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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.

 

 

  BY LOREN MOORE

COPYRIGHT 2003

 

LOREN

 SEE YA

 

 

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