Oct 05 2009
Butterbeans
My mother was in the hospital after an auto accident. Grandma offered to stay with Barry, Beverly, and me while Daddy worked. She got us up for school, made our breakfast, cleaned, did laundry, and cooked dinner. After dinner Grandma would sit with us while we did our homework and Daddy went to the hospital to visit Mama.
One night for dinner Grandma cooked a big pot of butterbeans with ham hocks. She cooked them on low for hours and the smell filled the entire house. We watched the clock waiting for Daddy to return from work so we could eat. After what seemed like days Daddy walked though the door. Grandma poured the butterbeans into a bowl and placed the beans and a plate of biscuits on the table. We quickly sat down and said our blessing. As soon as the Amen was said we snatched up our forks. I was just about to put the first bite in my mouth when I noticed tiny black objects in the bean juice. I looked around the table at Daddy, Grandma, Barry, and Beverly who were devouring the butterbeans. With a sinking heart I told Daddy that the beans had black ants in them. At once you could have heard a pin drop. Every fork stopped mid air between plate and mouth. Daddy told me that it was just the hulls from the beans and to eat my food. No one moved until I told him “well Daddy this is the first time the hulls have had little legs” That’s when everyone at the table tossed their forks to the table. We ate sandwiches that night for dinner.
