Throwin’ Rocks

Doing exactly what it takes to get the job done sometimes requires brains and brawn.

Previously, It Is What It Is.

Earnest came inside after milking the cows and feeding all the livestock to see Mable putting breakfast on the table. “I thought you was liberated now,” he said, “Why are you putting on such a big spread on a weekday?”

“I didn’t cook it for you,” Mable answered.

Not sure where the conversation was about to go, Earnest earnestly asked, “Well who did you cook it for if not for me?”

“For me,” Mable laughed, “I cooked it for me.”

“All of it?” Earnest asked looking at the table filled from end to end with biscuits, gravy, grits, beans, fresh tomatoes, applesauce, bacon, sausage, coffee, and more. “Is someone coming over for breakfast?”

Mable could see he was beginning to become concerned about his place in their relationship after 30 years of marriage. “Well, she said, “I reckon if you’d go wash up I might could see my way to share some of it with you.”

“You ain’t gotta tell me twice,” Earnest laughed as he ran to the back porch to clean himself up.

The two of them smiled lovingly at one another as they enjoyed their breakfast, and after a while Mable asked, “Where’s Jr? Didn’t you take him out with you this morning?”

“I did,” Earnest replied as he shoved a ham biscuit with jelly into his mouth.

“So where is our little boy?” Mable laughed.

“Well,” Earnest answered as he spooned a mouthful of cheese grits into his face, “You know I plowed the east field yesterday.”

“I know,” Mable nodded while shoving a big chunk of gravy biscuit into her face, “Took you all day, but what’s that got to do with Jr?”

“Well you know,” Earnest replied in earnest, “that field ain’t never been farmed before and is so full of rocks it can’t be planted, so I put Jr to removing them rocks from the field.”

“How?” Mable asked, “you know he broke the wheelbarrow just yesterday ridin’ it down the hill before he rode it right into the sheriff’s new car. It will take him forever carrying all them rocks in buckets.”

“I got him throwin’ them over the fence,” Earnest explained, “into old man Johnson’s west field. And you know how that boy loves to throw rocks.”

“Old man Johnson ain’t going to be none too happy when he finds out,” Mable cautioned.

“Well when he does I’ll just have Jr throw them into Smith’s field to the north.”

“You reckon I should go over and tell Mrs Johnson,” Mable asked. “so she can kinda smooth things over?”

“Give Jr a month or so to finish up,” Earnest answered, “With any luck we can keep the boy busy an’ out of trouble for the next 2 or 3 months.

“He sure loves to throw rocks,” Mable laughed.

“An’ you sure can cook,” Earnest snickered, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t know if I can push myself away from this table.”

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