2-17-09...DREADED OL' FEATHERS
DREADED OLD FEATHERS
My Mama always knew when something was wrong with me. If I was sick, Mad, troubled, upset, or if I had done something I didn't want her to know about. I think all Mamas are like that. I remember my son telling me one day when he was about six, "Mama that is the only thing I don't like about you. You have eyes in the back of your head". Yep! I guess they all do and I had to agree with Richard because I didn't like that much about mt Mama either. Nope!
One day Brenda and I were on the back porch playing. I think we were about five. Daddy had killed a chicken for Sunday dinner. Mama and Grandma had picked the feathers and put them in a cotton sack made for that. Grandma would make pillows when she got enough. She also made a feather bed.
Now little miss brave britches me was afraid of those feathers. Not the chicken, just the feathers. Go figure that out if you can. There was no way I was gonna' touch those feathers. Heck fire just no way!!
That day daddy had left a bottle of black shoe polish out there where he had shined his Sunday shoes. Of course we got it down and was gonna' do who knows what with it. We didn't have shoes on so why in the world we messed with that shoe polish I'll never know. First thing we did was squabble over it and spilled it all over the place. Clothes were lying there waiting to be washed on Monday. Of course that was the place we spilled the most of it. We looked down and there in all their glory was all my families undies all covered in black shoe polish. Oh good grief, now what, "Brenda look what you done". "No Clydene I didn't do it You did". Of course we both did it that was as plain as the black undies to see. "Well heck fire Brenda, I don't know what we are gonna do now". "Cover them up with sumpthin". We both looked around to find our cover and the only thing was that big sack of feathers. Well Guess what? Yep we did! Poured that sack of feathers all out on the black drawers. Oh my gosh was that a mess. Brenda went home and I went in the house. I thought our little caper was covered up forever. Course it wasn't. Nope!
Later that evening Mama found the mess and called me out. "What Mama"? "Clydene how did these feathers get out on the floor"? "Heck I don't know Mama". Mama knew I was telling a fib just by lookin at me. "Now Clydene I don't know why or how but I know you spilled these feathers and I want every last one of them put back in that sack. NOW"! Well heck she'd just as soon have told me to pick up a bunch of frogs. "No Mama I can't!" "Yes you can Clydene and you will"! Mama went back in to wash supper dishes and left me to do the job telling me before she went that she would be back and the feathers better all be back in the sack. Well I had no idea what I was gonna' do but I sure as shootin' wadna'gonna touch them feathers. By golly No I thought, I ainta'gonna do it Nope!
I sat right down on the steps and just pretended I didn't hear what Mama said. I saw Brenda in her yard and hollered for her to come down but she said Auntie said no. Well I thought Brenda outta' pick up the feathers don't ya know. She wasn't afraid of them and I was.
When Mama came back and the feathers were still there she was not very happy about it. "Clydene I told You to pick up these feathers. Why didn't you"? "I can't Mama". "Yes you can Clydene". I kept telling her I can't I can't I can't. Finally Mama said "Why can't you"? Then it was "CAUSE". I was really getting flustered and so was Mama. Finally I yelped out "Cause I fraid you'll see that shoe polish". Oh Good Lord, Now how stupid was that. Even at five I think I was usually brighter than that.
Mama finally got the story out of me and I got a talking to plus a slight tanning. I found out years later that Mama was so busy trying to keep from laughing at me she couldn't do much spankin'. Guess I lucked out that time. HUH? I did have to pick up the feathers. I got over my fear of them whatever it was. The clothes had to be soaked in bleach overnight and If I remember right all the shoe polish came out. But the floor underneath had a couple of black boards in it for a while. Every time I played out there again I remembered the feather incident and what Mama told me about lying and trying to cover up my mistakes instead of correcting them. Another lesson learned! YEP!!!
One day Brenda and I were on the back porch playing. I think we were about five. Daddy had killed a chicken for Sunday dinner. Mama and Grandma had picked the feathers and put them in a cotton sack made for that. Grandma would make pillows when she got enough. She also made a feather bed.
Now little miss brave britches me was afraid of those feathers. Not the chicken, just the feathers. Go figure that out if you can. There was no way I was gonna' touch those feathers. Heck fire just no way!!
That day daddy had left a bottle of black shoe polish out there where he had shined his Sunday shoes. Of course we got it down and was gonna' do who knows what with it. We didn't have shoes on so why in the world we messed with that shoe polish I'll never know. First thing we did was squabble over it and spilled it all over the place. Clothes were lying there waiting to be washed on Monday. Of course that was the place we spilled the most of it. We looked down and there in all their glory was all my families undies all covered in black shoe polish. Oh good grief, now what, "Brenda look what you done". "No Clydene I didn't do it You did". Of course we both did it that was as plain as the black undies to see. "Well heck fire Brenda, I don't know what we are gonna do now". "Cover them up with sumpthin". We both looked around to find our cover and the only thing was that big sack of feathers. Well Guess what? Yep we did! Poured that sack of feathers all out on the black drawers. Oh my gosh was that a mess. Brenda went home and I went in the house. I thought our little caper was covered up forever. Course it wasn't. Nope!
Later that evening Mama found the mess and called me out. "What Mama"? "Clydene how did these feathers get out on the floor"? "Heck I don't know Mama". Mama knew I was telling a fib just by lookin at me. "Now Clydene I don't know why or how but I know you spilled these feathers and I want every last one of them put back in that sack. NOW"! Well heck she'd just as soon have told me to pick up a bunch of frogs. "No Mama I can't!" "Yes you can Clydene and you will"! Mama went back in to wash supper dishes and left me to do the job telling me before she went that she would be back and the feathers better all be back in the sack. Well I had no idea what I was gonna' do but I sure as shootin' wadna'gonna touch them feathers. By golly No I thought, I ainta'gonna do it Nope!
I sat right down on the steps and just pretended I didn't hear what Mama said. I saw Brenda in her yard and hollered for her to come down but she said Auntie said no. Well I thought Brenda outta' pick up the feathers don't ya know. She wasn't afraid of them and I was.
When Mama came back and the feathers were still there she was not very happy about it. "Clydene I told You to pick up these feathers. Why didn't you"? "I can't Mama". "Yes you can Clydene". I kept telling her I can't I can't I can't. Finally Mama said "Why can't you"? Then it was "CAUSE". I was really getting flustered and so was Mama. Finally I yelped out "Cause I fraid you'll see that shoe polish". Oh Good Lord, Now how stupid was that. Even at five I think I was usually brighter than that.
Mama finally got the story out of me and I got a talking to plus a slight tanning. I found out years later that Mama was so busy trying to keep from laughing at me she couldn't do much spankin'. Guess I lucked out that time. HUH? I did have to pick up the feathers. I got over my fear of them whatever it was. The clothes had to be soaked in bleach overnight and If I remember right all the shoe polish came out. But the floor underneath had a couple of black boards in it for a while. Every time I played out there again I remembered the feather incident and what Mama told me about lying and trying to cover up my mistakes instead of correcting them. Another lesson learned! YEP!!!
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