Angela's Brother (F)

Tuesday morning, and I was mowing the strip of grass between a neighboring subdivision--Wayland Hills--and our family's nursery. Most of the backyards were separated off by wooden fences, the ones that look so good when first installed but soon weather into a dully grayish wall. A few yards, though, used chain link, and one in particular had a man gate in the back.

The Mom and Dad--Bill and Heidi--walked over to the nursery a few days after they moved in and bought 2 Yoshinos, a persimmon, and a small Japanese red maple from us. When I delivered the trees to the yard out back, I met Angela, who was 6, and Timmy, who was 3.

Timmy was much more interested in his toy dump truck and stayed in the sandbox as I made the delivery. Angela, however, stood at her parents' side as we discussed planting the trees.

"Are they going to get bigger?"

"If you take care of them."

"Where do they go?"

"That is the right question.

"Honey, let us figure that out." Bill put his hand on Angela's shoulder.

Angela looked at the slender trees. "Can we climb them?"

"Maybe. When they're grown."

"Maybe?" Angela tilted her head and squinted at me.

"La-La, come play!"

Heidi patted the girl's shoulder. "Go play with your brother."

This particular Tuesday morning I shut down my mower in front of Angela and Timmy. He hung on the fence, fingers like claws clutching for dear life. As usual he didn't say a word.

"What are you doing today?"

"Well, after mowing, I'm going to help turn all the trees and plants around."

"Why?"

"So they get sun all around."

"Our trees don't."

"True, not completely. But that's how things grow in the ground."

"Will they be okay?"

"Yes, they look like they are doing just fine."

I was just about to start the mower--"I saw my brother yesterday," Angela said.

"Your brother?" I looked at Timmy.

"Yes."

"Where?" 

"At the church."

"I don't understand."

"He has a grave. It says William Thomas Ferguson on it. He's 6, too."

I looked at her for a moment. "I'm sorry, Angela."

"La-La, come swing!"

"He's suppose to be my twin. Do you think it's okay if I talk about him?"

"Yes, yes I think that will be okay."

"Do you think it's okay if I talk to him?"

"Yes, Angie, I think that's okay, too."

And with that, Angela nodded and jogged after her little brother.

Lyman 2024

 

Uncle Hale's Thanksgiving Dinner (F)

Jack could hear the crunch of snow under the car's tires as he pulled slowly into the yard. Stepping out into the cold, he called to his uncle.

"Back here, Jack."

The teenager slowly padded around the house. His uncle was chopping the heads off whitefish and flipping them with his cleaver to his dogs.

"You've been fishing a lot."

"Nope. Bought these from the women down at the inlet."

The dogs snapped and snarled as they tore at the fish heads.

"The dogs are going crazy."

"These dogs are more wolf than dog."

"I've got your dinner stuff."

"Thanks. You can take it inside."

Jack returned his uncle's side after getting the food put away.

"I made my decision."

"I heard."

"Going to State for the mining program."

"Maybe that will work out."

"Sure it will. I'll be able to stay in the area after that. They're always hiring."

"Maybe so." His uncle began to fillet the fish.

"You don't think so?"

"I couldn't say."

"Do you think I'm wrong?"

"Nothing wrong with having a plan, Jack. Just trying to predict the future."

"You're always so negative. Just like Mom says."

"Maybe so."

Jack rubbed his hands together as the wind came up. "Laura and I have talked about getting married after I graduate from State."

"Oh?"

"Guess you think that's a mistake too, huh?"

"No opinion."

"Didn't you and Aunt Nancy get married when you were in college?"

"Did."

Jack kept quiet for a moment. "Did she hate turkey like you?"

"Liked it okay. But she came from a ham family."

"I guess you miss her. A lot."

The dogs now were curled up on the snow, backs to the wind. 

"Yes, nephew." He looked out across the river.  "Still, it's a pain deep inside that never goes away."

Jack touched his uncle's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Fact of life now.  You need to get going. Road home will be dark soon."

"Yes sir. I know. Oh, extra dressing and the sweet potato pie is in the fridge."

"Thank your mother. Here, take this sack of fish. Tell her fresh caught this morning."

"Should I give some to Laurie Hanson? She always asks about you."

The older man picked up his knife again. "If your mother wants to share, fine with me. But otherwise, no."

Jack chuckled. "Okay, Uncle Hale, just asking."

"Be safe."

"I will. See you when I see you."

"Yep. See you if I see you."

Lyman 2024 

Junk Drawer (9)

Roughly, 70 million Americans are fathers. One of them--the current President of the United States--pardoned his son for crimes committed the past 10 years. I'm guessing about 69,999,000 fathers would do the same. Of course blood is thicker. End of story. Full stop.

Except--except for the fathers of sons in prison for tax and/or firearms felonies. I do not know how many sons are currently serving a sentence, but I do know one thing. Not one of their fathers is the President of the United States.

I saw as part of local voting results our sheriff was reelected. He ran as a Republican candidate. Hmmm, a Republican sheriff as opposed to a Democratic sheriff? Wonder how many of the constitutional sheriff gang forgo party affiliation.

The college football playoff setup makes me laugh. All the chatter about this team or that team. What's funny? The tournament is not going to have the 12 best teams in the country. Lots of the better teams are going to be left out. And these mega conferences? This, too, is what you have wrought. Also makes me laugh. Will I watch? Hell yes. 

Sources set our illegal immigrant population at around 11 million. Eleven million. Think the populations of either Georgia or Ohio. We're going to need a lot more detention camp tents and beds. In 2018 we spent a bit more than $200 a day per detained immigrant. Holy government contracts, Batman! Cha-ching!

As for the TikTok influencer with 300,000 followers who was arrested for deliberately mis-scanning $500 worth of items at Target.... Shut. Up.