CHORES
Walter said ta Buster ta hold him down! Walter was a cuttin sum hogs an Buster was helpin him fer a day or two. Buster's grandpa Gus an Walter's pa made it up ta trade off sum labor with tha boys doin tha work, which was all rite by them. Thar was sum yearlin calves ta brand an them dang hoofs hurt like tha dickens when thay kicked ya. Buster tole Walter he'd do tha brandin an cuttin an let Walter do tha bulldoggin an holdin, ya know Walter, he jes laughed an kept on grinnin whilst Buster got kicked agin. Walter hollered ta Buster ta not let him git away an it weren't gonna hurt too long. Long towards evenin Buster an Walter was a loadin a purty ruff ole bull. He was half Brahma an half Santa Gertrudis an meaner than all git out. Sum hands an Walter herded that bull ta bout half way inta tha trailer when one of them boys put tha cattle prod ta him. That ole bull jes wadn't gonna load an tha feller figured he juice him up a mite. Well, Buster was a mindin tha gate ta tha trailer an was a standin tween tha gate an a crosstie corner post when tha hired hand went ta hit that bull with tha prod. Jes as he was gonna ta poke him in tha hind quarters he stumbled an poked that bull in hisn privates instead. Well now, that ole bull went ballistic I tell ya! He started a swangin hisn haid left an rite an stepped down hard on tha end of tha trailer. When he did it tipped tha trailer ta tha left an trapped Buster tween tha trailer an that crosstie. Ever time that bull tossed hisn haid, them horns of hisn would pass by Buster's belly whar he could feel tha air as them horns went by. Tha first pass took off Buster's shirt but didn't hurt him nun. Each pass Buster had ta suck in hisn gut ta keep from gittin gored. Finally, Walter prodded tha bull on inta tha trailer an Buster shut tha gate. Walter seed what was a happenin an knowed he had ta do sumthin real fast or Buster was gonna git hurt real bad. His quick thinkin shor did tha trick an saved Buster a passel of misery. When thay got tha bull ta load on in tha trailer it took tha pressure offa Buster an let him git a loose. Buster tole Walter he was shor glad he ain't had supper yet cause he shorly woulda ben in a pickle ifn his belly was pooched out any farther. Thay got tha trailer pulled out an when thay did thay had ta move another bull of Walter's inta tha pen. He was a full Brahma that thay called Buffalo. Ole Buffalo was purty gentle most of tha time an ya could lead him round by jes feedin nuggets outa yore hand. But, Buffalo an that other ole bull thay jes loaded had ben a fightin fer a spell over tha cows an Buffalo was a mite fractious over that. When thay let ole Buffalo inta tha pen he went straight fer tha trailer; one what was carryin that half breed he had a ben fightin. Buffalo was a bellerin sumthin fierce and pawin an a snortin. Now ole Buffalo had a rack on him an he jes wadn't gonna be denied ta git ta that other bull; trailer or no trailer. Buffalo got hisn horns underneath a crosstie rail an snapped er like a twig. Hisn ole neack corded up an ya could jes see tha power in him as he cum up from under that tie. Bull was sum kinda stout. Walter hollered ta one of tha hands pullin tha trailer ta take it on out ta tha barn an away from tha holdin pens. Course Buffalo was out by then an Walter jes took sum nuggets an Buffalo follered him back on inta tha pen. After that other bull was gone, ole Buffalo settled down an didn't give no trouble. Walter said hisn pa was gonna sell that half breed bull up at ta auction an reckoned he was bound fer hamburger.
Buster tole Walter he'd be glad when thay got on over ta thar place. Ya see, folks traded out an helped each other when ya needed a hand with chores when ya was shorthanded. Buster had ta cut an haul wood outa tha 7 acres next ta Indian Bayou that was mostly slash. Thay had ta do that fore tha weather broke bad an had ta leave it.
Buster stayed tha nite with Walter an thay got up early tha next mornin a hopin ta finish up fore nitefall. Harvest was a cummin on an winter wadn't gonna be long a cummin neither. Thar was sum hay that had seasoned an had ta be moved from a 40 ta tha barn. Jes fore finishin up breakfast, Walter's ma looked out tha winder an tole tha boys ta look what was a cummin. Danged ifn it wadn't Howard an Jessie. When thay got ta tha house Mrs. Ollinger tole Jessie an Howard ta sit an she fetched em sum coffee an two slabs of apple pie she'd baked. Then she asked ifn thay wanted breakfast. Howard said shor nuf but Jessie didn't git time ta say nuthin fore she said, " Jessie McBrayer, I don't want ta hear no back talk from ya, ya gonna eat in my house. I knowed your ma took ya ta tha doctor cause she felt ya was porely an ya a tellin ole doc Van Dyn she wouldn't feed ya. Yore ma is plum worried sick over ya an so ya is gonna eat this hear breakfast I'm a fixin an ain't gonna be no bones bout it neither. I'm a gonna sit rite hear till ya eat ever bite too." Well, her word was law an that was exactly what was dun. Jessie had sum biscuits an gravy, pan fried taters an sum scrambled aigs an slab bacon an a glass of cold milk ta boot. Boy was he fuller than a tick. He tole all tha other boys that he jes didn't know ifn he would help with tha hay or not; might jes have ta take a nap first.
