MORE ADVENTURES OF JUNIOR
By Randall Roberson
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2009 Randall Roberson
Chapter One
Preparing to Camp Out
Sometimes as my mind wanders back to those precious, and most memorable of times while my son Junior was growing up, I find myself laughing a little. His boyish imagination could take him on some wonderful journeys by the thoughts conjured up as he and his pet dog, Marbles, played and grew together. Most of the memories I have of Junior are still very vivid, while others are a little vague, but I know that all of my thoughts of Junior, in times now past, were very pleasing. Thinking back…
It had been almost a week since the fair had left town, and Junior was still talking about it. There had not been a day that he wouldn’t admire his very first trophy, the first place blue ribbon he had won from the greased pig catching. Then he would find Marbles and tell him how he had it all planned out on how to catch that pig.
“Well ya sees Marbles, me had bent over pretendin’ to picks up sumpin’. But me was weally waitin’ on the pig. Then that pig got away fwom the west of those men, and wan wight between me legs. And me westled he down to the gwound.”
Marbles, his pet dog, would just sit there, taking in all of Junior’s words, like the best friend he had ever known.
One day Junior got up and was apparently back to being himself again, the mischievous little boy that I loved so dearly.
He came running into the kitchen and yelling, “Mom, what’s to eat? Me ‘tarvin’.”
The sudden yell from Junior caused Marbles to yelp and run for cover, and again Junior found him under the sofa, wedged tightly.
“Aw Marbles, it was just me, me not means to scare you, but me so hungry, me belly sounds like a bear gwowllin’.” said Junior.
I went to the living room and lifted the sofa, so Marbles could be reached and removed by Junior.
“C’mon Marbles, us has got to go eat.” said Junior as he pulled Marbles from under the sofa. I lowered the sofa back to the floor, then went to finish breakfast. When breakfast was ready, I told Junior he needed to go wash his hands.
“Why? Thems not dirty, why me needs to washes them?” he asked.
“Because, young man, you were touching Marbles, and may contact some type of germ.” I said.
At this, Junior looked at both hands, front and back, and said, “Me no sees no germs Mom, are this a twick to make me washes me hands?”
“It’s no trick Junior, germs are invisible, and can’t be seen.” I said.
“Well, if me can’t sees them, and you can’t sees them, how you knows they there?” asked Junior.
“I’ll explain it later, now go wash your hands.” I said, “And no washing Marbles right now.”
After we had eaten, Junior took Marbles outside to play. I had barely finished the dishes, when the phone rang. It was Mother, and she invited Junior and me over for dinner. I accepted, knowing that Junior would enjoy being at Mimaw’s house for a while. During my conversation with Mother, Junior had come inside long enough to get a throw off the sofa, then went back out. Later, I looked out the door checking to make sure he was alright. What I saw was the throw draped across a shrub bush on one end, and stretched out, down to the ground, on the other. Junior had it anchored down with a rock on each corner at the ground.
I could hear Junior, from underneath, talking to Marbles, “Boy, this tent nice, ain’t it Marbles?” he was saying, “Me bets it would be nicer if us was weally camping out.”
“Are you O.K. Junior?” I asked.
“Yeah, me o.k., me and Marbles just pretendin’ to has a campout, that’s all.” Junior sighed.
When I heard this, it gave me an idea. There was a lake about twenty miles north of town, which had camping areas with campers for weekend rentals. I went back inside and phoned Mother, to get her input about taking Junior camping.
“Since you asked me, Julia, I think it would be a good experience.” Mother was saying, “However, the other campers may not think so when they hear Juniors war yell when he starts getting excited.”
“Yes, I’ll agree,” I said, “but, after all, he’s just a little boy who likes adventure. Oh, Mother, I think he’s coming in. We’ll discuss this later at dinner. Love you, bye.”
The day seemed to pass rather quickly, and I wanted so much to tell Junior about our plans for camping, but thought it would be more surprising to wait until Mimaw could hear too. I did tell Junior earlier that we were going to Mimaw’s for dinner, and he was already excited about that.
