FIDDLE-FADDELING
BOY, I’M IN TROUBLE NOW, FOR
SURE. I’VE BEEN FIDDLE FADDELING AROUND ALL MORNING AND JOHNNIE IS ALL
OVER ME BECAUSE OF IT.
SHE HAD ASKED ME TO LOAD THE
DISH WASHER AND TURN IT ON RIGHT AFTER I FINISHED EATING BREAKFAST.
BEFORE I DID THAT I WANTED TO GO IN THE OFFICE AND CHECK MY E-MAIL.
THERE WERE 24 E-MAILS WHEN I
OPENED OUTLOOK EXPRESS AND I SCROLLED DOWN THE LIST TO SEE WHO THEY WERE
FROM. ONE WAS FROM OUR GRANDDAUGHTER GINGER, WHO LIVES IN KNOXVILLE,
TENNESSEE. SO NATURALLY I OPEN IT TO SEE WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY.
JUST THEN JOHNNIE YELLED AT
ME TO GET THE TRASH OUT. SHE COULD HEAR THE TRASH TRUCK COMING DOWN THE
STREET. I HADN’T FINISHED READING GINGER’S E-MAIL AND I DID THAT BEFORE
I RAN TO PUT OUT THE TRASH. BUT BY THAT TIME THE TRASH TRUCK WAS PAST
OUR HOUSE, SO I DIDN’T PUT THE TRASH OUT.
WHILE I WAS OUTSIDE I DID
PICK UP THE PAPER AND AS I WALKED BACK TO THE KITCHEN TO LOAD THE DISH
WASHER I SAW AN INTERESTING STORY ON THE FRONT PAGE. SO I SAT DOWN AT
THE TABLE AND READ THE STORY.
AS I SAT THERE READING
JOHNNIE CAME OUT OF THE BED ROOM CARRYING A BASKET OF DIRTY CLOTHES.
SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO THE WASHING MACHINE IN THE GARAGE TO WASH THE
CLOTHES. SHE SAID,
“I DON’T HEAR THE DISH
WASHER RUNNING.”
“I DON’T HEAR THE WASHING
MACHINE RUNNING EITHER” I SAID.
“YOU WILL IN JUST A MINUTE.”
“OK YOU’LL HEAR THE DISH
WASHER RUNNING IN JUST A MINUTE.”
I PUT THE PAPER DOWN AND
WENT TO THE CABINET TO LOAD THE DIRTY DISHES IN THE DISH WASHER AND THE
PHONE RANG. I WENT INTO THE OFFICE AND ANSWERED THE PHONE.
IT WAS ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS
AND HE WANTED TO ASK ME ABOUT HOW TO COOK FISH SO IT HAD A CRISP BATTER
OUTSIDE WITHOUT BEING OVER COOKED ON THE INSIDE.
“ WELL YOU COULDN’T HAVE
COME TO A BETTER PLACE TO FIND OUT. I’VE COOKED MORE FISH THAN A LOT OF
CAFES.”
“I KNOW THAT’S WHY I CALLED
YOU.”
I SPENT THE NEXT 30 MINUTES
TELLING HIM HOW TO COOK FISH AND JUST AS I HUNG UP THE PHONE, JOHNNIE
WALKED INTO THE OFFICE AND SAID,
“YOU’VE BEEN LOLLY-GAGGING
AROUND ALL MORNING AND YOU HAVEN’T DONE A THING I’VE ASKED YOU TO DO.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING SITTING IN HERE ? ARE YOU TRYING TO HIDE? DO YOU
KNOW IT’S LUNCH TIME? COME INTO THE KITCHEN AND I’LL FIX YOU A PEANUT
BUTTER AND PLUM JELLY SANDWICH. YOU CAN GET YOUR GLASS OF MILK AND SIT
DOWN AT THE TABLE.”
JOHNNIE WOLFED DOWN HER
SANDWICH AND STOOD UP.
“I’VE GOT TO GO TO THE
GROCERY STORE. WHEN YOU GET THROUGH WITH YOUR SANDWICH CAN YOU AT LEAST
UNLOAD THE DISH WASHER NOW THAT I HAVE LOADED AND RUN IT?”
“SURE, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
THIS TIME.”
OUT THE DOOR SHE WENT
WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A GOOD BYE.
WHEN I FINISHED MY SANDWICH
AND GLASS OF MILK I TOOK MY GLASS OVER TO THE SINK AND RAN SOME WATER IN
IT. THEN I YAWNED REAL BIG AND LOOKED AT THE CLOCK.
