http://newnovelbysudie.myblogsite.com/index.html My weblog en admin@fortunecity.com Copyright 2008 Pivot Pivot - 1.30 RC: 'Rippersnapper' Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:46:14 -0400 60 http://newnovelbysudie.myblogsite.com/entry1.html http://newnovelbysudie.myblogsite.com/entry1.html#comm
On this day in the early '40s, a little boy named Joey Thomas saw the black snake car pull into the gravel path leading to his house.  He lived on a farm in Iowa.  He was home from school that day with a cold, but he saw the black snake from his window and was curious.  His bigger brother Sam was at school, so he missed the black snake.  Joey wasn't scared...only curious.

Joey padded down the stairs in his pajamas and sock feet, softly, so as not to scare off the black snake car.  He had a small cowlick on the back of his head...covered with dark hair...that he tried to smooth down.  His ma also had dark hair in a braid wound round her head.  She  was wearing a flowered housedress and sensible shoes, holding a dishcloth while walking to the door.  Joey couldn't see her face, so he didn't know if she was scared.  Ma usually didn't show her fear except maybe in her eyes.  She even shot a groundhog once and didn't turn a hair.  He was proud to have a ma like that.

The doors to the black snake opened up.  Two men in dark suits and hats came out.  Joey was curious...most men he knew wore caps with bills and feed patches on 'em.  These were real hats, like a business man would wear, or a man on his way to church.  He didn't wear hats like that.  He was too little yet.  One of the men was holding something, but Joey couldn't see what it was.

He was wondering about his biggest brother Jim.  Joey was the youngest, and Jim was the oldest so Joey called Jim his "biggest brother".  Sam was the "bigger brother", but wanted to be the biggest brother (at least Joey thought so).  Jim was fighting in the war...the big one that's all over the world.  Joey listened to the radio and saw his ma cry and his dad get serious looks on his face.  When Joey would ask a question, they'd say, "Hush, Joey."  So Joey would hush.

The men knocked on the door.  Ma opened it, and the voices were quiet.  She was shaking as she took something from the men.  The men left, and Ma sat on the stair and cried softly.  Joey went to her and attempted to comfort her, but she patted his head and said, "Now, Joey, your ma will be OK." 

Joey saw a box.  The box had Jim's dog tags and other stuff in it.  Joey took the dog tags out and studied them.  He could read and found Jim's name on the tags, but didn't know what the rest of the writing meant.  He put them around his neck and felt the slight weight thump against his chest. 

"Ma, why didn't Jim keep his stuff?  Won't he need it?" Joey asked, his big grey-blue eyes searching for an answer from his ma.  Ma just shook her head and patted Joey's hand again.

"You're too young to worry about Jim, honey.  Jim's with God now."  With that, Ma started to cry again.

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