“Marbles, did ya hears that?” Junior asked, “Us is going to Mimaw’s for dinner, and me loves her cookin’ .”
And he did too, he would normally eat better at Mother’s house than at his own home. I guess, the reason was, Mother would always prepare something special for Junior.
As the day began to give way to night, Junior and I prepared to leave for Mother’s house.
“Can us takes Marbles wiv us, Mom?” Junior began to ask.
“Not this time Junior, he will be alright until we come home. I gave him some fresh water, and fed him too, so he should be fine.” I assured Junior.
Junior didn’t complain much about it, so we started towards Mother’s. When we arrived, Mother was waiting, and had just finished preparing dinner. When Junior got out of the car, Mother came to him for a hug and kiss.
“How’s my little Grandson?” she asked, then she hugged him and was about to kiss him on the cheek, but Junior stopped her.
Junior said, “Aw, Mimaw, none of that mushy ’tuff. You might catches me germs.”
Without delay, Mother began to feel his forehead, and asked, “Julia, is Junior feeling alright? What’s this about germs?”
“He’s fine Mother, we were talking about germs earlier today when Junior was petting Marbles, and I told him to wash his hands, it’s nothing really.” I explained.
Hearing this calmed Mother a little, so we went inside her house and prepared for dinner. The whole house smelled wonderful from Mother’s dinner she had prepared for us.
I didn’t comment on the most pleasing aroma, but Junior sure did, “Mimaw, sumpin’ smells good, if me nose had teeths it would be eatin’ the air wight now. Oh wisten, me belly alweady gwowlin’ like a bear, when us gonna eats Mimaw?”
“Junior, that’s impolite!” I exclaimed.
“No it not Mom, it dinner an’ me are hungry!” Junior came back.
Mother couldn’t help but chuckle, then she said “Junior’s right, it’s not impolite, it’s dinner time.”
“O.k. Mother let’s eat, then we will talk about things later. As for you, Junior, we will talk later too, about politeness.” I said.
When we had finished eating, I got Junior cleaned up and told him to go into the living room, and if Mimaw didn’t mind, he could watch cartoons for a while. Mother didn’t mind so he took off for the living room.
With Junior occupied, I helped Mother with the clean up of the dishes and the table where Junior had spilled some food. While we were cleaning, I began to tell Mother my thoughts about the camping trip, and if we decided to take Junior, I wanted her to go also. She, on the other hand, thought it would be better for Junior and me if we went alone, but when I persisted, she reluctantly agreed.
We finished in the kitchen, then went to the living room where Junior was, and there he sat watching cartoons on television. Well, he was sitting there in front of the T.V. , but from his facial expression I knew he wasn’t really watching. Mother and I sat down on the sofa behind him and I don’t think he even knew we were in the room, until I spoke, then he came to life.
“What you did that for Mom? Me heart jumped, me head hitted the T.V., an’ me legs, me can’t feel thems! Is you an’ Mimaw In’ian or sumpin’? Me didn’t hears you when you came in.” Junior said.
“I’m sorry Junior, but you looked as if you were day dreaming while you were at the T.V.” I said.
Mother just roared with laughter when Junior corrected me, saying “Me wasn’t day dreamin’ Mom, me was night dreamin’, don’t ya knows it dark out side? So how could me be’s day dreamin’? An’ besides me weren’t dreamin’ at all, me was thinkin’ about sumpin’.”
“Well Junior, why don’t you tell Mimaw and me what you were thinking about?” I asked.
Without hesitation Junior began to tell Mother and I how he wanted to go on a real camping trip, his adventurous mind carrying him into the boundless images of things he could do while camping. When he finished telling us about his thoughts, he came over and sat between Mother and me on the sofa. Then I began to tell him that Mimaw and I had discussed the possibility of taking him camping. Now, imagine being next to a cannon when it is fired, and this would be an understatement for Junior’s thrill as he heard my words. But after a little while, Mother and I managed to calm him somewhat, or at least to the point that we could understand some of his questions.
