THE STORY OF OLD MR BILL

"THE STORY OF OLD MR BILL"

(author unknown)

The fire needed more wood! It was cold in this old house he thought as he carried in wood. He was standing warming up by the fireplace just thinking! Old men do a lot of that. He was lonely since his wife had passed. Thanksgiving didn’t really mean the same now! Oh he knew it was supposed to but he was just feeling down! It was a hard time for him and everybody else during the depression. Food was getting harder to come by and money wasn’t anywhere to be found! He was just wondering what he was going to have for supper! He remembered he had a bunch of sweet taters in the cellar! Be good baked with butter! He could roast them in the coals of the fireplace! Wasn’t much else! He had a few left over biscuits and some sweet milk! Wasn’t much but he knew he should be thankful he had that!

He heard footsteps on the porch and then a knock on the door! Come in he said, the old door creaked open and in stepped the little neighbour's boy! “Mr. Bill it’s cold out! Can I sit by the fire and warm up? Sure son, come on round! The little boy was called Slim. He could see why. He was tall and skinny! He asked, Slim what you doing out on a cold day like this? Slim replied, Mr. Bill, Momma sent me over here. She wanted me to ask you if you had any sweet taters? She’s cooking them for thanksgiving and she couldn’t find none! She sure would appreciate it and said to invite you to eat Thanksgiving Supper with us! He said Yes son, go down in the cellar and bring a bucket full up here. I’ll get you a poke to tote em in.

Slim ran outside to the cellar and come back with a small bucket about half full. He said, Mr. Bill them is some big pretty taters. Ours is done gone! They was little ones! Bill said, let’s rinch the dirt off of em, make em lighter to tote. He got most of the dirt off of em an sacked em for the boy! Slim said, I better get going! Mommas gotta cook them! You coming to eat ain’t you? Bill said, What time? Slim said, About dark ought to be fine! And oh yeah momma said don’t dress up cause we ain’t!

Bill had to laugh as Slim hurried out the door. He couldn’t have dressed up if he’d wanted to! He sat down back by the fire and was thinking again. What was he gonna do for food the rest of the winter? He had a little bit of canned food, taters and a patch of greens and onions and a few carrots! Then he felt ashamed for thinking that way! He had been taught better! And his wife would have not been happy with him for thinking that way! He watched the old mantle clock and heard the hour chime 4 o’clock as he was finishing up getting ready! He had shaved and put on a good white shirt and his best denim jumper. He looks in the old mirror and thought he looked pretty good for an old man!

It was still pretty light as he walked through the woods to the neighbours house. He still had a lot on his mind. His food situation was his biggest concern but he was smiling to think of a good meal that he didn’t have to cook! The neighbours dogs announced his arrival and he was welcomed inside to a warm house! The food smelled great! He hung his old coat by the door and little Billy ushered him to his chair! The table was covered with little bowls! It brought back memories of his wife and his eyes teared up!

Slims dad asked did he want to bless the food? He was caught off guard! He couldn’t form the words! He hadn’t felt blessed since his wife died! Slims dad caught on and said, No problem, I will. He bowed his head and said the prettiest blessings for the food! He enjoyed that beautiful meal! The family atmosphere was a great change for him! The lady could cook! After the meal they sat around the table and talked! Bill laughed more than he had in years! The lady fixed him a plate to take home! Before he left Slims dad said, We got something we want to give you! Bill said, What for? He said, Bill you remember helping Slim load wood last fall? Remember I was sick for a spell and couldn’t get out? We needed that wood! Yes, he remembered but didn’t think nothing of it! He said, I got six or seven big hens I want to give you! We ain’t got feed to feed all of em! Bill said, Well I appreciate it but you don’t have to! Slim ran out and gathered the hens and put em in a toe sack!

As he said his goodbyes on the porch, he had the hens over his shoulder and a big poke of food in the crook of his arm. The moon was bright and he had no problem seeing walking through the woods! He kept remembering the blessing from the meal. He knew that the good Lord provides for those that love him! And that good friends and neighbours were a blessing! He felt ashamed that he wasn’t able to say a blessing like that! But he knew now in his heart that was true! How just because he had helped someone in their time of need, he had been blessed with a bunch of chickens that would go a long way to making it thru a long winter! He could trade eggs in town for what he couldn’t pay for! His trusty old rifle would help him stay stocked with fresh game! He was feeling a lot better about things as he got in sight of his little cabin! He stood in the yard and looked up at that beautiful moon! He couldn’t help but cry! The moon looked blurry because tears filled his eyes as he said, God I’m sorry! You had plans to take care of me and I forget that! I want to say forgive me for falling short! And thank you for all my blessing, even the ones I didn’t see coming! I’m gonna try and do better with that! Thankful on this Thanksgiving day!

******** image by DALL-E 3 (AI)

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