if the contest was to be won it would take her doing it alone. After the decision was made by Tina to win she became a black berry picking machine picking black berries at a record speed.

Bobo was totally impressed on the ability to pick black berries. Instead of him chipping into help her pick so that they would win the contest he sat down under a tree to take a break. Why pick when he dad the secret weapon (a berry picking Tina). Meanwhile, Tina was growing tired with one bucket full to the rim and the second bucket near the rim Tina stopped to take a break under the tree with Bobo. Bobo and Tina talked. Bobo pleaded with Tina to eat a few berries as a reward just in the case they didn't win they would have a reward of having a few berries as a mid day snack. Tina overly tired didn't oppose her partner's idea. So they sat and ate berries and laughed thinking about all they did that day. The day was getting late and they decided to go back to meet the others at Liz Place, the meeting house near the swap.

Mae and Tyann had an adventure of themselves. They were directed to go to the West end of the pasture an area that kids rarely went alone or even for that matter with two or three. The west end of the pasture was just past the old cemetery were old scary stories originated. These scary stories scared the children of the bottom and no one ever wanted to go to the cemetery alone or even at the eve of the day. Tyann and Mae tried to be brave as if it really didn't matter that they had to pass the old cemetery. The slower they walked paying special attention to every sound. The wind seem like it was blowing against their every step. Mae was so scared she couldn't remember the whole reason she was foolishly walking near the cemetery. Tyann had to remind Mae of the ten dollars of prize money and the wonderful steaming black berry pie of Mrs. Mary.

Just as they began to feel safe an owl started to hoot. The sound was so laud that the two of them started to run. Tyann pointed to the owl and they laughed at how scared they were to hear the odd sound. The cemetery was just a few yards away Mae reached for Tyann hand and the two of them walked at a rapid pace to get though the cemetery. However, the girls seen a large tombstone and the glitter of the stone stopped them. Mae decided to go closer to the tombstone to see if she knew the deceased. The name on the tombstone was Chris Johnson. The years read Sunrise 1980 Sunset 1992.

This was surprising to Mae because she was just a few years younger than this person. Many questions started to fill her head. Who was He? Where did he live? Did he attend their school? Did he have a sister? Who were his parents? What did he die of? Was it an accident, suicide, or a very bad sickness? Mae just nine years old had never thought of death at such a young age. This terrified Tyann and Mae. They both began to cry for the boy sitting now at the foot of the sparkling gray marble tomb. They made a pack that they would come every month to visit the grave and place a stone down so he would know that someone cared enough to come.

They searched around the grave to fine a suitable stone. Tyann found a stone beautiful caramel color stone with a small black spot on the side, shaped like a boat. Mae could not find anything she thought was good enough. Mae venture out a little from the grave to find a pretty rock. She finally found a brown and oval shaped rock. She placed the rock ever so carefully upon the headstone unlike Tyann which placed her rock on the foot of the tomb.

Now they where off again to the berry nest just pass the cemetery. There about ten yards pass the Bugtussle Cemetery sign was so many black berries. They picked and picked until all the buckets were filled and then began to fill their pockets with berries. Heading back towards the cemetery the girls was please with the fact they no longer viewed the cemetery in the same way. No, not now since they became so emotionally connected to Chris Johnson. The beautiful grave of the twelve year old was an event neither Mae nor Tyann would forget. Now the only fear Mae had was the fear of knowing that young children could die.

Tyann was very quiet the entire trip this troubled Mae. Mae wondered what she was thinking about so deeply that she didn't even respond to her calling her buck teeth. This was a nickname that the children around the bottom often called Tyann because her two front teeth grew back and they stood out to far. Mae again taking a stab at humor joked about how scared they were before they entered the Bugtussle Cemetery. This respond got a smile from Tyann. They had reached the meeting hall, Liz place and began to tell the story of how they discovered the large sparkling grave of some Chris Johnson and how he was only twelve years old when he died.