“When us is goin’ Mom? Where us is goin’ ? How long it take us to git there? Can us tooks Marbles wiv us? Well Mom, ain’t ya gonna tells me sumpin’?” Junior’s five, fifty, or five hundred questions began.
“Junior!” I exclaimed “If I may get a word in I’ll tell you. Now, I will make a call tomorrow to set up a time for our trip, the place we are going is a camping area called Rivers Bend, it shouldn’t take us but about thirty to forty five minutes to get there, and I will find out tomorrow, when I call, if we can take Marbles with us.”
Mother then said “Well Julia, when you know something please call so I will know when to pack.”
Junior, now starting to calm down even more, began to yawn, so I told Mother I would call her as soon as I knew something.
“I think I had better head home Mother, it looks like I have one tired little boy to get to bed. Thanks for dinner, and I’ll call you tomorrow.” I said.
As we said good bye, I took Junior to the car and buckled him in, then we started home. I knew that Junior would rest peacefully tonight, and would probably dream about our camping trip. Before we arrived home, Junior was already asleep, so I parked the car and gently unbuckled him, then carried him in the house.
Upon opening the door, Marbles started barking, which in turn woke Junior up long enough for him to get ready for bed and say to Marbles, “Us is goin’ campin’ boy, weal soon.” Then he lay down and drifted back asleep, and after I had taken Marbles out for his relief, he returned inside and went to lay on the floor beside Junior’s bed.
The next morning I was awakened by Junior as he came running into my room, with the phone in his hand and yelling, “Here the phone are Mom, now you can calls an’ tell them us want to go campin’!”
“Thank you Junior, but I have to get up and get dressed, so you take the phone and put it back, and I will call in a while.” I said trying to get my eyes focused.
“O.k. but hurwy Mom ’cause me are anx…anxi…, me weally weady to go!” Junior stammered.
So I got dressed and went to prepare some breakfast. After we ate, I got the phone and called Rivers Bend camping area to reserve a camper, they had two available, so I asked them to reserve one for the week end under my name. Then I asked if we could bring a pet with us, and was told that it would be alright as long as it was kept on a leash or a tie out.
When I hung up the phone, I told Junior that we would be able to take Marbles with us, and that satisfied him very much. And as I think back on those years of Junior’s childhood, and the adventures he had as a child, I realize now that Marbles had become a very important part of Junior’s life. Nevertheless we were going to take Marbles camping too, and that was all that mattered.
Junior was now ecstatic about the idea of a real camping trip, but I managed to get him and Marbles to go outside to play. I phoned Mother to tell her we were going to the camping area for the week end, and she suggested that we should arrive on Friday afternoon so we would have enough time to unpack and organize our camping needs.
“I didn’t think of that Mother, but that’s a good idea, plus it will give Junior and Marbles, as well as ourselves an extra night.” I said.
“I’ll phone Rivers Bend and ask them to update our reservation, and get it set up for Friday afternoon.” said Mother.
I think Mother was getting almost as excited as Junior about the prospect of going on a camping trip, so I agreed to let her make the call.
Meanwhile, I called Junior into the house and said, “We are going to start out Friday afternoon for the camping area. Do you know when Friday is?”
And with the least amount of excitement he could withdraw Junior blurted, “Yep! It tomorwow, ain’t it Mom?”
“Yes it is, and I need you to help me pack some things for the trip. Think you can do that?” I asked.
“Weally Mom? You most times don’t askes me to help, but if ya weally needs me to I will.” Junior replied.
“Well, the first thing we need to do is go to town and get some things to take with us, like bread and meat for sandwiches, and a few other things.” I said.
So, with that, Junior and I prepared to go into town for the things we would need. I got my purse and locked the door, then went to the car with Junior.
