ain’t. They ain’t going to let an injured man wrestle for them. He’d lose all their money. Why you should have seen him take that fair fellow, and that rascal being twice the size of Leonard too. Leonard snatched that old boy’s foot out from under him, twisted him over on his belly and pinned him to the mat like a big bug.”
“Ha ha!” Ike barked suddenly and slammed his hand on the table. We all looked at him. That was the most excitement I’d seen out of him since he was eight and had accidentally set his overalls on fire playing with matches in the outhouse. He glanced around at us, sort of embarrassed. “Just couldn’t help myself,” he said.
We all laughed.
“When will he be home?” Mama asked.
“Don’t rightly know,” Doc Travis said. “Maybe a month or better. Guess that’s going to put you in a rough spot for a while, with the farming and all. But Leonard stands to make a bundle, and even if he don’t, he’s sure done all right so far.”
“We’ll be needing some things for the baby,” Mama said. She picked up the two hundred dollars, got up, and put it in the cookie jar. It had been months since it had had either cookies or money in it.
“What’s in the box?” Ike asked when Mama sat back down.
“I’ll do the honors there,” Doc Travis said, smiling. He pulled the box over to him and opened it. He reached in and brought out a soft, blue bundle and unfolded it. It was a long, beautiful dress. Mama’s mouth fell open.
“He… he got that for me?” she said.
“No,” Doc Travis said, “he sort of thought Ike might like it. Course he got it for you, cotton head. Blue is your favorite color, right?” He handed the dress to her.
She smiled, holding the dress against her. “Blue and green,” she said.
“Good, cause he got a green one too,” and with that Doc Travis’s hand darted into the box and whipped out a green dress.
“I’ll swan,” Mama said, and the sunlight coming through the window caught her eye, and for a moment it glistened.
“Course, if you’re going to wear them dresses,” Doc Travis said, “you got to have shoes to go with them, and he sent some of them too.” His hand went back to the box and came out holding a pair of black, shiny, lace-up shoes, just like Mama had swooned over so often in the Sears and Roebuck catalogue.
She took them and held them in front of her, and finally, gently, set them on the table. “He shouldn’t have spent all that money,” she said.
“Sure he should have,” Doc Travis said. “Now, these two squirts get a turn.”
Out of the box came a bright, red and black flannel shirt and a crisp, dark-blue pair of overalls for Ike. They were his first store-bought clothes. Up until then he’d only had hand-me-downs and things Mama sewed up from what cloth she could get from flour sacks and such.
“Them’s all mine?” Ike asked.
“Unless you want Richard to wear one leg of the overalls for good luck or something,” Doc Travis said.
Ike took the clothes and held them to him like they were a warm puppy. “Reckon I can try ‘em on?” Ike asked Mama. “Just to see how they wear, then I’ll take ‘em off.”
“You can,” Mama said. “But let’s see what else is in the box.”
“You’re next, Richard,” Doc Travis said. “Come on around here and get it out yourself.”
I went around and looked in the box. There was a small, flat box inside and I lifted it out. Beneath it was a bigger bundle wrapped in cloth.
“That’s yours too,” Doc Travis said, “but open this up first.”
Inside the box was a stack of magazines. Dime Detective, Black Mask, Weird Tales, and Doc Savage. I was instantly in hog heaven. Beneath the magazines was a pile of clean, white paper sheets. I figured they were padding.
“Now the other thing,” Doc Travis said.
I reached in and took hold of the bundle. It was heavy. I set it on the table and carefully unwrapped the cloth around it. When I saw what it was my mouth
“Ha ha!” Ike barked suddenly and slammed his hand on the table. We all looked at him. That was the most excitement I’d seen out of him since he was eight and had accidentally set his overalls on fire playing with matches in the outhouse. He glanced around at us, sort of embarrassed. “Just couldn’t help myself,” he said.
We all laughed.
“When will he be home?” Mama asked.
“Don’t rightly know,” Doc Travis said. “Maybe a month or better. Guess that’s going to put you in a rough spot for a while, with the farming and all. But Leonard stands to make a bundle, and even if he don’t, he’s sure done all right so far.”
“We’ll be needing some things for the baby,” Mama said. She picked up the two hundred dollars, got up, and put it in the cookie jar. It had been months since it had had either cookies or money in it.
“What’s in the box?” Ike asked when Mama sat back down.
“I’ll do the honors there,” Doc Travis said, smiling. He pulled the box over to him and opened it. He reached in and brought out a soft, blue bundle and unfolded it. It was a long, beautiful dress. Mama’s mouth fell open.
“He… he got that for me?” she said.
“No,” Doc Travis said, “he sort of thought Ike might like it. Course he got it for you, cotton head. Blue is your favorite color, right?” He handed the dress to her.
She smiled, holding the dress against her. “Blue and green,” she said.
“Good, cause he got a green one too,” and with that Doc Travis’s hand darted into the box and whipped out a green dress.
“I’ll swan,” Mama said, and the sunlight coming through the window caught her eye, and for a moment it glistened.
“Course, if you’re going to wear them dresses,” Doc Travis said, “you got to have shoes to go with them, and he sent some of them too.” His hand went back to the box and came out holding a pair of black, shiny, lace-up shoes, just like Mama had swooned over so often in the Sears and Roebuck catalogue.
She took them and held them in front of her, and finally, gently, set them on the table. “He shouldn’t have spent all that money,” she said.
“Sure he should have,” Doc Travis said. “Now, these two squirts get a turn.”
Out of the box came a bright, red and black flannel shirt and a crisp, dark-blue pair of overalls for Ike. They were his first store-bought clothes. Up until then he’d only had hand-me-downs and things Mama sewed up from what cloth she could get from flour sacks and such.
“Them’s all mine?” Ike asked.
“Unless you want Richard to wear one leg of the overalls for good luck or something,” Doc Travis said.
Ike took the clothes and held them to him like they were a warm puppy. “Reckon I can try ‘em on?” Ike asked Mama. “Just to see how they wear, then I’ll take ‘em off.”
“You can,” Mama said. “But let’s see what else is in the box.”
“You’re next, Richard,” Doc Travis said. “Come on around here and get it out yourself.”
I went around and looked in the box. There was a small, flat box inside and I lifted it out. Beneath it was a bigger bundle wrapped in cloth.
“That’s yours too,” Doc Travis said, “but open this up first.”
Inside the box was a stack of magazines. Dime Detective, Black Mask, Weird Tales, and Doc Savage. I was instantly in hog heaven. Beneath the magazines was a pile of clean, white paper sheets. I figured they were padding.
“Now the other thing,” Doc Travis said.
I reached in and took hold of the bundle. It was heavy. I set it on the table and carefully unwrapped the cloth around it. When I saw what it was my mouth
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