All four of em headed out ta tha 40 ta haul tha hay an tole Walter an Buster thar pas knowed thay was shorthanded an sent em on over ta help. Ya see, in cuntry schools ya was always let outa school fer plantin, harvest an deer huntin season. Jessie an Howard had chores shor nuf but nuthin like Walter an Buster cause of thar farmin an all. Plus, Jessie an Howard made up fer all of em all ta do sumthin over tha weekend. That's why thay wanted ta help git thar chores dun faster so's thay had sum time ta tharselfs. Jessie drove tha truck an Howard drove tha tractor whilst Buster dun the throwin up of the hay bales ta Walter. Walter stacked em an it wadn't long till thay had a load ta go ta tha barn. With all four of em workin at a steady pace, tha work in tha field was dun fore dinner. When thay got back ta tha barn thay used a conveyor to move tha hay bales ta tha loft. Buster put tha bales on tha conveyor, Jessie brought tha bales ta Buster an Walter an Howard stacked em in tha loft. Thay all was rite proud Walter's pa had borryed extry trailers so thay didn't have ta load an unload each time. Supper was still a ways off since thay got dun so quick, so thay figured ta shoot sum marbles. Howard had sum steelies he got from sum bearings in hisn pa's shop. Them ball bearings made fer real good shootin an he had sum different sizes too. After a few games Walter's two sisters, Karen Jeanene an Pamela Kay cum up ta em an asked ifn thay had time ta help em fer a bit. Tha Ollingers had a rite smart of a truck patch not only fer thar own use ta feed tha family but sell off fer extra cash an also ta give ta tha church an old folks home thar in town. Tha gals had ta pick sum corn an other vegetables an diggin taters was a heap of trouble fer em.
Tha boys all lent a hand an got it all dun so tha gals could carry tha donations ta town. Both tha gals had other thangs on thar mind; like Jerry Ashford an Larry Brown.
Walter tole his sisters he wadn't much fer them boys cummin round an jes might punch em in tha nose. Ifn Mike an Kelvin was round thay'd shor nuf help an be gald too. Not that them two was really disliked so much by Walter an hisn brothers but it was jes tha idee thay was a sparkin hisn sisters. Anyway, it got on ta supper an all tha boys ate with Walter's folks an Mrs. Ollinger shor put tha evil eye on Jessie. Said she wadn't a gonna let Sarah Mcbrayer say her boy wadn't fed at her house, no siree. Ya see, all tha boys mas quilted tagather an played bunko too, ever week a takin turns at each other's house. Also, it jes wadn't polite not ta eat an at least drink sumthin when ya went ta see folks; plum disrespected em. Fore Buster, Howard an Jessie left, thay made up ta meet at Buster's tha next day ta cut an haul wood. After that thay was gonna paint Jessie's grandpa's barn. Howard's pa was shorthanded on a big job he had an jes needed sum help fer a couple three days or so too. So, reckon tha boys would all be a mite busy fer tha next week.
Buster an tha boys lit out fer tha woods early after breakfast in a ole Chevrolet pickup thay used fer farm work. It Was Buster's truck an it was old an ugly but run real good. Buster dun had tha chain saws, gas an oil, spare chains, files, wrenches, splittin mauls an wedges loaded up when tha boys got thar. Jessie stayed over tha nite before cause he had sum studyin ta do at tha library an a appointment with Mr Greene. He was tha lawyer what was tha family's an tha boys legal adviser. Jessie was a figurin ta do lawyerin fer a livin an had ta take a test ta go ta the University of Alabama. Nother reason was Bear Bryant was thar a coachin an hisn folks knowed Bear when he was in Carthage. Bear was borned in Arkansas and Jessie's pa met Bear an his people thru the gas company, Southern Natural Gas. Jessie's uncle Cecil had a deer lease with Bear's pa an uncles in that part of tha woods too an went down ta hunt ever year.
Buster said he was a gonna drive down tha levee an down ta tha bottoms since it was dry. Ifn it was too wet he'd have ta leave tha truck up at tha top an that would make things a trifle harder totin thangs backards and fomards. Shor nuf, it was dry but that ole levee was a mite more steep than ya woulda figured. Well, Buster jes bailed on off down tha slope but it was too much of a incline ta stop an Buster wrapped that Chevy round a purty good size sweet gum tree. It kinda bent it like a horseshoe. It still run all rite but run down tha road a lil sideways. Well, tha boys got on ta cuttin trees. Thay felled mite near two bob truck loads fore thay went ta splittin an was a gittin long real fine till Buster cum up ta near tha bayou. Tween lightnin an a wind storm, a big ole Post Oak tree dun seed hisn day. It was uprooted an a leanin inta sum of them bitter pecan trees thay was a cuttin. Thay called a tree like that a widder maker cause it dun kilt many a logger it was so dangerous. Ya jes never knowed when it was a gonna fall hung up like that. Buster was off a bit from Howard an Walter an Jessie was goin fer water an sumthin ta chomp on fer when thay all took em a break at mid mornin. Bout that time thay heared a crashin an Buster a hollerin. Walter an Howard got thar first an then Jessie. What had happened was that Buster cut one of them bitter pecans an it fell over on tha tree supportin that ole Post Oak.
