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Chapter one Watermelon
The blackberry thicket that ran along the fence row, intertwined with honey suckle vines, was a perfect cover for the two boys to spy on
Mr. Wilson's watermelon patch. It was also a good
place for the honey bees that were busy gathering
pollen and honey and did not like being disturbed. After much squirming and jostling and almost getting stung they hunkered down out of sight and waited for Mr. Wilson to get through with morning chores. At the moment he was coming toward them with a two gallon bucket. Me sat the bucket down near a mysterious mound of straw; carefully he brushed the straw away from
the biggest water melon in the whole world.
Picking up the bucket he poured milk on the vine. The two boys were amazed, he was watering the huge melon with milk, no wonder it was so
big. Mr. Wilson looked all around, the melon wTas
a county fair winner for sure, and he didn't want
any one to know where it was hidden. He covered the giant melon with straw, and taking one last look around he went back to the barn to finish the feeding and milking Mr. Wilson was a small man but an accomplished farmer and he was proud of it, he and his wife Abigail owned the farm, sixty five acres of fine bottom land, and he was the only
farmer on the road for five miles who did.
On either side of them were share croppers. His land ran along Pond River on the south. The land along the river was dark and rich, while the land next to the road was sandy loam and perfect for melons of all kinds.
Abigail his wife was childless and this was a big
disappointment for her. She often said; Mr. Wilson,
"the folks on either side of us have children almost every year."
She
always called him Mr. Wilson, as was the custom of her family.
He would always reply," God provides." Mr. Wilson would often think that a son or daughter would be a comfort
for Abigail but he was not willing to think about
his inner wishes even to himself.
Iverlee
let the air out of his lungs, and breathed my oh my
Wink
was amazed, he wondered, if it will do that to watermelons, what it
would
do to other plants.
The
two boys crouched down and made their way back to the dirt road that ran past their homes and on to the school where they were supposed to be.
Wink
could not get over the size of the melon, it must be a hundred pounds at least,
he exclaimed.
Iverlee
agreed, Yep, at least.
Sand lot baseball was about all the recreation there was in rural Kentucky .There was a game or two going on almost all the time.
The
school was situated so as to have a regular size diamond in the back, and a smaller one along the side of the school.
The
one on the side was better suited for the younger boys and girls.
Generally, much to the chagrin of the younger boys it was
the girls who
played on the smaller lot.
Winks home was closet to the school; Iverlee's was about one quarter of a mile farther .By the time they got to Wink's house the watermelon was big as a healing stove.
Wink was the number two son of Albert Cummings, Al had five children: Anna May was the eldest; then came Ira William, then Beulah, Winfrey, and Paul.
Iverlee was the third son of Henry Miblen; Robert was the eldest, and then came Earl, and Iverlee.
Iverlee's eyes were bright with anticipation as he and Wink congered up a plan to swipe the big melon," Well have to wait till dark" Wink grinned. Ain't you got a wheelbarrow Alley? We shore can't carry it
Iverlee looked thoughtful; "Yes, but it squeaks something awful; Mr. Wilson would hear us for sure.
1 know, Wink exclaimed, I'll slip Paul's wagon out, but we have to make sure nothing happens to it.
That's fine" Iverlee said "but how are we going to get out after dark? Wink snapped his fingers, "I got it "! Ira told me about when him
and his buddy Tom would tell Maw that he was going
to help Tom with chores, and then Tom.
would tell
his Mom that he was going to help Ira with chores and they would
both
go over to the twin's house and visit Iverlee
was skeptical, but conceded to his friends wisdom They
decided to meet tomorrow night at Mr. Wilson's patch.
The midsummer moon was big
and hazy through the heat and humidity.
Wink and Iverlee, their eyes bright with anticipation having succeeded in their glib lies, and secredy admiring their nimble wits, waited for the lights to go out
in Mr. Wilson's barn,
Mr.
Wilson was milking his two cows making sure that they had enough hay for the night
Me picked up his two pails of milk and carefully set them on the harness box. He turned to have one last
look at his pride and joy watermelon.
The light from his lantern made long shadows as he trudged across the garden to the watermelon patch.
The
mounds of melons were very obvious to the big eyed boys, but the one
that
the two thieves were the most interested in stood out like Long John
Silvers
treasure chest.
At
that time neither the two boys nor Mr. Wilson noticed the gathering clouds,
and
the hush of a summer storm.
Mr.
Wilson stumbled on a dirt clod and grunted loudly, making the two boys
catch their breath, and crouch
down even farther.
The
farmer got down on his knees and felt the firmness of the giant melon.
Satisfied
the melon was safe he rose and said aloud; nothing better happen to this one.
Mr.
Wilson had lost big melons in the past.
He made his way back to die barn to retrieve his two buckets of milk, but just as he reached for the latch, a clap of thunder and lightning flashed, the ground shook, and Mr. Wilson said a word that would shock Abigail.
The two boys ran for the road, a terrified look on their faces. The rain started coming down in torrents,
panting for breath, Wink gasped; Maybe tomorrow, Alley
"Wink always called Iverlee Alley. Iverlee nodded breathlessly. The red wagon w7ould have to be retrieved later
By the time Wink got to the back porch he was soaked to the skin, he slipped in the back kitchen door, where Leah Jane was doing the dishes, but she had time to smile at her number two son
Her third son, and last baby, Paul, was six years old and looked as if there would be no more, she kept her fingers crossed.
Paul was a spoiled child but no one seemed to notice except Wink who stayed on him all the time to keep him from being a pest
Later that
night Wink wondered if God had caused the lightning as a lesson for thievery.
/
September came; warm, sultry and school was
in session. School was a one
room one thru six grades with a teacher who did not put up with any nonsense.
End of Chapter 1
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