opened the small fridge and grabbed the half gallon Mason pitcher that held the elixir that made life worth living, sweet tea. And my life was quickly coming to an end. We had plenty of sugar still, but the tea bags were running low. I limited myself to one glass a day, first thing in the morning; and I loved it. Tipping the Mason jar up, I let the magical liquid fall into the back of my mouth, and closed my eyes. I savored it for a moment, holding it there. Wine ain’t got shit on this, I thought as I finally swallowed it.
I sipped the tea as I got my gear together. Since I was the only one up, I took the opportunity to clean my weapons. They’d gotten pretty wet the night before, and now was a good a time as any. Mel came out half way through the cleaning of my carbine. Seeing it disemboweled on her dining table wasn’t the best good morning I could have offered.
“Hey babe,” I said with a smile.
She folded her arms, leaning against the door to our room, “What do you think you’re doing on my table?”
I held the bolt carrier of my AR up, “Looks like I’m cleaning my rifle.”
“You have a workbench for that out in your shop,” she replied with no sense of humor.
“Sorry babe. I was up early, and it was quiet.” Looking down at the disassembled weapon, I added, “it’s kind of like therapy.”
She passed me going into the kitchen; “You need to keep the therapy to your shop.”
I quickly reassembled the carbine and packed my kit as Mel lit the kerosene stove. “You going to be here for breakfast?” Mel asked.
Wiping the table with the handkerchief I kept in my cleaning kit, I smiled and replied, “That would be great.”
“The girls would appreciate it.”
Leaning the rifle against the wall, I asked, “Would you?”
Mel set a pan over the flame and looked up, “I know you’re busy.”
Walking over, I wrapped my arms around her, “I’m never too busy for you.”
In reply, she reached back and rubbed my face. Her lack of words spoke more to me in that moment than anything she could have said. I fussed around the kitchen with her, grinding coffee for her in the small hand grinder; she preferred coffee in the morning. It was a secret I’d kept from everyone. I’d found a small bag of some froo froo artisanal coffee in the house with the guy that shot himself and brought it home to Mel. After mixing some of the last flour and water, I set the tortilla skillet on a burner and lit it. As the skillet heated, I headed for the girls’ rooms.
Opening Taylor’s door, I looked at her for a moment. It was always funny to me to see her sleeping; she always appeared to have been blasted into whatever position she was in. I sat on her bed and gave her a nudge, “Hey kiddo, wake up.” She rolled over and looked up at me through squinted eyes. “You coming out for breakfast?”
She sat up, “Sure, I’m hungry.”
“Get dressed; I’ll get your sisters.”
Going into Lee Ann and Little Bit’s room, I grabbed the blanket covering Little Bit and jerked it off. “Rise and shine sleepy head!” She immediately curled into a ball. I did the same thing to Lee Ann, and she performed the same roly-poly routine as her sister. It brought back memories of my dad waking me up as a kid, or when he would come into the bathroom when I was taking a shower and toss ice water over the top of shower curtain. I grinned; these girls have it easy. I grabbed Lee Ann by the big toe and started to pull her out of bed. She kicked my hand with her other foot, and then looked up.
“Quit!” Seeing me, she apologized.
I smiled, “It’s OK, come on; we’re going to have breakfast.”
Little Bit got up, rubbing her eyes and wandered out to the kitchen. Taylor was out there when I got to the kitchen; and Lee Ann came out right behind me. The girls helped, rolling the balls for the tortillas; and I pressed them out. A minute on the grill and they were ready. Our breakfast was simple, scrambled eggs wrapped in
I sipped the tea as I got my gear together. Since I was the only one up, I took the opportunity to clean my weapons. They’d gotten pretty wet the night before, and now was a good a time as any. Mel came out half way through the cleaning of my carbine. Seeing it disemboweled on her dining table wasn’t the best good morning I could have offered.
“Hey babe,” I said with a smile.
She folded her arms, leaning against the door to our room, “What do you think you’re doing on my table?”
I held the bolt carrier of my AR up, “Looks like I’m cleaning my rifle.”
“You have a workbench for that out in your shop,” she replied with no sense of humor.
“Sorry babe. I was up early, and it was quiet.” Looking down at the disassembled weapon, I added, “it’s kind of like therapy.”
She passed me going into the kitchen; “You need to keep the therapy to your shop.”
I quickly reassembled the carbine and packed my kit as Mel lit the kerosene stove. “You going to be here for breakfast?” Mel asked.
Wiping the table with the handkerchief I kept in my cleaning kit, I smiled and replied, “That would be great.”
“The girls would appreciate it.”
Leaning the rifle against the wall, I asked, “Would you?”
Mel set a pan over the flame and looked up, “I know you’re busy.”
Walking over, I wrapped my arms around her, “I’m never too busy for you.”
In reply, she reached back and rubbed my face. Her lack of words spoke more to me in that moment than anything she could have said. I fussed around the kitchen with her, grinding coffee for her in the small hand grinder; she preferred coffee in the morning. It was a secret I’d kept from everyone. I’d found a small bag of some froo froo artisanal coffee in the house with the guy that shot himself and brought it home to Mel. After mixing some of the last flour and water, I set the tortilla skillet on a burner and lit it. As the skillet heated, I headed for the girls’ rooms.
Opening Taylor’s door, I looked at her for a moment. It was always funny to me to see her sleeping; she always appeared to have been blasted into whatever position she was in. I sat on her bed and gave her a nudge, “Hey kiddo, wake up.” She rolled over and looked up at me through squinted eyes. “You coming out for breakfast?”
She sat up, “Sure, I’m hungry.”
“Get dressed; I’ll get your sisters.”
Going into Lee Ann and Little Bit’s room, I grabbed the blanket covering Little Bit and jerked it off. “Rise and shine sleepy head!” She immediately curled into a ball. I did the same thing to Lee Ann, and she performed the same roly-poly routine as her sister. It brought back memories of my dad waking me up as a kid, or when he would come into the bathroom when I was taking a shower and toss ice water over the top of shower curtain. I grinned; these girls have it easy. I grabbed Lee Ann by the big toe and started to pull her out of bed. She kicked my hand with her other foot, and then looked up.
“Quit!” Seeing me, she apologized.
I smiled, “It’s OK, come on; we’re going to have breakfast.”
Little Bit got up, rubbing her eyes and wandered out to the kitchen. Taylor was out there when I got to the kitchen; and Lee Ann came out right behind me. The girls helped, rolling the balls for the tortillas; and I pressed them out. A minute on the grill and they were ready. Our breakfast was simple, scrambled eggs wrapped in
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