It twisted and took Buster ta ground a fallin on him like it did. Buster's Jonsered kicked back an cut Buster's laig when that tree fell on him. He still carries tha scar taday from it. Buster wadn't hurt really but jes trapped under that tree an tha boys couldn't budge it one bit, even with all of em a liftin. Buster tole tha boys it was a mite hard ta breathe an could thay git it up offa him a little so's he could catch hisn breath. Hard as tha boys tried, thay couldn't budge that tree. All tha boys took ta cuttin on it an wadn't makin no real progress cause of tha way that tree was buried up in that gumbo an it bein cross tha bar ditch. Ifn thay didn't cut it jes rite it would pinch Buster in a bind an liable ta do him in. Well, bout that time Tinch cum long. Tinch was rite partial ta Buster ya know. Tinch was a colored feller out from tha ole Cemetary Road. He worked out fer tha Adam's boys in tha cotton fields an at tha gin in winter. How all this cum ta be is that Buster was a comin in late one nite an seed Tinch chained ta post out front of tha po-leece station at tha ole depot. Tha story was that Buster stopped hisn ole Ford an went up ta Tinch an asked him what in tha world was he a doin chained ta that post. It was Christmas Eve an thar was a freezin rain cummin down purty hard an colder than a well digger in Idaho. Tinch tole Buster that tha
po-leece picked him up fer drinkin cummin outa a juke joint on Shaddle Lane an wadn't gonna let him go on home fer Christamas with his wife an younguns. Needless ta say thar was a tussle an thay chained him up outside. Well, that put fire in Buster's eye, I tell ya. Buster tole Tinch he would git him outa thar an back home pronto an not ta worry. Buster put hisn coat round Tinch an went on inside the po-leece station. Buster hollered out who in tha devil was a runnin tha joint round here an who said ta chain Tinch ta tha post out front. Sum snotty nosed ne'er do well that didn't know nuthin bout be a lawman piped up an says he dun it. Well ya better turn him a loose Buster said ta tha officer. He said he wadn't a gonna do it an Buster said he shor nuf was. The po-leece chief was called in an Buster give him what for fer allowin Tinch ta be chained up like he was a dog. The chief said thay put handcuffs on Tinch an he broke em, snapped like thay weren't nuthin; he was strong as a ox he said. The chief said Tinch dun whupped up on all hisn officers an it took all of em ta hogtie him. Thay didn't have no place fer him, an him bein mean as he was, he was chained outside ta teach him a lesson. Buster said ta turn him a loose an he would be responsible fer him an ifn thay didn't he was a gonna call grandpa Gus an thay would all jes see what would happen. That chief shor didn't want nun of that since tha mayor an Mr. Bill (Foster, senior member of the Arkansas House of Representatives) was neighbors an frens. Tha chief brung Tinch inta tha station an Buster asked Tinch fer his word that he'd cum back after Christmas an thay'd settle all this mess. Tinch said he give his word he would. He jes wanted ta go home ta his family is all. Ever since then, Buster was steppin in high cotton as fer as Tinch was concerned. Ain't nobody gonna trifle with Buster ifn he had anythin ta do with it. Tinch picked up a bale of cotton one day when he was a workin at tha gin an that was witnessed by several folks. That feller was unnatural stout. Tinch seed sumthin was wrong an hollered over tha othe side of tha bayou ta what was happenin. Tinch had ben rabbit huntin with Mr. Bill Sloan's Beagle dogs an jes happened ta be thar at tha rite time at tha rite place. Jessie hollered ta Tinch that a tree dun squashed Buster an thay couldn't git it offa him an he couldn't breathe nun too good. Well, ole Tinch crossed over a beaver dam an cum a runnin ta help Buster. Walter tole Tinch that thay all tried ta lift it offa Buster but jes couldn't git tha tree ta move a inch. Tinch tole tha boys ta pull Buster out when he got tha tree up an ta do it fast like. He tole Howard an Jessie ta git sum of them chunks thay dun cut an ta em put under tha tree ta keep it up ifn he couldn't hold it long nuf. Tinch hunkered down under that ole Post Oak an begin ta liftin. Tha strain was so bad beads of sweat broke out on hisn forehaid an hisn face flushed red and tha veins in hisn neack corded up like rope. It took bout 15 seconds fore that tree begin ta move.
First off, tha branches buried up in tha ground broke free an then Tinch give a mighty heave an rolled that tree backards a keepin it from cummin back on Buster. Now it was sumthin ta jes lift that Post Oak but ta roll it backards and keep it from rollin back on him an Buster was sumthin else, I tell ya. Ain't no tellin what that tree weighed. Howard an Jessie rolled sum chunks thay had cut up ta split up under tha tree an then all tha boys pulled Buster out from under it and ta safety. When Tinch seed that Buster was safe, he dove out from under tha tree an let it fall. He was fast fer a big feller an rolled an flipped with his feet a runnin like a steam engine whem he hit tha ground. He got outa tha way jes in time an that Post Oak took out a swath a half growed trees fer 10 feet. Buster caught hisn breath an thanked Tinch fer savin him. Tinch said since thay was a cuttin an haulin wood, he'd better help till thay was dun ta make shor nobody was hurt. Tinch tole Buster he couldn't let Buster outa hisn sight fer one minit cause he was always a gittin hisself inta sum kinda trouble. All tha boys jes laughed an got out thar dinner buckets an rested on that un. Buster paid Tinch fer workin with em an kept him on till thay was dun with all tha work fer Jessie's grandpa Esker an Howard's pa.
Tha day after tha widder maker fell on Buster, all tha boys an Tinch showed up ta Jessie's grandpa Esker and grandma Mammy's house ta paint tha barn. Thay waited fer tha dew ta burn off an whilst thay was a waitin grandma Mammy cooked up sum shor nuf good eats. Grandpa Esker was a lot like Buster's grandpa Gus in what thay'd eat. Buster would have to admit it would
gag a gopher ta see what them two would scarf down I tell ya. Fried squirrel was on grandpa Esker's plate with polk salad an scrambled aigs an sliced tamaters with sugar sprinkled on em. He even had a bowl of rice with milk an sugar too, an a potful of coffee that would put chicory ta shame. When grandpa Esker took a bite of them aigs he then took hisn spoon an turned it over an whacked that squirrel head an popped it open like a balloon. Then he sucked tha brains outa tha skull an licked his chops an smacked hisn lips an declared that that was a mighty fine breakfast. Grandpa Esker asked ifn tha boys was a goin huntin anytime soon cause he dearly loved fried squirrel an rabbit; jes like grandpa Gus. Tha boys said thay didn't reckon so cause of tha work ta be dun an all, an had ta git to it ifn thay was gonna git that barn finished. Grandpa Esker said ta Jessie that he dun bought tha paint an had it all layed out fer em. Thay was ta paint each side of tha barn with tha paint he dun put thar; it was jes like he wanted it an not ta change a thang. Jessie tole him all rite an all of em left on out ta git started. Grandma Mammy said she would bring sum iced tea a bit later on an well water was in the bucket. That old barn didn't need no scrapein atall since it was bare as a cue ball. So, thay got ta paintin tha layout like Grandpa Esker drawed it out, jes like paintin by numbers. Well, thay painted till dark fer tha next two an half days an then stood back an looked at thar work. It shor was a sight ta see, never tha like in this county tha boys said. It drawed folks from all round ta see that barn; thay cum from everwhar. Heck fire, it had its picture took an put in tha newspaper an tha radio was a tellin all bout it an tha TV folks even cum out an talked ta grandpa Esker. Tha TV reporter asked him why he painted that barn sich colors; an thar was a passel of em. Nobody could figure out what that paintin was or what it meant an grandpa Esker tole em it was hisn bizness an that was that. Tha whole county was a talkin tryin ta figure out what them colors meant an why he dun it.