We stopped at the Winn Dixie and went into the store, I got a shopping cart then told Junior we were only going to get the essentials for camping. Junior got in his usual place underneath the cart to ride as I shopped. I rolled the cart down the aisles and picked up some ready to eat items along with bread and sandwich meat. Then I picked up some colas for Mother and me, and some chocolate drinks for Junior. I continued shopping for a few other things, then we went to check out for me to pay.
We returned home, unloaded the spoilable items to put in the refrigerator and I began to pack some clothes for the trip. Junior got his back pack and began to pack some toys into it, but I told him only a few. After he had his pack ready, he came to ask if he could help me with some things. Junior and I finished our packing and we put our packs in the car.
Later in the evening, I turned the television on so I could catch the week end weather report, and accordingly, it was to be sunny with mild temperatures.
With everything now finished, we decided to call it a night and we each lay down with the anticipated arrival of Friday. We would go to Mother’s house and pick her up, then head for our destination.
During the night, I was awakened abruptly from sleep by a somewhat muffled thud and a distinct yelp. I jumped out of bed, ran to Junior’s room, flicked on the light and found Junior lying on the floor rubbing his left hip.
“Are you alright?” I yelled “Are you hurt? Where are you hurting? Answer me Junior!”
“Alwight, alwight” Junior said still rubbing his hip as he stood up, “one question at a time, me o.k., me not hurt ’cept for me hip, an’ me thinks it would be o.k. too, if that horsy didn’t kicks me.”
“What horse Junior? Were you dreaming and thought a horse was there?” I asked.
“Well me was asleep,” Junior said “but me thinks that horsy was a wittle rough for it to be’s a dream, me bewieve it more like a night mare.”
After I checked Junior over, I helped him back to bed, then kissed him good night and I returned to my room to lie down again.
The rest of the night passed with out any other things happening, and we got some much needed sleep. Marbles had finally returned to Juniors room some time during the night and was lying beside his bed when I went in to wake Junior the next morning.
The big day had arrived, so Junior couldn’t contain his emotions of being anxious to get started. I told him if he could hold his horses, the morning would pass before he knew it, not thinking of what had happened last night. And before I could think about what I had said, Junior piped up with his input.
“Oh, now you bewieves me has a weal horsy ’cause of that one last night kickin’ me off the bed,” he was saying, “an’ not just one horsy but two or three, else ya wouldn’t of said “hol’ your horsys”. Mom do me look like me got any to hol’?”
“Oh Junior, that was just a figure of speech” I said, “I didn’t mean you had horses, I just meant for you to be patient.”
After a while, Junior’s anxiety was calming down and he began to be more patient as the morning passed away towards mid day.
At ten thirty though, I told Junior we had better start for Mothers house because I needed to stop for gas. We put Marbles in the back seat with Junior and I buckled him in, he reached to get Marbles and held him while we were driving. I stopped for fuel and filled the tank, then we continued to Mother’s.
When we arrived I told Junior to sit there and I would help Mother with her things, he sat there as we put Mothers pack in the trunk of the car. Then we resumed our trip towards Rivers Bend, and the whole way Mother and Junior kept talking about how fun this was going to be. It seemed like only a few brief moments had passed as we arrived at our destination.
Chapter Two
Night Sounds And Visions
After parking the car in the allotted space provided by the manager of Rivers Bend, and locating our camper, we took our packs inside and began to put our things away. Junior, on the other hand, had the chore of putting the leash on Marbles and taking him for some relief and to refresh himself down at the lake.
Junior came back shortly with Marbles, and Mother and I went out to meet them. I called Junior over where I had located a good spot for Marbles to be tied out.
“Can you help me twist this tie out into the ground?” I asked Junior, “I don’t think I will be strong enough to do it alone.” I could have, but I wanted Junior to think he was really helping.
“Sure Mom, me will help ya. Me strong like me hero ’pider Man, but me can’t shoot a ’pider web like him does.” Junior replied.
