Old Josh, in: "Breathin' Hard" (#60)
Old Josh, in:
“Breathin’ Hard”
(The Spring of , 1864)
It now was spring, several months had passed since Josh had that sick bout, where Molly came over and sat with him in his shanty, he was sick, and in a way wanted to remain sick if she stayed to nurse him, but of course she didn’t, she simply insured he was ok and abruptly left, because Josh was getting other ideas. And today, as other days, Josh was staring down towards the Creek, where Molly’s little house was. Mater of fact, Silas was kind of getting tired of watching his father night after night looking down that way, and especially this night for some odd reason.
“You don’t move pa, you jes’ stands there like stone, lookin’ down yonder towards Molly’s place, you ought-a, hightail it down there and see her!” said Silas.
“I is jes’ waitin’ fer the right moment—cuz I dont know, and whens ya dont know, its simple, you jes’ wait…!” murmured Josh.
“What is you waitin’ fer pa!” said Silas.
“I done told you all ready. Sometimes I is sad, sometimes I is feelin’ old, and sometimes I feel like a rain drop on that their cob web
(Josh panted to a web by the fence, where he and Silas stood, Silas had a shovel in his hands needed to go put it away in the barn then was going to join Jordon in the house).
Josh remained quiet in the cool silence of the night, the door was closed to the shanty so he couldn’t see inside, and so he continued to stare in Molly’s direction, taking Silas’ advice to heart, thinking upon it anyhow, thinking he might go see Molly this evening, almost made up his mind that he would, as Silas walked away to the barn.
“Yessum!” Josh said out loud, and Silas heard that, and smiled, but Josh didn’t see that smile, it was more of a cleaver smile.
Then Silas stopped between the barn and the carrel fence the shanty, not far beyond the fence, and barn, said, “Pa, I hears Molly, she be a callin’ fer ya!” Then he started walking again.
That stirred Josh up, Silas figured Josh would mossy on down there now, and he was right, Josh did have all such intentions, but decided at the last minute to go inside his shack and get his cane, incase he might need it for balance if he needed to stop and catch his breath, if he got tired that is, and run out of air, and needed to stand and lean on that cane of his, which he seldom used.
Then he, Josh, said, “Amen, I a-going,” and walked into his shanty to get his cane, and saw Jordon there, he was surprised, didn’t expect to see him, sitting at the little wooden table, with a big bottle of moonshine, he had just opened the top, and took a small drink, it was nearly full.
“Where you come from,” asked Josh, surprised, taken back a bit, “I thought you be down yonder in that there grocery store in Ozark workin’.”
“I been here for an hour pa, waitin’ for you and Silas,” said Jordon, adding, “what wrong pa?”
“Nothin’, I jes’ wez lookin’ down yonder way, fixin’ to go see Molly cuz, Silas say he hear her a-callin’ me!”
Then Josh picked up the bottle of moonshine, touched the top of it with his tongue, and took a big gulp out of it thereafter, “That there stuff is strong as a bear claw in the bottom of your gut, I swear!” Said Josh and Jordon laughed.
“Yessum, Jordon, Silas done heard Molly callin’ fer me!
Said Jordon with a sigh, “Pa, Silas knows I got this here bottle sittin’ on this table, he thinkin’ if you go on down to see Molly, he drink your share.”
“Ah,” said Josh, “he cleaver like his mamma used to be,” said Josh. But Jordon knew better, Silas was a lot like Old Josh.
“Ill fix him, sure enough, we best be drinking this up befer that their rattlesnake come back; I git a thinkin’ out there when he say Molly callin’ mi name, he be a breathin’ hard when he takin’ you knows what I mean, gives me another drink son, before the rattler drink it all up on us!”
“What ‘bout Molly pa?” asked Jordon.
“Molly how?” said Josh, “jes’ gives me another drink, and I’ll dream of her later on, and sees her tomorrow if-in she calls me…!” (and they both laughed, as Silas walked in).
