Uncle Willie

    "Gee, Uncle Willie, but I'm glad to get out here and see you, and Shep, the baby
chicks, and calves -- and everything," I exclaimed when we were finally alone. "You just
can't imagine how I was missing all winter the visits out here to you. College was keen but
you don't know how much I wanted to get out into the woods and away from things at
times.

    "Say, I'll bet you haven't milked or had supper yet!!! You go do the milking and I'll
get supper for you."

    Uncle Willie - grizzly old Uncle Willie shambled off to the barn to milk and I began
hunting something for supper. Into the cupboard I peered. Besides the dusty dishes I
found the salt and bread. "Now, let's see. Here's the sugar in this can" I mused. "And, of
all things, has the 'Old Boy' really gone to eating fruit? Well, this can of peaches will help
out for supper. Is this milk sweet? Nope. Well there's another crock for supper, tho, I'm
sure. Say -- he still eats breakfast food - a whole half case of  Wheaties. Now let's see.
What have I found -- salt, sugar, can of peaches, bread, breakfast food, milk. I know, he's
got some eggs there in the other room. I'll bet he hasn't eaten an egg for months. We'll
celebrate and have eggs for supper."

    Industriously I built a fire in the old range, cleaned from the frying pan its thick
accumulation of dust; but alas, frantic search disclosed no lard, no butter, -- no, not even
bacon. Uncle Willie had the same old things for supper again. But in my mind was
evolving a firm resolution. "Uncle Willie needs some one around here to do some cooking.
Not only that but to clean this shack up a little. If I don't get a job this summer, I'm going
to come out here and keep house for him."

    "Uncle Willie," I said aloud, "Does that old agreement still hold -- do I still get a
penny for each pane of window glass I wash? After all these years of freedom, could you
and Shep stand a housekeeper around?"

Dorris Willows
English II - 11
March 5, 1934

Go To Next entry
Return to entry dates
Return to Dorris Willows