We placed a sturdy branch, from a tree, through the “Y” shaped top of the cork screw tie out, and began to push down while twisting. As the tie out became secured to the ground, I place Marbles tie out cable into the built on eye and attached the other end to his collar. Marbles was close enough to a shade tree, that’s for sure, since trees were all around the area and he wouldn’t be in direct sunlight. I put his food dish close enough for him to reach it, but hopefully not spill the food, and his water bowl next to it. He sniffed around for a moment then found a spot to lie down.
Since we had arrived , we hadn’t eaten so I told Mother I was going to make us some sandwiches.
“Good, and if you don’t mind, I will take Junior to the lake and see what we can find.” said Mother.
“That’s fine, I’ll call you when they are ready.” I said.
“Mimaw? What you thinks us gonna find at the wake? Water, that what a wake are Mimaw, it water.” Junior said.
“Yes, I know it’s water, but what do you think lives in the water of a lake? We may find some muscle shells lying on the shore area.” said Mother.
“Ya means the wake has muckles Mimaw, an’ it are strong, too, like ’pider Man?” asked Junior not knowing what fresh water muscles were.
“No Junior, the muscle I am speaking of is sort of a fish, but they live in shells, and some times wild animals, like raccoons, will eat the muscle from the shell, and some of the shells we might find can be pretty.” Mother explained.
Junior and Mother went down to the lake and began to explore the shore line for shells. They had found several small ones and a few large, then Junior spotted something white and barely visible above the ground. He went over and took his shoe to rake the ground where this object was. In a moment he had it in his hand showing it to Mother, and she placed it in the lake to wash off the excess dirt. What Junior had found was an authentic Indian arrow head, and when Mother told him, campers all around us knew that Junior had arrived.
“Ya means me found a weal arwow head likes the In’ians use on T.V., boy me the luckiest boy awive. Can us keeps it Mimaw?” Junior screamed.
“Well of course you can keep it, you found it didn’t you? And if you found it then it is yours.” Mother said.
“Yippee!” Junior yelled again, “Me gonna shows Mom what me found Mimaw!”
I had stepped outside the camper in time enough to hear Juniors first scream, and almost through our food into the air, but managed to keep it balanced on the paper plate. I didn’t have to call for them to come eat, because Junior was running in my direction followed by Mother.
“Mom, look what me found, look, ain’t it perty Mom? Know what this are Mom? It are a weal In’ian arwow head like them uses on T.V.” Junior yelled, “Me found it an’ Mimaw washed it an’ here it are. Me vewwy own arwow head!”
I put the plate of sandwiches on the picnic table close to our camper, and looked at the prize arrow head Junior had found. It was large and very pretty, perfectly intact without any damages to the structure.
“Oh, an’ us found some perty shells, too, Mom.” said Junior.
Then he took the arrow head and the shells and showed them to Marbles, explaining how he and Mimaw had found them. Marbles just sniffed the items Junior was showing him then went back and lay down.
I told Junior to come and eat his sandwich with Mimaw and me, and afterwards we could all explore the lake area. He placed the arrow head in his pocket and came to eat, but before he ate, I took a sanitary cloth and cleaned his hands. Mother came out of the camper from washing her hands, and joined us. As we sat under the shade of the trees, I couldn’t help noticing how peaceful it seemed. The birds in the distance were singing, and a slight breeze was blowing, making it such a wonderful setting. Mother even commented on the fact of how nice it was to be away from the everyday noise of the city. Junior and I didn’t live in the city, but there was a state highway close enough for us to hear traffic noise, so even for us this was very enjoyable.
Marbles, now roused by the scent of our sandwiches, came to Junior and sat at his feet looking up at him. Junior saw him, and thinking I didn’t see what he was doing, he broke off a small piece of his bread and gave it to Marbles. Then he took a big drink of his cola and when he put the can back on the table, he let out a huge burp that Mother and I couldn’t help laughing at.
“What me do?” Junior asked, “All me doed was burpted, what so funny?”
“Because Junior, it sounded almost like thunder as it echoed across the woods.” Mother chuckled.