“LITTLE FOX, JOHNNIE USUALLY
TAKES TWO HOURS OR MORE WHEN SHE BUYS GROCERIES. I THINK WE HAVE TIME
FOR A LITTLE SIESTA BEFORE WE HAVE TO UNLOAD THE DISH WASHER. WHAT DO
YOU THINK?”
LITTLE FOX AND I WENT INTO
THE BED ROOM AND I KICKED OFF MY SHOES AND FELL ON THE BED. LITTLE FOX
PLOPPED DOWN ON THE CARPET AT FOOT OF THE BED. WE BOTH DROPPED OFF TO
SLEEP IMMEDIATELY.
“LOREN, LOREN WHERE ARE
YOU? COME HELP ME CARRY IN THE GROCERIES.”
I SAT STRAIGHT UP IN BED.
“WHAT, WHO, WHERE, OH MY GOSH JOHNNIES BACK FROM THE GROCERY STORE
ALREADY.”
I PUT MY SHOES ON AND
STARTED FOR THE FRONT DOOR. THEN I HAD TO GO BACK TO FIND MY GLASSES.
WITHOUT THEM I’M BLIND AS A BAT. WHEN I FOUND MY GLASSES AND PUT THEM
ON I REALIZED I NEEDED TO PEE BEFORE I WENT OUT TO HELP JOHNNIE. AFTER
THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED I WASHED MY HANDS AND WENT TO THE FRONT DOOR.
JOHNNIE WAS JUST WALKING UP
TO THE DOOR WITH BOTH ARMS FULL OF GROCERY SACKS SO I HELD THE STORM
DOOR OPEN FOR HER.
“I’LL GET THE REST OF THE
GROCERIES OUT OF THE CAR” I TOLD HER.
“YOU’RE A LITTLE LATE, THIS
IS THE LAST OF THEM.”
“WELL I’LL HELP YOU PUT THEM
UP.”
“FINE!”
“LITTLE FOX CAME OUT TO
PEE. I NEED TO STAY HERE AND WATCH HER SO SHE DOESN’T RUN OFF. JUST AS
SOON AS SHE IS THROUGH I’LL BE IN.”
“FINE!”
I SAT DOWN IN ONE OF THE
CHAIRS ON THE PORCH TO WAIT FOR LITTLE FOX TO GET THROUGH. AS I SAT
THERE I LOOKED DOWN THE STREET AND SAW TWO YOUNG PEOPLE GO UP TO ETTA’S
HOUSE AND RING THE DOOR BELL. WHEN ETTA CAME TO THE DOOR THEY STOOD
THERE TALKING FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES. I COULDN’T HEAR WHAT THEY WERE
SAYING BUT I COULD SEE ETTA SHAKING HER HEAD NO.
LITTLE FOX WAS THROUGH WITH
HER BUSINESS BUT I WAS ABSORBED IN WHAT WAS GOING ON AT ETTA’S HOUSE SO
I SAT THERE WATCHING. AFTER ABOUT TEN MINUTES ETTA CLOSED HER DOOR AND
THE TWO PEOPLE WENT ON DOWN THE STREET TO THE NEXT HOUSE.
I GOT UP AND WENT INTO THE
KITCHEN TO HELP PUT UP THE GROCERIES. WHEN I GOT THERE JOHNNIE WAS JUST
PUTTING THE LAST CAN IN THE CABINET. SHE TURNED TO ME AND SAID,
“WHILE YOU WERE DILLY
DALLYING AROUND OUTSIDE I PUT UP THE GROCERIES. GO ON INTO YOUR OFFICE
AND PLAY WITH YOUR COMPUTER, I’LL UNLOAD THE DISH WASHER.”
“I’M SORRY” I SAID.
“THAT WORD HAS TWO MEANINGS
AND RIGHT NOW BOTH APPLY TO YOU.”
I RETREATED INTO THE
OFFICE. I WAS ON THE PINNACLE OF EMOTION. I DIDN’T KNOW WHETHER TO
COME DOWN ON THE SIDE OF CRYING OR THE SIDE OF LAUGHING. BUT WHEN
JOHNNIE CAME INTO THE OFFICE I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE LAUGHING.
“JOHNNIE I’LL TRY TO DO
BETTER TOMORROW, I PROMISE.”
“OH YOU SENILE OLD FOOL QUIT
CRYING, I STILL LOVE YOU.”
LITTLE FOX CAME OVER AND
LICKED MY HAND AS IF SHE WAS SAYING SHE STILL LOVED ME TOO.
THE NEXT DAY, BRIGHT AND
EARLY … BUT NO THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.