This caught the children interest and they began to ask some of the same questions Mae asked herself in the cemetery. Who was Chris? How did he die? Did he go to our school? Did he have any living relative still living in the Bugtussle community? By this time Mrs. Mary was walking in the meeting hall and told the children Please put your berries were I can see what each team have to offer. Bobo and Tina, Murl and Nikie, and of course Mae and Tyann gladly revealed the amounts. Bob and Tina two full buckets, Murl and Nikie four full buckets and a half of bowl full of berries were noted. Mae and Tyann two buckets barely filled to the lower rim of the buckets. The winner of the berry contest was by far Murl and Nikie. However everyone had picked so many berries that Mrs. Mary agreed to bake every team a berry pie to enjoy

episode #2

Childhood after Mother's death. Days, nights and night, days passed until it all became a reality that mother was no longer with us. My sister, Liz was our mother now and she did everything she could to try to kept us together. She had heard from others and social workers that we would have to have someone tot take care of the seven smaller children and if not the state would have to be informed of the matter. It came to passed that our sister go married to D.L. Fountain and got a small house beside the lake on tail bottom street. It was all good until one day the social worker came and said "We have found homes for your brothers and sisters, you can not keep them, but you can go and visit any time you wish. We'll get back with your on where we are placing them. They have to leave with us right now. Get there clothes and pack hem up for them. The state was our parents now. The seven of us left and was divided up on which foster parents could take what. It was four boys and three girls, ages from thirteen to one year old. Rosetta the oldest girl was placed with Mr. and Mrs.(Gertude) Allen Woods. Fred and William Harry the oldest of the boys were placed with Mr. and Mrs. (Adeline)Johnny Swanson. Arlean, Lugertha and Linda was placed with Mr. Ernest and Mrs. Elizabeth Hadnot and what a time we had from then on. Mr and Mrs Wood were a couple that had been married about 28 years with three grown sons, no grandchildren and along at their home in Colfax, La. Oh of course they had been foster parent to two other children from little babies sister and brother Ernestine and Earl Dixon. My sister did as she was told. She worked and the man, Mr. Allen would call her out, Rosetta to the barn and did sexual things that was not approved. One day when no one was home Mr. Allen did the NO NO! and after that she was not able to get out of bed for the pain she had. Mrs Wood took her to the doctor and they didn't check her private parts. They claimed because she was a ward of the state she had a mind problem. She was placed in a insane hospital and just left there, because she was hurt and told and that taught the other girls what not to do or say. The Swanson were good people. They had no children and my two brothers was in a sweet loving home. Fred left and came a lot. I had no idea where he would be gone too. I just knew he was about one of the busy people I knew.

#1

My childhood:
I was born March 24 1947 in Dodson, La. on a windy day, very cold, and damp. I arrived on or about 2:45am gave my mother a hell of a hard time. I had curly hair, big brown eyes all fingers and toes just a olive colored and yelled all the time just because I could. Being a bay was not all that good, because we had bad times, poor, mother sick, and no friends or people to give a helping hand. So my momma did her very best. I grew up fast, I learned the hard way and I survived I made it. Along about the age of three, mother start getting sick, she had a lot of good days, but mostly bad ones that just know one could do anything about but God. My mother sickness for a month was okay every one asked as if thy cared and gave a little help in many small ways However after the month passed no one came bye or even asked unless they were calling names or making fun of my mother Her nick name in those days were the mud woman with the headaches My momma headache were so bad until she would seem like another woman, not my mother as I knew but after the pain all momma gain. This went on and on until every other day was a hard tasks to live with but we all stuck together and work to try to keep thing as normal as we could. The family was big we have twelve children ranging in ages from eighteen to four months. My oldest sister cooked, kept the little ones and seen after mother while the two boys worked in the woods and fields. We would go though the woods to our great grandma and she would send mother some medicine for her headaches and this is and was the only thing that would work and we live. My that little jar from Grandma Martha's.
It was the beginning of the summer or maybe I should say getting warm days and no rain and my brothers brought all the little kids big tree tires and rope swing in the oak tree in the back. Fred took the big tree trunk and a long board and made us a seesaw with rope handles on both ends. We were in heaven. We played hard for a couple of weeks before one afternoon my sis called and told us to come to the house at once. When we got all in she told us mother was sick and she needed some medicine from grandma. She told my brother Scott, Lue and myself Arlean to go get the medicine. I started crying because I knew it would have gotten dark in just a little bit. They all was going to be making me cry and the people houses we passed bye would yelled out very loud That's that mad woman kids. Yet we did what we had to do so Mama would feel better. It look likes it was a long 10 miles walk but it was only one and a half miles though the woods. We walked, we ran, we even skipped and finally we made it to granny. Sit down for look like two minutes and off again to bring it back so mama could get better. We heard the people and we didn't hear, because it had gotten to be a broken record, because we knew our mother being okay only matter to the twelve of us. When we made it around the corner It was cars, trucks and all kind of people in and around our house and my sister was standing bye a long black car crying calling us to hurry up and get here. When we reach the black car I could not see a thing My brothers looked in the window of the car and started crying I was saying pick me up pick me up then and only then my sister pick me up and said Your mother is gone I said gone where, what that covered up in the car that is mama I want her back I kept screaming and no one came to help us but Mrs Eulla Lee and the next day has being the same until this year 2003 on mothers day Thanks for my Kids.