When Jessie an tha boys left on out after cleanin up, thay topped a rise an seed tha barn in all its glory. Thay had dun a real nice job an painted tha barn exactly ta grandpa Esker's instructions.
Jessie looked ta tha boys an Tinch an tole em he knowed what it was but not ta tell a soul fer it was a secret. Grandpa Esker didn't want nobody but him ta know anythin bout his barn an tha paintin of it. It was a private affair of hisn.
Jessie said he dun figured it out from not only seein tha barn from up thar but puttin 2 an 2 tagather from what grandpa Esker was a tellin hisn grandma Mammy. Ya see, thar people cum over from Scotland an ben in America since well before tha Civil War. It was hisn way of rememberin tha past and honorin tha future with tha McBrayer Tartan an tha rendition of tha flag of thar new cuntry. Them plaid colors was on all sides and the roof was painted in abstract stars an stripes of tha flag of tha USA. Each of tha double doors was painted a mite different with tha colors of tha Old McBrayer Straight Bourbon Whiskey label on one door and tha colors of Old McBrayer Blended Whiskey on tha other. That barn was a beaut ta grandpa Esker an grandma Mammy an tha boys let em have sumthin ta hold on ta fer tha rest of thar days. Thay was rite proud of that old barn an what it meant ta em an tha boys was glad thay could help give em that. Thay all swore not ta breathe a word ta nobody bout it neither.
After all of tha hullabaloo blowed over, it cum a rite nice gentle rain an dun sumthin mighty interestin ta that barn of Jessie's grandparents. All tha paint faded in tagather and turned that old barn ta tha color of a sunrise on tha east side and tha color of a sunset on tha west. Tha north an south sides looked like tha colors of summer an fall. Tha barn then faded ta a pastel but cheery burnt orange an stayed that way fer several months till it all jes faded away. Folks are still a talkin bout that barn of Esker McBrayer's ta this day.
Big Jim Holmes was fit ta be tied when Howard an tha boys got down ta tha jobsite. Equipment was broke down an an thay was behind schedule. This was tha biggest job he ever had an ifn he didn't perform he'd be plum outa bizness. It was a gamble, but ifn he completed it, it would be well worth tha chance he took. Tha boys all got ta work a doin various jobs whar thay was needed an all was a goin well fer them but not tha other fellers workin thar. Thay was tryin ta git a pipe in tha ground that had ta be 5 foot a cross ifn it was a inch an jes couldn't make no head way. Mr. Holmes had ta rework tha installation twice already an couldn't go no farther till it was completed. Tha whole job seemed ta be a accident jes a waitin ta happen. Sumthin was always goin haywire; even down ta goin in tha wrong direction with a load of pipe fer tha job. After a watchin all tha doins fer two days, Howard said ta tha boys ifn they would meet up with him tha next mornin at tha jobsite, he ahs sumthin ta show em. Seein as how it was a day off fer tha crew, thar weren't nobody round. Howard tole tha boys he had him an idee bout that pipe an ifn thay were a willin ta help him, he reckoned thay could git tha cut cross tha road in an covered up by nitefall. Howard went ta explainin hisn idee an thay all allowed it might jes work an git this mess Mr. Holmes was in over an dun with. Explainin exactly how this was ta be dun would take a heap more time than thay had so Howard tole em ta watch what he was a doin. So, Howard demonstrated tha procedure with sum props he put tagather an showed em how he thought his idee would work but it would definitely have ta be dun with tha rite timin. Then Howard showed what he had made an how it would work an Walter said he'd be hornswoggled fer shor ifn it didn't work. That was a rite smart idee he tole Howard an hisn weldin was real good too. Tha gizmo that Howard dun cum up with was like a stick on a piece of strang. If ya poked it inta a bottle an let it open up it would catch cross tha openin of tha bottle an ya could lift or pull that bottle anywhar then. when ya was dun puttin it whar ya wanted it ya jes turned a loose of tha strang an it fell down outa tha way an wadn't gonna be a bother neither.
Howard had tha gizmo welded up whar is was weighted on one end an when ya released tha tension it would go ta verticle instead of horizontal an ya could pull out tha gizmo an reuse it agin. Heck of idee it was.
Ole Howard was a grinnin from ear ta ear but tha proof was in tha puddin so thay got ta seein if it would really work. Howard called it a "puller" an had a big ole log chain welded ta it so's a dozer could pull on it an it wouldn't break. Howard tole Tinch an Buster it would take tha both of em ta position tha "puller" an then he could pull it up tite an thay could put tha pipe in position an jes keep addin on ta tha pipe an fore long ya would have tha pipe installed cross the cut in tha road. Well, danged ifn tha "puller" didn't work like a charm. In fact, tha boys got ta whar thay could pull upwards of 3 lengths of pipe at a time ifn thay used two dozers pullin at tha same time. Walter did a mite of touch up weldin on tha "puller" ta reinforce tha stress points ta keep it from breakin due ta tha extry weight thay was a pullin with two dozers. Thay got so good at installin that 60" pipe that when it cum on ta quittin time thay only lacked seven more sections ta be dun with tha whole job. All tha boys voted ta work on inta tha nite an sent Jessie fer sum sandwiches an sodies an coffee whilst thay kept a workin. Thay dun it in in three more pulls an finished off coverin up tha pipe in 3 hours time. It was goin on 9:30 when tha boys an Tinch headed out fer home and wouldn't Big Jim Holmes be surprised when he hit tha bricks in tha mornin.
