Hot Dogs on Saturday by Josh Samuels - HTML preview

CHAPTER 37

Fred worked for Italian Catholics, and his close relationship with them allowed him to see how they lived on a daily basis. Something that he admired and practiced was eating only fish on Fridays. Fred never explained because he never really knew why his boss didn’t eat meat on Fridays; however, that didn’t seem to matter. He started this pattern before Gert passed away and never wavered from it.

Every Thursday he bought fresh cat fish wrapped in white paper; he placed it in the refrigerator for Mary to cook the next day. Mary struggled to get used to not eating meat on Fridays; she also recognized that the children were already used to this eating habit and she opted to do the same. Eventually, she was enjoying fish on Fridays as much as everyone else.

Often, Mary would prepare the fish with some vegetable that Fred brought home. He was fortunate that many people in Leesville continued to offer him free vegetables from their gardens for his family. He had only to go to their homes and they gave him free rein to pick whatever he wanted. Often, Fred would bring in armloads of vegetables and return to his truck for more.

“The Lord sho is good,” Mary would say as Fred and Junior walked to and fro, carrying bags and baskets filled with turnip greens, apples, white potatoes, black eyes peas, or snap beans.

“He sho is, Momma,” Fred always responded without stopping. “I got a whole lotta food here this time,” he’d laugh proudly. “Cook much as you want.”

Then one evening after supper, Mary told Fred she felt the children needed to live in town near other children. “It time to git these child’n outta these thickets. It ain’t good for ‘em no more,” Mary scolded. “That why Junior act like that. Keep on an' he goin' kill somebody, watch an' see! He need boys ta play wit’, not girls. And these here girls need some more girls ta play wit’. They need ta see what it like ta play wit‘ other child’n.”

“Where we goin’ go wit’ all these child’n, Momma,” Fred asked curiously. “Ain’t no good place for no big family like mine in town ‘less it’s a house, and I ain’t got no money for no new house.”

“Well, you better do somethin’ 'cause these child’n gittin’ outta hand here,” Mary said. “Lord knows, you better do somethin’,” she warned as she turned and walked out of the kitchen toward her bedroom, pulling Derek along. “ ‘Cause if you don’t,” she yelled from the hallway, “I’m leavin’!”

(To be Continued)