Last weekend after a month of rain, Rick took this picture of the front pond. They show the trees around the pond and their reflection in the muddy but still very welcome water. This picture made me think about the laughter like rain that poured on a muddy situation.
The front pond 2-11-12, rickignites.tumblr.com
“He’s such a beautiful baby. He looks like you and he looks like Ben,” I commented.
“He just woke up and he seems to be coming to…out of his sleep, a real short nap for him. You know it’s a real fine line between cryin’ and laughin’…he wants to laugh but ’cause he’s so groggy from nap time he falls into crying …let me keep talking …trust me on this…I’ll get him to laughing.”
And so she continued to tell us a story. “Years ago, Jimmy Lee called that he and his buddies…from Rice no less…”
Her voice rose upon declaring “Rice” as in Rice University, in absolute disbelief of what she was about to tell.
She adjusted her rimless glasses as she continued “and he had just passed the bar for law…anyways they were stuck in the sand. Richard had to go out in the middle of the night and rescue them.”
Richard added, “Did you tell them what they were doing out there in the middle of the night?”
“No, I thought I’d let you tell them that part. Anyways, Richard went to rescue them, and I had to get my babies up and put them on two pallets on the floor to make the beds for Jimmy Lee and his friends, from Rice.”
Richard explained, “I pulled their car out of the sand. Turns out they had gone into town to shoot out lights.”
“And he just passed the bar and those buddies of his from Rice,” she declared in astonishment.
“It was the stupidest thing…I was waked in the night, haven’t seen them since that night, and he expected me to go rescue him…I did though.”
“Just like my dad Itus would have…my dad may not have liked you but he always lent a hand…I will say this tho’, if my dad didn’t like you he would soon let you know but he wouldn’t deny helpin’ you,” she said.
“Anyways, I offered them breakfast the next morning and they refused, saying they didn’t want breakfast. I told them if I had gone through the trouble of making beds for them and fixin’ breakfast they were going to eat with us. Then, they sat their butts in the chairs and ate pancakes, eggs and sausage and drank coffee. Then, I asked Jimmy Lee if he had talked with his wife. He said no. I told him to go to the phone right now and tell her where he was, who he was with and what he had done. He did it, with Richard and me in the kitchen and his buddies at the table…he stood right there on the phone telling her. We haven’t seen or heard from him since then. I do know that years later he was dis-barred.”
“And divorced…yeah, I should have taken them to the sheriff and turned them in,” Richard added disgusted.
We laughed so hard tears rolled out of our eyes and down our cheeks. “Imagine, him from Rice and all.” The baby laughed too, happy to sit on his granny’s lap and watching us after a good nap.
Absolutely wonderful story-telling, Georgette, and absolutely, over-the-top funny to someone who knows precisely what it means to be “from Rice”. It’s funny even without the background, but with it? I woke up the cat, I was laughing so hard.
The story brought to mind the old football cheer from the days when poor Rice was pretty much the bottom of the barrel, sports-wise: “That’s all right, that’s ok, you’re gonna work for us some day”. Well, unless disbarment gets in the way, of course.
Really? You liked it? Thank you for reading and always your comment. I love that you understand this local story. I can hear the rhythm of the cheer you quoted and to use a blogging term, what a “snarky” and still funny one at that. I’m not sure I can take full credit for the story…I listened to one of our farm neighbors tell it. I listened and hoped I wouldn’t forget a detail. And yes, there really was a sleepy, groggy baby in the room on her lap as she told it. As soon as I got to my laptop I tried to preserve all the details…changing the names, of course. We are surrounded by local color in our neck of the woods.
Of course you can take credit for it! Leon Hale made a pretty good career of re-telling such local color stories, after all!
Thank you, friendly reader.
You told the story beautifully, Georgette! This was great! I visualized you – actually – sitting at the table listening to these two retell a tale. I loved it!
I also like the fact that you guys rec’d a month’s worth of rain. I know the drought continues … still, rain is good.
I’ll ask permission now mama Lenore. When Andy comes to visit, can he play in the mud?
You bet! Did I not reply?! K8 still has him, but I’ll see if she’ll send him straight to you. May I send her your address? Wait. Do I have your address?
March is perfect. I can take him to big D over spring break. Pretty busy until the end of February.
men… or should i say, boys…
haha…you’ve got that right.
You have such great stories.
