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120 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

We had pigs and chickens now besides cattle and horses. Joe and Molly came over for

Christmas dinner and Joe commented on my farm.

“Don’t start callin’ this place a farm, for Pete’s’ sake”! I told him.

“Well, look at you! You got pigs, chickens. You even got a milk cow.”

We laughed about it while sitting down to a fine meal. It felt good to have friends around. I

never had a chance to be around much family but I sure thought of all these folks as my family.

I remember a few family get-togethers but mostly when I was a kid. There would be Ma, Uncle

Robert and me. We never enjoyed big family dinners, just small meals. Sometimes when

Uncle Robert and I came in for supper so late at night, we barely ate anything. You can get

used to that, believe it or not.

My ma always insisted in us sitting down for a good hot breakfast though. There would

seldom be much said, as uncle Robert woke up grouchy. He pretty much stayed grouchy all day

too, come to think of it. My ma always acted like she tried hard not to step on her brother’s

toes. I can remember one time when she stood up to Uncle Robert and let him have it.

I worked hard for my uncle and I also held down a little job at the lumber yard for a couple

of years. I saved a nice little amount of money for a kid. I wanted to buy Molly. Sis, that is,

and Uncle Robert said I’d better give the money to him. He said he couldn’t afford to feed

another horse, let alone one not broke to ride. Ma told him, that I worked hard and saved my

money, and I could too buy the mare.

“One more ain’t going to eat that much,” she told him.

“Don’t ask me to break her. I ain’t goin’ to touch her,” he said.

“Gid will break her when the time is right,” Ma told him.

“That scalawag couldn’t break an egg!” He said, as he slammed the screen door.

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