At tha mornin meetin of tha crew an supervisors, thar was a stir fer shor. Mr. Holmes seed Howard an tha boys grinnin an a waitin fer him when he got thar ta tha jobsite. He was downrite speechless when he seed what all took place. He was a askin everbody who dun it an how thay dun it an nobody had a clue till Walter up an tells Mr. Holmes that Howard dun put tha pipe in an covered it up an used his invention what thay called tha "puller". Well sir, it cum ta pass that tha job was completed in record time even with all tha previous delays an Mr. Holmes even got a bonus fer gittin dun early.
Tha pipe manufacturers an companies that installed that kinda pipe had Mr. Holmes up fer speakin at thar annual meetin ta talk on how it was all dun. Mr. Holmes give all tha credit ta Howard an tha boys fer gittin tha pipe in an Howard's invention what made it possible. Thar was respect earned from that job, I tell ya, an Howard tole his pa that he didn't want no money fer hisn invention ifn it helped folks. Mr. Holmes was rite proud of Howard an tha boys too an tole tha boys" folks that one nite at supper when thay was all invited over ta tha house.
Tha boys got thar time off ta enjoy tharselfs an Mr. Holmes give Tinch a permanent job after that an Tinch stayed with Mr. Holmes till he died. Tinch only had tha one good eye but he didn't miss much. He was loyal ta Buster an rite special ta tha boys an thar folks too. He was always included in family git tagathers with hisn wife an younguns an was welcome anytime. Tinch cum sumtimes but he had his own people as well as his wife's an went thar mostly. Tinch was kilt by a drunk feller one nite several years later an it shor was a sad day. Tha boys dun had nuf money by then an seed ta it that Tinch's wife was took care of an hisn younguns had a college education.
Tinch's family was good people an thay deserved a chance in life like tha opportunities that tha boys and thar familes was blessed with.
Tha fall of thar senior year in school would always have a special place in tha minds and hearts of tha boys, when it cum ta chores.
Buster tole Walter he'd be glad when thay got on over ta thar place. Ya see, folks traded out an helped each other when ya needed a hand with chores when ya was shorthanded. Buster had ta cut an haul wood outa tha 7 acres next ta Indian Bayou that was mostly slash. Thay had ta do that fore tha weather broke bad an had ta leave it.
Buster stayed tha nite with Walter an thay got up early tha next mornin a hopin ta finish up fore nitefall. Harvest was a cummin on an winter wadn't gonna be long a cummin neither. Thar was sum hay that had seasoned an had ta be moved from a 40 ta tha barn. Jes fore finishin up breakfast, Walter's ma looked out tha winder an tole tha boys ta look what was a cummin. Danged ifn it wadn't Howard an Jessie. When thay got ta tha house Mrs. Ollinger tole Jessie an Howard ta sit an she fetched em sum coffee an two slabs of apple pie she'd baked. Then she asked ifn thay wanted breakfast. Howard said shor nuf but Jessie didn't git time ta say nuthin fore she said, " Jessie McBrayer, I don't want ta hear no back talk from ya, ya gonna eat in my house. I knowed your ma took ya ta tha doctor cause she felt ya was porely an ya a tellin ole doc Van Dyn she wouldn't feed ya. Yore ma is plum worried sick over ya an so ya is gonna eat this hear breakfast I'm a fixin an ain't gonna be no bones bout it neither. I'm a gonna sit rite hear till ya eat ever bite too." Well, her word was law an that was exactly what was dun. Jessie had sum biscuits an gravy, pan fried taters an sum scrambled aigs an slab bacon an a glass of cold milk ta boot. Boy was he fuller than a tick. He tole all tha other boys that he jes didn't know ifn he would help with tha hay or not; might jes have ta take a nap first.
All four of em headed out ta tha 40 ta haul tha hay an tole Walter an Buster thar pas knowed thay was shorthanded an sent em on over ta help. Ya see, in cuntry schools ya was always let outa school fer plantin, harvest an deer huntin season. Jessie an Howard had chores shor nuf but nuthin like Walter an Buster cause of thar farmin an all. Plus, Jessie an Howard made up fer all of em all ta do sumthin over tha weekend. That's why thay wanted ta help git thar chores dun faster so's thay had sum time ta tharselfs. Jessie drove tha truck an Howard drove tha tractor whilst Buster dun the throwin up of the hay bales ta Walter. Walter stacked em an it wadn't long till thay had a load ta go ta tha barn. With all four of em workin at a steady pace, tha work in tha field was dun fore dinner. When thay got back ta tha barn thay used a conveyor to move tha hay bales ta tha loft. Buster put tha bales on tha conveyor, Jessie brought tha bales ta Buster an Walter an Howard stacked em in tha loft. Thay all was rite proud Walter's pa had borryed extry trailers so thay didn't have ta load an unload each time. Supper was still a ways off since thay got dun so quick, so thay figured ta shoot sum marbles. Howard had sum steelies he got from sum bearings in hisn pa's shop. Them ball bearings made fer real good shootin an he had sum different sizes too. After a few games Walter's two sisters, Karen Jeanene an Pamela Kay cum up ta em an asked ifn thay had time ta help em fer a bit. Tha Ollingers had a rite smart of a truck patch not only fer thar own use ta feed tha family but sell off fer extra cash an also ta give ta tha church an old folks home thar in town. Tha gals had ta pick sum corn an other vegetables an diggin taters was a heap of trouble fer em.
Tha boys all lent a hand an got it all dun so tha gals could carry tha donations ta town. Both tha gals had other thangs on thar mind; like Jerry Ashford an Larry Brown.
Walter tole his sisters he wadn't much fer them boys cummin round an jes might punch em in tha nose. Ifn Mike an Kelvin was round thay'd shor nuf help an be gald too. Not that them two was really disliked so much by Walter an hisn brothers but it was jes tha idee thay was a sparkin hisn sisters. Anyway, it got on ta supper an all tha boys ate with Walter's folks an Mrs. Ollinger shor put tha evil eye on Jessie. Said she wadn't a gonna let Sarah Mcbrayer say her boy wadn't fed at her house, no siree. Ya see, all tha boys mas quilted tagather an played bunko too, ever week a takin turns at each other's house. Also, it jes wadn't polite not ta eat an at least drink sumthin when ya went ta see folks; plum disrespected em. Fore Buster, Howard an Jessie left, thay made up ta meet at Buster's tha next day ta cut an haul wood. After that thay was gonna paint Jessie's grandpa's barn. Howard's pa was shorthanded on a big job he had an jes needed sum help fer a couple three days or so too. So, reckon tha boys would all be a mite busy fer tha next week.