Hearing this even made Junior laugh a little, while Marbles looked at him wanting another bite of Juniors sandwich. He broke off some more bread and gave it to Marbles, then finished his sandwich and cola.
Mother and I were finished also, so I threw the paper plate and cans in the garbage, and asked if everyone was ready to explore the lake shore.
“Can us takes Marbles wiv us Mom?” asked Junior.
“Sure, I don’t see why we couldn’t. But we will have to put his leash back on.” I said.
We got Marbles ready and went to the lake, then began to walk slowly down the shore line finding more shells, until Marbles discovered a hole in the soft area of the dirt. He stopped and sniffed the hole with his ears perked up like he was listening.
Junior asked, “What you finds boy? What in there? Mom, Marbles finded sumpin’ but all me sees are a hole. What ya thinks it might be Mom?”
Since I was new to this also, I didn’t quite know what to make of the hole that Marbles had found. Mother looked too, and told us it was a crayfish hole, better known as a crawfish.
After a few moments of digging at the hole, Marbles turned to face us and sat down. No one had to tell Marbles anything about the hole, because Mr. Crawfish told him all he needed to know. His sudden yelp, and continued yelping as he circled round and round, showed us what was wrong. The crawfish had taken a pincher and grabbed Marbles on his hip. Finally, he sat down and began to bite at the annoying crawfish, managing to get him off the hip, and onto his nose. This time his yelp was much louder, but with an extreme shaking of his head, the crawfish was unlatched and sent out into the lake. Marbles, barking at the lake and sometimes whining a little, came to Junior and sat down on his feet. The suddenness of Marbles encounter, and the circling he had done, had caused Junior to spin around watching him. Junior had become dizzy and had fallen down, but had sat up just before Marbles came to lay on his feet.
Marbles was licking two wound areas, his hip and his nose, neither of which was any way serious, but Junior insisted that I look at him to make sure he was alright. Mother had enjoyed every moment of this mishap of Marbles, and was still laughing as she helped Junior up so I could get a better look at Marbles. He was fine like I had told Junior.
Then Junior said to Marbles, “You might had better stuck close to me boy, me not knows you about to be attackted by sumpin’. Me guesses us are pwaying like us cowboys an’ dwaggon swayers.”
As we walked further, I don’t know if Marbles understood Junior, but he stayed right beside him the entire time. Occasionally Junior would stop and pet him in a reassuring way while Marbles licked his hand in gratitude, then we would continue. We came near a small group of trees and stopped briefly, a couple of the trees were pines, and this is where we had stopped. Marbles again sat down on Juniors feet, while Junior squatted beside him. While there, a pine cone came falling down and bumped Junior on his head.
He looked up at the top of the tree and said, “Mom, me think this twee is throwing stuff at me an’ Marbles.”
I said “No Junior, it was probably the breeze that caused the cone to fall.”
I had barely finished speaking, when another came falling and hit Mother on the arm. This made our curiosity rouse, and we began to search the tree. About mid way up we caught a glimpse of movement, and as we kept our eyes focused on the spot, a squirrel shot out onto a branch.
Junior saw us looking upwards and asked, “What ya lookin’ at Mimaw? Does ya sees a bird?”
“No, it’s not a bird.” Mother said, “It’s a squirrel, and he is the reason we have been being bombed with pine cones.”
Junior looked up and saw the squirrel too, then he looked at Marbles and back at the squirrel.
“Marbles, me boy, me sure hope that ’quirrel ’tays up there in the twee, ’cause if him comes down us gonna has to run an’ hide. Hims as big as you is boy.” Junior told Marbles.
The squirrel was a large one, but not as large as Junior had described, and I don’t think it would have come down from the tree any way, while we were there.
We moved ahead and came to a wet sandy spot where Mother and Junior tried to build a sand castle using a can that some camper had neglected to dispose of. Watching them building the castle was great, but when I joined in, we all had a blast, including Marbles. Every time we almost had it finished, Marbles would jump into it and tear it down, but that didn’t matter, we were having fun.
