My Pappa's Downfall

When I was somewhere between the ages of 3 and 5, our neighbor decided she wanted our farm. She schemed to send her 18 year old daughter to seduce my pappa and to make him think he was to father a child.

My pappa was taken in. His way to deal with the problem was to supply his family with groceries and leave to take the girl where she could stay and have the child. While he was getting dressed to leave, I was under foot and wondering what was going on. I well remember how he dressed in his brown suit, had the T-Model shined up, and the gum he was chewing had such an aroma I can still smell it - teaberry.

After he left to take this girl away, I remember folks coming in to console my mamma. I was very small but had very "big ears." No one noticed that I was broken-hearted. I thought I would never see my pappa again.

Later my pappa found out he had been deceived, that her story was a lie, and that she had just used him. When he knew the truth, he left her behind and made his way home to us. This was the greatest moment of my life. My pappa was home!