Buster an tha boys lit out fer tha woods early after breakfast in a ole Chevrolet pickup thay used fer farm work. It Was Buster's truck an it was old an ugly but run real good. Buster dun had tha chain saws, gas an oil, spare chains, files, wrenches, splittin mauls an wedges loaded up when tha boys got thar. Jessie stayed over tha nite before cause he had sum studyin ta do at tha library an a appointment with Mr Greene. He was tha lawyer what was tha family's an tha boys legal adviser. Jessie was a figurin ta do lawyerin fer a livin an had ta take a test ta go ta the University of Alabama. Nother reason was Bear Bryant was thar a coachin an hisn folks knowed Bear when he was in Carthage. Bear was borned in Arkansas and Jessie's pa met Bear an his people thru the gas company, Southern Natural Gas. Jessie's uncle Cecil had a deer lease with Bear's pa an uncles in that part of tha woods too an went down ta hunt ever year.
Buster said he was a gonna drive down tha levee an down ta tha bottoms since it was dry. Ifn it was too wet he'd have ta leave tha truck up at tha top an that would make things a trifle harder totin thangs backards and fomards. Shor nuf, it was dry but that ole levee was a mite more steep than ya woulda figured. Well, Buster jes bailed on off down tha slope but it was too much of a incline ta stop an Buster wrapped that Chevy round a purty good size sweet gum tree. It kinda bent it like a horseshoe. It still run all rite but run down tha road a lil sideways. Well, tha boys got on ta cuttin trees. Thay felled mite near two bob truck loads fore thay went ta splittin an was a gittin long real fine till Buster cum up ta near tha bayou. Tween lightnin an a wind storm, a big ole Post Oak tree dun seed hisn day. It was uprooted an a leanin inta sum of them bitter pecan trees thay was a cuttin. Thay called a tree like that a widder maker cause it dun kilt many a logger it was so dangerous. Ya jes never knowed when it was a gonna fall hung up like that. Buster was off a bit from Howard an Walter an Jessie was goin fer water an sumthin ta chomp on fer when thay all took em a break at mid mornin. Bout that time thay heared a crashin an Buster a hollerin. Walter an Howard got thar first an then Jessie. What had happened was that Buster cut one of them bitter pecans an it fell over on tha tree supportin that ole Post Oak.
It twisted and took Buster ta ground a fallin on him like it did. Buster's Jonsered kicked back an cut Buster's laig when that tree fell on him. He still carries tha scar taday from it. Buster wadn't hurt really but jes trapped under that tree an tha boys couldn't budge it one bit, even with all of em a liftin. Buster tole tha boys it was a mite hard ta breathe an could thay git it up offa him a little so's he could catch hisn breath. Hard as tha boys tried, thay couldn't budge that tree. All tha boys took ta cuttin on it an wadn't makin no real progress cause of tha way that tree was buried up in that gumbo an it bein cross tha bar ditch. Ifn thay didn't cut it jes rite it would pinch Buster in a bind an liable ta do him in. Well, bout that time Tinch cum long. Tinch was rite partial ta Buster ya know. Tinch was a colored feller out from tha ole Cemetary Road. He worked out fer tha Adam's boys in tha cotton fields an at tha gin in winter. How all this cum ta be is that Buster was a comin in late one nite an seed Tinch chained ta post out front of tha po-leece station at tha ole depot. Tha story was that Buster stopped hisn ole Ford an went up ta Tinch an asked him what in tha world was he a doin chained ta that post. It was Christmas Eve an thar was a freezin rain cummin down purty hard an colder than a well digger in Idaho. Tinch tole Buster that tha
po-leece picked him up fer drinkin cummin outa a juke joint on Shaddle Lane an wadn't gonna let him go on home fer Christamas with his wife an younguns. Needless ta say thar was a tussle an thay chained him up outside. Well, that put fire in Buster's eye, I tell ya. Buster tole Tinch he would git him outa thar an back home pronto an not ta worry. Buster put hisn coat round Tinch an went on inside the po-leece station. Buster hollered out who in tha devil was a runnin tha joint round here an who said ta chain Tinch ta tha post out front. Sum snotty nosed ne'er do well that didn't know nuthin bout be a lawman piped up an says he dun it. Well ya better turn him a loose Buster said ta tha officer. He said he wadn't a gonna do it an Buster said he shor nuf was. The po-leece chief was called in an Buster give him what for fer allowin Tinch ta be chained up like he was a dog. The chief said thay put handcuffs on Tinch an he broke em, snapped like thay weren't nuthin; he was strong as a ox he said. The chief said Tinch dun whupped up on all hisn officers an it took all of em ta hogtie him. Thay didn't have no place fer him, an him bein mean as he was, he was chained outside ta teach him a lesson. Buster said ta turn him a loose an he would be responsible fer him an ifn thay didn't he was a gonna call grandpa Gus an thay would all jes see what would happen. That chief shor didn't want nun of that since tha mayor an Mr. Bill (Foster, senior member of the Arkansas House of Representatives) was neighbors an frens. Tha chief brung Tinch inta tha station an Buster asked Tinch fer his word that he'd cum back after Christmas an thay'd settle all this mess. Tinch said he give his word he would. He jes wanted ta go home ta his family is all. Ever since then, Buster was steppin in high cotton as fer as Tinch was concerned. Ain't nobody gonna trifle with Buster ifn he had anythin ta do with it. Tinch picked up a bale of cotton one day when he was a workin at tha gin an that was witnessed by several folks. That feller was unnatural stout. Tinch seed sumthin was wrong an hollered over tha othe side of tha bayou ta what was happenin. Tinch had ben rabbit huntin with Mr. Bill Sloan's Beagle dogs an jes happened ta be thar at tha rite time at tha rite place. Jessie hollered ta Tinch that a tree dun squashed Buster an thay couldn't git it offa him an he couldn't breathe nun too good. Well, ole Tinch crossed over a beaver dam an cum a runnin ta help Buster. Walter tole Tinch that thay all tried ta lift it offa Buster but jes couldn't git tha tree ta move a inch. Tinch tole tha boys ta pull Buster out when he got tha tree up an ta do it fast like. He tole Howard an Jessie ta git sum of them chunks thay dun cut an ta em put under tha tree ta keep it up ifn he couldn't hold it long nuf. Tinch hunkered down under that ole Post Oak an begin ta liftin. Tha strain was so bad beads of sweat broke out on hisn forehaid an hisn face flushed red and tha veins in hisn neack corded up like rope. It took bout 15 seconds fore that tree begin ta move.
