SOPPEN WET
DENNIS LEANED OVER THE BIG HORSE TROUGH TO
LOOK FOR THE GOLD FISH. THE WATER WAS TWO
FEET DEEP AND DARK AND CLOUDY. DENNIS IS
ONLY TWO YEARS OLD SO HE WASN’T TO MUCH
TALLER THEN THE HORSE TROUGH. HE STILL
COULDN’T SEE ANY GOLD FISH SO HE PUT HIS
HANDS ON THE SIDE OF THE TROUGH AND LEANED
OUT FURTHER.
ALL OF A SUDDEN HIS FEET SLIPPED OUT FROM
UNDER HIM AND SPLASH. HE WENT INTO THE
TROUGH HEAD FIRST. WHEN HE STOOD UP WATER
WAS RUNNING DOWN HIS FACE AND HE WAS MAD.
JOHNNIE HAD GONE DOWN TO GUSTINE TO VISIT
OUR GRAND DAUGHTER AMANDA AND HER FAMILY.
CHIVONA AND DENNIS HAD SEEN HER DRIVE IN
AND THEY CAME RUNNING TO GREET HER.
CHIVONA SAID HI GRAN MAM AND DENNIS HUGGED
HER NECK AND SAID, “I LOVE YOU GRAN
MAM.”
WELL THAT JUST MELTS JOHNNIE’S HEART.
WHEN YOUR GREAT GRAND KIDS GREET YOU LIKE
THAT, HOW CAN YOU KEEP IT FROM MELTING
YOUR HEART. JOHNNIE SURE CAN’T. THE KIDS
HELPED HER CARRY HER THINGS INTO THE
HOUSE.
AMANDA HAD HEARD THE CAR PULL IN AND SHE
WAS STANDING ON THE BACK PORCH WAITING FOR
JOHNNIE AND THE KIDS. AMANDA HUGGED
JOHNNIE’S NECK AND SAID, “I LOVE YOU TOO,
GRANNY.”
THEY WENT INSIDE AND AMANDA AND JOHNNIE
SAT DOWN AT THE KITCHEN TABLE. AMANDA GOT
A DIET COKE OUT OF THE REFRIGERATOR FOR
JOHNNIE AND POURED A GLASS OF TEA FOR
HERSELF. CHIVONA AND DENNIS WENT BACK
OUTSIDE TO PLAY.
THE NEXT MORNING CHIVONA WENT TO SCHOOL
AND AMANDA WENT TO WORK. THIS LEFT
JOHNNIE TO TAKE CARE OF DENNIS. DENNIS IS
NOT ANY TROUBLE TO LOOK AFTER AS LONG AS
HE CAN PLAY OUTSIDE. HE HAS ALL KINDS OF
TOY TRUCKS, TRACTORS AND THINGS HE CAN
PLAY WITH IN THE SAND PILE NEXT TO HIS
SLIDE AND SWING SET.
JOHNNIE WAS IN THE KITCHEN WASHING THE
BREAKFAST DISHES WHEN SHE HEARD A KNOCK ON
THE BACK DOOR. SHE WENT TO THE DOOR AND
THERE STOOD DENNIS. HE HAD ON AN OLD
STRAW HAT THAT CAME DOWN OVER HIS EARS AND
A PAIR OF COWBOY BOOTS THAT WERE FOUR
SIZES TO BIG. HE HAD A LITTLE FISHING
POLE OVER HIS SHOULDER THAT HAD A SHORT
STRING WITH A PLASTIC THREE INCH FISH ON
THE END OF THE STRING.
“GRAN MAM GO FISHING” DENNIS SAID.
WELL, WHAT WOULD ANY GRAN MAM DO? DROP
EVERYTHING AND GO FISHING OF COURSE.
“WHERE?” JOHNNIE WANTED TO KNOW.
“DOWN THERE.” HE POINTED IN THE GENERAL
DIRECTION OF THE HORSE CORRAL.
“OK, WAIT A MINUTE AND I’LL PUT MY SHOES
ON AND GO WITH YOU.” JOHNNIE SAID. SHE
FIGURED THAT WOULD BE A LOT MORE FUN THAN
WASHING DISHED.
WHEN SHE GOT HER SHOES ON AND WALKED OUT
THE BACK DOOR DENNIS WAS HALF WAY TO THE
CORRAL. HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WALKING IN
THOSE OVER SIZED BOOTS. EACH TIME HE TOOK
A STEP THE BOOT WANTED TO SLING OFF HIS
FOOT SO HE WAS HAVING TO SHUFFLE ALONG
SCOOTING HIS FEET ON THE GROUND.
WHEN THEY GOT TO THE CORRAL, DENNIS WENT
TO THE HORSE TROUGH. THERE WERE LARGE
ROCKS ON THE GROUND AROUND THE TROUGH.
DENNIS CLIMBED UP ON ONE OF THESE ROCKS
TO LOOK FOR THE GOLD FISH HIS DAD HAD PUT
IN THE TROUGH.
DENNIS LEANED OVER THE BIG HORSE TROUGH,
BUT HE STILL COULDN’T SEE ANY GOLD FISH.
HE PUT HIS HANDS ON THE SIDE OF THE TROUGH
AND LEANED OUT FURTHER. ALL OF A SUDDEN
HIS FEET SLIPPED OUT FROM UNDER HIM AND
SPLASH. HE WENT INTO THE TROUGH HEAD
FIRST.
JOHNNIE GRABBED HIS LEG AND PULLED HIM
OUT. HE WAS SOPPEN WET AND HOPPEN MAD.
WHEN SHE SET HIM DOWN HE STOOD THERE WITH
HIS LITTLE FIST CLINCHED, JUMPING FROM ONE
FOOT TO THE OTHER SQUEALING “I DIDN’T SEE
THEM, I DIDN’T SEE THEM.”
JOHNNIE PULLED OFF HIS WET SHIRT AND
GRABBED HIS HAND. “COME ON, WE HAVE TO GO
BACK TO THE HOUSE AND GET THESE WET
CLOTHES OFF YOU.”
EVERY STEP HE TOOK ON THE WAY BACK TO THE
HOUSE SOUNDED LIKE, SQUICH – SQUICH –SQUICH
– SQUICH. HIS BOOTS WERE FULL OF WATER.
ALL THE WAY BACK HE KEPT SAYING, “I GOT
WET!, I GOT WET!”
WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO THE HOUSE JOHNNIE
GOT THE REST OF DENNIS’S WET CLOTHES OFF
HIM AND PUT HIM IN THE BATH TUB. AFTER
WASHING HIM REAL GOOD SHE WRAPPED HIM IN A
TOWEL AND SAT HIM ON THE COUCH. DENNIS
WAS STILL CRYING AND SAYING, “WANT TO SEE
FISH.”
JOHNNIE TURNED ON THE TV AND GOT THEM A
BOWL OF ICE CREAM. AFTER DENNIS ATE HIS
ICE CREAM HE LEANED OVER AGAINST JOHNNIE
AND SAID, “GRAN MAM I LOVE YOU.” THEN
DENNIS FELL ASLEEP IN JOHNNIE’S ARMS.
THE NEXT MORNING WHEN JOHNNIE WAS GETTING
READY TO COME HOME … BUT NO, THAT’S A
WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.
COPYRIGHT
2004