Thank you for coming by to read them. And, may I say…you serve up great cocktails?
You’re welcome and thanks!
Great story, wonderfully told!
And, having lived in Houston, I even “got” the Rice reference right away
Glad to know you’ve gotten some rain … MJ
What fun that there are Houston connections dropping in today who get the mention of “Rice”. Thank you for reading, MJ. PS We not only have gotten rain in January but it is continuing into February…it poured yesterday.
Liked seeing water in the pond — finally!!
Liked the story — good local tale. The part I liked best? The baby laughing even though he has no idea what the story really was about. Priceless.
Yes, one can compare the picture I posted last year of the cows in the middle of the muddy basin to this…remarkable difference. And, it’s true
, I think…if you want to lull a baby to sleep or out of his/her sleep…just keep talking. Thank you for reading, mama, and commenting.
Love the way you tell a story, Georgette!
I’m honored you think so, Funny Lady.
You’re a great storyteller; loved this!
Thank you for reading. I, too, think you tell some great stories. I like the way you write. Your daffodil story encourages me to keep remembering and writing down those unforgettable memories.
Love the picture…. interesting story, but I’m guessing it’s a “local thing”…?!
I’ll tell Rick you liked the picture. He tried hard to capture the reflections. I know you understand how relieved he is about the pond right now. Thank you for reading this story about our “local” Texas culture.
Oh, this was superb, Georgette! It doesn’t matter the locale – it’s good, ol’ fashioned kitchen table wisdom. (A woman stole that tile from me and had the nerve to write a wonderful book with it!
)
I really loved it. The character played through so well – including the baby’s laughter.
Our neighbors are wonderful folks. Yes, this story was told around a wooden kitchen table with an oil cloth tablecloth. Wisdom indeed, greater than that acquired…well you know…you can well fill in those blanks. Thank you for reading about the happenin’s in our small town not far from where we live.
Great storytelling, Georgette. You’re from Texas, right?
haha…I’m originally from Mexico, D.F. but have lived more than half my life here. Hence my love for Mexican food. Thank you for finding time to read my little story after riding your wave this week. Have things settled down yet? Congratulations again.
Oh what a fun read! I agree with all the previous comments that you’re a great story teller. I’m also really impressed with the chatty way the characters tell the story in their own words. I think being able to capture the way folks speak is one of the hardest parts of telling a story and you captured their “what it means to be from Rice” perfectly
Thank you, dearrosie. No slight intended on anyone being from Rice. It’s kind of the “Harvard” of TX and a very fine school. Many Texans hold a high regard for this university so to hear our neighbors tell this story (and then I retold it hoping to capture the details of the exchange), it had all the appearance of being especially scandalous. Still, it doesn’t matter what level of education one has to recognize wrong is wrong.
You certainly have a gift for ‘telling a tale’. Love it!
I remember your story about your experience with hunters who trespass. I know you understand it through and through. Thank you for reading.
Great story and so well told. I, too, know what it means to be from Rice. It’s like us up here saying, “And he was from Harvard.” The way you told that story, they could have been characters in a novel.
Sending you some sunshine today in the form of an award – the Sunshine Award. Posting about it today.
haha…truly it’s raining and some sunshine would be welcome. Thank you again, for thinking of me. What a lovely piece of kindness. Looking forward to the kids coming into tonight from Big D. It truly is a sunshiny day after all. I’ll come by to read.
I love around the table stories. I forgot about the small town pastime of shooting out the lights. Cow-tipping and outhouse antics were our specialty. And it’s even a greater joy when the babe joins in the laughter. Fun post.
So glad you enjoyed the post!
A fine line between laughing & crying is a great way to see it!!
I enjoyed this very much. You definitely write well.
Awwww…thank you for your kind words. And thank you for coming by. It is a fine line with babies. Especially, when they wake up, things can go either way…wahhhh or laughter. Please have a lovely weekend.
Our past experiences and the stories we tell never fails to bring a mix of laughter and tears. stories that seem to spring back to life like it happened yesterday. What an enjoyable story with lessons to learn as well. I laughed as well when you said, “We laughed so hard tears rolled out of our eyes and down our cheeks.” Wishing you and your family happiness and endless laughter. I bet the baby’s laugh sounded like an angel…
That is the best laughter, isn’t it? The kind that makes you laugh until tears roll down our face.