First off, tha branches buried up in tha ground broke free an then Tinch give a mighty heave an rolled that tree backards a keepin it from cummin back on Buster. Now it was sumthin ta jes lift that Post Oak but ta roll it backards and keep it from rollin back on him an Buster was sumthin else, I tell ya. Ain't no tellin what that tree weighed. Howard an Jessie rolled sum chunks thay had cut up ta split up under tha tree an then all tha boys pulled Buster out from under it and ta safety. When Tinch seed that Buster was safe, he dove out from under tha tree an let it fall. He was fast fer a big feller an rolled an flipped with his feet a runnin like a steam engine whem he hit tha ground. He got outa tha way jes in time an that Post Oak took out a swath a half growed trees fer 10 feet. Buster caught hisn breath an thanked Tinch fer savin him. Tinch said since thay was a cuttin an haulin wood, he'd better help till thay was dun ta make shor nobody was hurt. Tinch tole Buster he couldn't let Buster outa hisn sight fer one minit cause he was always a gittin hisself inta sum kinda trouble. All tha boys jes laughed an got out thar dinner buckets an rested on that un. Buster paid Tinch fer workin with em an kept him on till thay was dun with all tha work fer Jessie's grandpa Esker an Howard's pa.
Tha day after tha widder maker fell on Buster, all tha boys an Tinch showed up ta Jessie's grandpa Esker and grandma Mammy's house ta paint tha barn. Thay waited fer tha dew ta burn off an whilst thay was a waitin grandma Mammy cooked up sum shor nuf good eats. Grandpa Esker was a lot like Buster's grandpa Gus in what thay'd eat. Buster would have to admit it would
gag a gopher ta see what them two would scarf down I tell ya. Fried squirrel was on grandpa Esker's plate with polk salad an scrambled aigs an sliced tamaters with sugar sprinkled on em. He even had a bowl of rice with milk an sugar too, an a potful of coffee that would put chicory ta shame. When grandpa Esker took a bite of them aigs he then took hisn spoon an turned it over an whacked that squirrel head an popped it open like a balloon. Then he sucked tha brains outa tha skull an licked his chops an smacked hisn lips an declared that that was a mighty fine breakfast. Grandpa Esker asked ifn tha boys was a goin huntin anytime soon cause he dearly loved fried squirrel an rabbit; jes like grandpa Gus. Tha boys said thay didn't reckon so cause of tha work ta be dun an all, an had ta git to it ifn thay was gonna git that barn finished. Grandpa Esker said ta Jessie that he dun bought tha paint an had it all layed out fer em. Thay was ta paint each side of tha barn with tha paint he dun put thar; it was jes like he wanted it an not ta change a thang. Jessie tole him all rite an all of em left on out ta git started. Grandma Mammy said she would bring sum iced tea a bit later on an well water was in the bucket. That old barn didn't need no scrapein atall since it was bare as a cue ball. So, thay got ta paintin tha layout like Grandpa Esker drawed it out, jes like paintin by numbers. Well, thay painted till dark fer tha next two an half days an then stood back an looked at thar work. It shor was a sight ta see, never tha like in this county tha boys said. It drawed folks from all round ta see that barn; thay cum from everwhar. Heck fire, it had its picture took an put in tha newspaper an tha radio was a tellin all bout it an tha TV folks even cum out an talked ta grandpa Esker. Tha TV reporter asked him why he painted that barn sich colors; an thar was a passel of em. Nobody could figure out what that paintin was or what it meant an grandpa Esker tole em it was hisn bizness an that was that. Tha whole county was a talkin tryin ta figure out what them colors meant an why he dun it.
When Jessie an tha boys left on out after cleanin up, thay topped a rise an seed tha barn in all its glory. Thay had dun a real nice job an painted tha barn exactly ta grandpa Esker's instructions.
Jessie looked ta tha boys an Tinch an tole em he knowed what it was but not ta tell a soul fer it was a secret. Grandpa Esker didn't want nobody but him ta know anythin bout his barn an tha paintin of it. It was a private affair of hisn.
Jessie said he dun figured it out from not only seein tha barn from up thar but puttin 2 an 2 tagather from what grandpa Esker was a tellin hisn grandma Mammy. Ya see, thar people cum over from Scotland an ben in America since well before tha Civil War. It was hisn way of rememberin tha past and honorin tha future with tha McBrayer Tartan an tha rendition of tha flag of thar new cuntry. Them plaid colors was on all sides and the roof was painted in abstract stars an stripes of tha flag of tha USA. Each of tha double doors was painted a mite different with tha colors of tha Old McBrayer Straight Bourbon Whiskey label on one door and tha colors of Old McBrayer Blended Whiskey on tha other. That barn was a beaut ta grandpa Esker an grandma Mammy an tha boys let em have sumthin ta hold on ta fer tha rest of thar days. Thay was rite proud of that old barn an what it meant ta em an tha boys was glad thay could help give em that. Thay all swore not ta breathe a word ta nobody bout it neither.