Written 8-11-2008 (#60)
“Breathin’ Hard”
(The Spring of , 1864)
It now was spring, several months had passed since Josh had that sick bout, where Molly came over and sat with him in his shanty, he was sick, and in a way wanted to remain sick if she stayed to nurse him, but of course she didn’t, she simply insured he was ok and abruptly left, because Josh was getting other ideas. And today, as other days, Josh was staring down towards the Creek, where Molly’s little house was. Mater of fact, Silas was kind of getting tired of watching his father night after night looking down that way, and especially this night for some odd reason.
“You don’t move pa, you jes’ stands there like stone, lookin’ down yonder towards Molly’s place, you ought-a, hightail it down there and see her!” said Silas.
“I is jes’ waitin’ fer the right moment—cuz I dont know, and whens ya dont know, its simple, you jes’ wait…!” murmured Josh.
“What is you waitin’ fer pa!” said Silas.
“I done told you all ready. Sometimes I is sad, sometimes I is feelin’ old, and sometimes I feel like a rain drop on that their cob web
(Josh panted to a web by the fence, where he and Silas stood, Silas had a shovel in his hands needed to go put it away in the barn then was going to join Jordon in the house).
Josh remained quiet in the cool silence of the night, the door was closed to the shanty so he couldn’t see inside, and so he continued to stare in Molly’s direction, taking Silas’ advice to heart, thinking upon it anyhow, thinking he might go see Molly this evening, almost made up his mind that he would, as Silas walked away to the barn.
“Yessum!” Josh said out loud, and Silas heard that, and smiled, but Josh didn’t see that smile, it was more of a cleaver smile.
Then Silas stopped between the barn and the carrel fence the shanty, not far beyond the fence, and barn, said, “Pa, I hears Molly, she be a callin’ fer ya!” Then he started walking again.
That stirred Josh up, Silas figured Josh would mossy on down there now, and he was right, Josh did have all such intentions, but decided at the last minute to go inside his shack and get his cane, incase he might need it for balance if he needed to stop and catch his breath, if he got tired that is, and run out of air, and needed to stand and lean on that cane of his, which he seldom used.
Then he, Josh, said, “Amen, I a-going,” and walked into his shanty to get his cane, and saw Jordon there, he was surprised, didn’t expect to see him, sitting at the little wooden table, with a big bottle of moonshine, he had just opened the top, and took a small drink, it was nearly full.
“Where you come from,” asked Josh, surprised, taken back a bit, “I thought you be down yonder in that there grocery store in Ozark workin’.”
“I been here for an hour pa, waitin’ for you and Silas,” said Jordon, adding, “what wrong pa?”
“Nothin’, I jes’ wez lookin’ down yonder way, fixin’ to go see Molly cuz, Silas say he hear her a-callin’ me!”
Then Josh picked up the bottle of moonshine, touched the top of it with his tongue, and took a big gulp out of it thereafter, “That there stuff is strong as a bear claw in the bottom of your gut, I swear!” Said Josh and Jordon laughed.
“Yessum, Jordon, Silas done heard Molly callin’ fer me!
Said Jordon with a sigh, “Pa, Silas knows I got this here bottle sittin’ on this table, he thinkin’ if you go on down to see Molly, he drink your share.”
“Ah,” said Josh, “he cleaver like his mamma used to be,” said Josh. But Jordon knew better, Silas was a lot like Old Josh.
“Ill fix him, sure enough, we best be drinking this up befer that their rattlesnake come back; I git a thinkin’ out there when he say Molly callin’ mi name, he be a breathin’ hard when he takin’ you knows what I mean, gives me another drink son, before the rattler drink it all up on us!”
“What ‘bout Molly pa?” asked Jordon.
“Molly how?” said Josh, “jes’ gives me another drink, and I’ll dream of her later on, and sees her tomorrow if-in she calls me…!” (and they both laughed, as Silas walked in).
Written 8-11-2008 (#60)
posted by Dennis and Rosa Siluk at 9:23 PM
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