By the time we finally had the castle built, the evening sun was beginning to sink into the horizon, so we started back to our camper, talking and laughing at the events of our afternoon.
The light was fading when we reached our camper, but there was enough light left for Junior to see an animal near our garbage can.
“Mom, what are that? It look like a kitty cat wiv white paint all the way down hims back.” Junior said.
I stopped Junior in his tracks and said, “Be very quiet Junior,…don’t move and don’t say any thing.”
Mother had seen it too, and for the first time, Junior didn’t say any thing, and that was surprising to both of us. What we saw was a skunk, and I didn’t want to take a chance of getting sprayed by it. We waited, not making a sound, and hoping it would hurry and leave, then Marbles saw it and began to bark. We must have been far enough away so the skunk didn’t feel threatened; whatever the case may have been, the barking caused the skunk to leave, and that was a relief.
With our visitor gone, we went into the camper and turned our lights on. I place a pot on our stove and put some water in to boil, while Mother and Junior went back outside with Marbles. When I started the pot, I joined them briefly and notice the moon starting to rise, having a hint of redness and appearing very large on the lake. I told Junior and Mother to look at the beauty that could be seen over the lake, it was breathtaking. The light from the moon seemed to shimmer across the small ripples on the water, for it was a full moon.
“Boy, Marbles me sure hope there ain’t no vampires out tonight!” Junior exclaimed looking at the moon.
“Aw Junior, there is no such things as vampires. And besides, if there was, don’t you think Marbles would bark letting us know if something were around? Or wouldn’t you believe that your Mom and I would protect you and not let any thing happen to you?” asked Mother.
“That’s right,” I said “we would never let anything or any one hurt you.”
“Yeah, me knows you an’ Mimaw always help me, an’ me know there weally ain’t no vampires.” said Junior.
Then, as he spoke, a mosquito, biting fly or some thing must have bitten him on his neck.
He yelled, “Mom, Mimaw, Marbles one got me! Me don’t sees him but me feel him tushes,…help!”
Mother looked Junior over and apparently didn’t see anything, but she took Junior inside and I brought Marbles in behind her. It was a good thing I did follow, the pot was now boiling so I turned off the stove. Mother had gotten a can from her things and came over to Junior who was now sitting in a chair.
“Junior, you’ve seen on T.V. how something called garlic causes vampires to leave, right?” Mother asked.
“Yep, an’ thems leave perty fas’ too, don’t ’em Mimaw?” Junior asked.
“Yes they do. Well, what I have in this can is spray on garlic juice, it may smell bad a little, but it will keep those vampires away.” Mother told Junior.
I was making some tea for Mother and me while listening to her explain how this would help, and I thought for a moment of how she used to calm my childish fears when I was growing up. I took Mother her tea and we sat down on the small sofa in the camper.
“Boy Mimaw, you wight, this stuff don’t smell good. You don’t thinks it will makes Marbles leave does ya?” Junior asked.
“No it won’t make him leave, it only works for vampires.” said Mother.
We finished our tea and Junior ate a few cookies then we went back outside for a while. The bug repelant, or rather, “garlic juice” must have worked on Junior, since he didn’t say anything else about vampires.
Sitting there in the early part of the night was very relaxing, listening to the sounds of the crickets and frogs near the lake. A night bird could be heard as he landed in a tree not far from us, it was an owl because a few moments later we heard a resounding “Whoo, whoo.”
Junior stood up from beside Marbles and answered, “It me,…it Junior.”
A moment later another “Whoo, whoo.” sounded, and again Junior yelled “It me,… it Junior Snobcopper. Who ya think it are? It me an’ Marbles an’ Mimaw an’ Mom!”
When Mother and I heard the sincerity in Junior’s voice, as he answered the owl, we burst out laughing.
“What so funny?” Junior asked, “ Him not ask nothin’ but who, who.”
“You were answering an owl,” I explained between laughs, “that’s a bird that is most active at night.”