Arlean Morgan

Pride

Episode 1

Mae and Kae were a year and two months apart. This was talked about at the kitchen table throughout the years. Surprising the two girls was light ages away in personality. Mae was out spoken and wise on issue that exceeded her age often giving advice when not seek ed and finding out information to create content confusion. Kae was sweet and always offering a word of hope. Trying to keep her family and the world around her peaceful and great. The mother often was asked what in the world was she going to do with Mae. Mo affectionally called by her family would laugh and say she will be the one that I have to keep from going to jail. Bobo and Rick was both babies in every since of the word fighting for affection from Mo. The whole family would love to speak of all the ill that would/could happen. Mae was strong and stood the firing sward many days. This day was a little different because she felt bad and her strength would be tested by her little brother, Bobo. The driveway needed sweeping and the trash emptied and the chores of the house was clearly known. The living room, mama's bathroom and bedroom for Kae, the kitchen, den, and guest bathroom for Mae, and the trash, and driveway for Bobo. These chores have to be done before their mother got off her first job at L&P lumberyard at 6pm. It was now about 5:45pm and neither the driveway or the trash was emptied. This would not have been a big deal because usually when chores was left undone Mae would do them to prevent her mother from getting upset. Not this day she was going to show Bobo that he would have to pull his own weight around here. She was tired of picking up the pieces she was tired of being the strong one she wanted to just scream with anger but her voice would not let her. She told Kae and Rick to talk to Bobo and she overheard Kae talking about how stress their mother had been over losing the living room furniture and trying to pay off that loan for the car. This made Mae more upset and ready to cause bodily harm to her little brother whom didn't know that this was as serious as Mae had made it. Kae told Mae that Bobo still would not do it after she talked with him. Now 6:00pm Mae and Kae knew it needed to be done so Kae reached for the broom and Mae held the broom to stop Kae from attempting to sweep up. Kae knew that if the chores was not done that this would mean all of them would get in trouble but Mae screamed that she would gladly take what was coming before she would let Kae or Rick complete the chores.
Minutes later the car drove up the driveway and we all stood in the entrance of the house waiting for mama to come, fear entered the souls of Kae, Rick, and Bobo but not Mae she felt good inside because mama would know whose been doing what. Mo looked around the house with those big brown eyes and said get my belt you all know I work to hard to keep the bills paid and food on the table for you all not to do the simple stuff I ask. Mae began to explain why the driveway and the trash was still around. Mo interrupted and said if you can't be proud of where you stay and how it looks you just worth to stay in a card box somewhere. She continued to lecture on the cleanliness of what you got and not the value of things. Mae had heard this part so many times you may not have but two pair of pants and a shirt but you can clean your body and wash those to look as well as you can. This lecture didn't stop mother from using Mr. BELT on our back sides. She spelled out PRIDE.