A Thanksgiving Story By Grandpa
Ryan said, I’m going to have a lousy Thanksgiving this year, both my
parents have to work and I’m stuck with a frozen TV Dinner to eat. Jim
said, You’ve told me that fifty times already, are you wanting me to ask my
parents if you can come over to our house for Thanksgiving? Ryan said, I
thought you would never get the hint. Jim said, My parents said OK a
couple days ago, I already asked. I just wanted to hear you beg some more.
Ryan said, I was beginning to think I was going to have to invite myself to
dinner, like the Preacher does after church on Sundays. Jim said, My
Grandpa says the Preacher spends too much time at the table and not enough
time preparing his sermons. Everyone says my Grandpa would have made a
great preacher, but he talks to long and church wouldn’t be over until 4:30
in the afternoon.
Thanksgiving day the table was filled with a ton of food. The counter was
covered with deserts. After Grandpa said the Blessings (which took over 10
minutes) everyone dug in. After the main meal came desert. Jim leaned
over to Ryan and whispered “Don’t get any of Grandma’s custard pie, it
tastes awful.” Ryan filled his dish and sat back down, he was surprised
when Jim returned with his plate full of Grandma’s Custard Pie. Jim looked
at Ryan and said, All is fair in Love, War, and Grandma’s Pies.
After all of the pie was gone ( that Ryan had missed out on ), Grandpa
started to tell one of his world famous stories. No Thanksgiving would be
complete until Grandpa told a story.
Grandpa said, In 1957 I started a big lawn mowing service, I had almost
every yard in town contracted to mow, but I didn’t have a lawn mower. I
decided that I needed a partner. Steven was the only one interested, but he
didn’t have a mower either.
Grandma jumped in and said, So they stole a lawn mower. Grandpa said,
Woman, go wash dishes, I’m telling this story. We didn’t steal a lawn
mower, we just borrowed a different one each day without asking, but we
always mowed their yard as payment, so it was more like renting it, and
nobody ever complained. Grandma said, They would have if they knew
what you two was doing.
Grandpa said, By the middle of November, Yard Mowing and leaf raking
had come to an end, and we was out of business and flat broke. So I decided
to go on a Quest. Ride the rails and see the country. Steven was the only
one dumb enough to want to go on a Quest with me across the country.
We went down to the railroad tracks and waited to hop on a train. About
midnight a train came by and we jumped in an open box car, November is
not very warm at night. So we decided that a couple of ordinary looking
guys like Steven and me could mingle right in without being noticed in the
passenger car. But the Conductor did noticed.
We didn’t have tickets or any money to buy tickets. So they called ahead
and had the law waiting for us at the next stop. Our Quest lasted only 30
miles. The Conductor handed us over to the Sheriff and he took us straight
to jail. The Judge must have owned stock in the railroad, he sentenced us to
30 days hard labor, that was one day for each mile that we rode the train.
On Thanksgiving day, a bunch of women from the local church brought us
criminals a good home cooked meal to eat. It was one way that they could
do service in the name of the Lord.
Grandma here, was one of the women that brought the food. She feel in
love with me as soon as she laid eyes on me and wouldn’t leave me alone
until I let her marry me.
Grandma said, When they let him out, he followed me all over town, I
wouldn’t have had any trouble if they would have left him locked up where
he belonged. Grandpa said, It was the Lord that brought us together and we
have all of you to thank him for today. Grandpa ended his story with a pray
of Thanksgiving to the Lord.
written 10-28-2000 by JLH
