New Excerpt from Fiction Novel 'Cotton & Corn'

Additional Excerpt from:
Cotton & Corn...

Four

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Picture Day

One spring, while we were in Weatherford after visiting some of my Ma’s family, we went to a photographer’s studio and had professional pictures taken with all of us kids and both of our parents. I treasure this family photograph more than almost any other keepsake I have from my childhood.

Pa was far from feckless when it came to labor and monetary matters; quite the contrary, he viewed every waking moment of life as an obligatory opportunity to achieve greatness, and his view of greatness was the bottom line requirement, that foundational point where all people needed to be just to start anything in life they wished to achieve. Being the best and hardest worker, puttin’ in extra effort every day of one’s life, and never makin’ a mistake… these were the attributes Pa expected from everyone, not just us youngins, but everyone.

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“Ok, youngins,” Hilda instructed her children, “you can window shop, walk on the main street, and try not to get into trouble. Now, that’s for just one hour, ya hear, meet me and your father back here in front of the photographer’s studio in one hour.”

The children all affirmed that they would, especially after seeing their father’s stern look offered in support of their mother’s instructions.

“They didn’t say we had to stay in one group,” commented Rae Ann.

Richard smiled and said, “No, they didn’t. You girls can do girly stuff and Teddy and I can do manly things.”

Teddy looked pleased at this suggestion. Sometimes it made Teddy feel overwhelmed to have his three sisters tagging along all of the time.

Rae Ann snapped back, “Why are our interests ‘girly’ things and yours are ‘manly’ things?”

“That’s just the way it is,” Richard shouted, as he and Teddy ran off.

Rae Ann looked at her sisters and inquired, “Where do you two want to go?”

Little Sarah Jane replied happily, “Some place where they sell them pretty dolls, the ones with the beautiful painted faces and fluffy dresses, please.”

If there was a lesson learned by all of the Charlton children before they could almost walk, it was to put their younger sibling’s desires and needs above their own.

Mary interjected, “That’s fine by me. I suppose I’d like to see some of them fancy dolls too.”

“Ok, it’s settled then, dolls,” Rae Ann confirmed. “But it won’t hurt none to look in windows along the way. We might see somethin’ of interest.”

The trio of young girls made their way slowly along the walkway while gazing into the shop windows with the eyes of hungry desire. Chocolates and hard candies lined the shelf of one shop and adult dresses another. Finally the trio found a store with some dolls in the front window.

“Here’s a store!” shouted Sarah Jane.

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