After all of tha hullabaloo blowed over, it cum a rite nice gentle rain an dun sumthin mighty interestin ta that barn of Jessie's grandparents. All tha paint faded in tagather and turned that old barn ta tha color of a sunrise on tha east side and tha color of a sunset on tha west. Tha north an south sides looked like tha colors of summer an fall. Tha barn then faded ta a pastel but cheery burnt orange an stayed that way fer several months till it all jes faded away. Folks are still a talkin bout that barn of Esker McBrayer's ta this day.
Big Jim Holmes was fit ta be tied when Howard an tha boys got down ta tha jobsite. Equipment was broke down an an thay was behind schedule. This was tha biggest job he ever had an ifn he didn't perform he'd be plum outa bizness. It was a gamble, but ifn he completed it, it would be well worth tha chance he took. Tha boys all got ta work a doin various jobs whar thay was needed an all was a goin well fer them but not tha other fellers workin thar. Thay was tryin ta git a pipe in tha ground that had ta be 5 foot a cross ifn it was a inch an jes couldn't make no head way. Mr. Holmes had ta rework tha installation twice already an couldn't go no farther till it was completed. Tha whole job seemed ta be a accident jes a waitin ta happen. Sumthin was always goin haywire; even down ta goin in tha wrong direction with a load of pipe fer tha job. After a watchin all tha doins fer two days, Howard said ta tha boys ifn they would meet up with him tha next mornin at tha jobsite, he ahs sumthin ta show em. Seein as how it was a day off fer tha crew, thar weren't nobody round. Howard tole tha boys he had him an idee bout that pipe an ifn thay were a willin ta help him, he reckoned thay could git tha cut cross tha road in an covered up by nitefall. Howard went ta explainin hisn idee an thay all allowed it might jes work an git this mess Mr. Holmes was in over an dun with. Explainin exactly how this was ta be dun would take a heap more time than thay had so Howard tole em ta watch what he was a doin. So, Howard demonstrated tha procedure with sum props he put tagather an showed em how he thought his idee would work but it would definitely have ta be dun with tha rite timin. Then Howard showed what he had made an how it would work an Walter said he'd be hornswoggled fer shor ifn it didn't work. That was a rite smart idee he tole Howard an hisn weldin was real good too. Tha gizmo that Howard dun cum up with was like a stick on a piece of strang. If ya poked it inta a bottle an let it open up it would catch cross tha openin of tha bottle an ya could lift or pull that bottle anywhar then. when ya was dun puttin it whar ya wanted it ya jes turned a loose of tha strang an it fell down outa tha way an wadn't gonna be a bother neither.
Howard had tha gizmo welded up whar is was weighted on one end an when ya released tha tension it would go ta verticle instead of horizontal an ya could pull out tha gizmo an reuse it agin. Heck of idee it was.
Ole Howard was a grinnin from ear ta ear but tha proof was in tha puddin so thay got ta seein if it would really work. Howard called it a "puller" an had a big ole log chain welded ta it so's a dozer could pull on it an it wouldn't break. Howard tole Tinch an Buster it would take tha both of em ta position tha "puller" an then he could pull it up tite an thay could put tha pipe in position an jes keep addin on ta tha pipe an fore long ya would have tha pipe installed cross the cut in tha road. Well, danged ifn tha "puller" didn't work like a charm. In fact, tha boys got ta whar thay could pull upwards of 3 lengths of pipe at a time ifn thay used two dozers pullin at tha same time. Walter did a mite of touch up weldin on tha "puller" ta reinforce tha stress points ta keep it from breakin due ta tha extry weight thay was a pullin with two dozers. Thay got so good at installin that 60" pipe that when it cum on ta quittin time thay only lacked seven more sections ta be dun with tha whole job. All tha boys voted ta work on inta tha nite an sent Jessie fer sum sandwiches an sodies an coffee whilst thay kept a workin. Thay dun it in in three more pulls an finished off coverin up tha pipe in 3 hours time. It was goin on 9:30 when tha boys an Tinch headed out fer home and wouldn't Big Jim Holmes be surprised when he hit tha bricks in tha mornin.
At tha mornin meetin of tha crew an supervisors, thar was a stir fer shor. Mr. Holmes seed Howard an tha boys grinnin an a waitin fer him when he got thar ta tha jobsite. He was downrite speechless when he seed what all took place. He was a askin everbody who dun it an how thay dun it an nobody had a clue till Walter up an tells Mr. Holmes that Howard dun put tha pipe in an covered it up an used his invention what thay called tha "puller". Well sir, it cum ta pass that tha job was completed in record time even with all tha previous delays an Mr. Holmes even got a bonus fer gittin dun early.
Tha pipe manufacturers an companies that installed that kinda pipe had Mr. Holmes up fer speakin at thar annual meetin ta talk on how it was all dun. Mr. Holmes give all tha credit ta Howard an tha boys fer gittin tha pipe in an Howard's invention what made it possible. Thar was respect earned from that job, I tell ya, an Howard tole his pa that he didn't want no money fer hisn invention ifn it helped folks. Mr. Holmes was rite proud of Howard an tha boys too an tole tha boys" folks that one nite at supper when thay was all invited over ta tha house.
Tha boys got thar time off ta enjoy tharselfs an Mr. Holmes give Tinch a permanent job after that an Tinch stayed with Mr. Holmes till he died. Tinch only had tha one good eye but he didn't miss much. He was loyal ta Buster an rite special ta tha boys an thar folks too. He was always included in family git tagathers with hisn wife an younguns an was welcome anytime. Tinch cum sumtimes but he had his own people as well as his wife's an went thar mostly. Tinch was kilt by a drunk feller one nite several years later an it shor was a sad day. Tha boys dun had nuf money by then an seed ta it that Tinch's wife was took care of an hisn younguns had a college education.
Tinch's family was good people an thay deserved a chance in life like tha opportunities that tha boys and thar familes was blessed with.
Tha fall of thar senior year in school would always have a special place in tha minds and hearts of tha boys, when it cum ta chores.
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