The Government Man

Note: This is a short story I wrote for a Creative Writing class I took in 1992. It is a fictionalized account of an incident in my grandfather's childhood.

1918

The kerosene lamp in the center of the table cast a warm glow in the kitchen. Mama opened the oven and took out a pan of cornbread.

"Mama, when are we gonna eat? I'm hungry!" Gordon asked.

"We'll eat as soon as your papa and Charlie come in from doing the chores. Now, go get your hands washed."

Gordon went over to the wash stand beside the back door and dipped the tips of his fingers in the water. He reached for the towel.

"Use soap, Gordon!" Mama said.

"Yes, ma'am." Gordon reluctantly reached for the bar of lye soap in the dish behind the wash bowl. "How did Mama know I didn't use soap?" he grumbled to himself. "She wasn't even looking. She was stirring the beans!"

As he was swiping his hands on the towel he heard footsteps outside. The door opened and Papa came in. He was followed by Charlie, the lanky, young hired man.

"Mmm. Smells good," Papa said as he reached for the soap.

"Just beans and cornbread," Mama replied.

"Nothing wrong with that," Papa declared. "It's hot and filling. Sounds good to me."

"Well, it's ready. Just let me pour the coffee," Mama said, reaching for the pot on the back of the stove.

Papa pulled out his chair at the head of the table and sat down. Charlie ambled around to the other end of the table to take his seat. Gordon climbed up on the bench along the side of the table.

"Thelma! Supper!" Mama called.

"Coming, Mama," was the reply from the other room. Thelma was six and Mama sometimes let her rock the baby's cradle when Mama was busy doing something else.

"Did Lawton go to sleep?" Mama asked as Thelma came into the kitchen.

"Yes, ma'am. Just now," Thelma replied as she hurriedly took her seat beside Gordon.

Mama put the cornbread on the table and sat down. She folded her hands in her lap and bowed her head. Everyone else followed suit. Then Papa offered thanks.

When the prayer was over Mama began dipping the steamy, hot beans into individual bowls.

"Well, I heard from Uncle Sam today, Kate," Papa said.

"Oh, no!" Mama looked scared.

"I know. I had hoped the war would be over before it came to this. But, they've been fair and allowed me to stay home this long to take care of the farm and the family. Now I guess it's my turn to help win the war."

"Wish I was old enough to go," Charlie stated. "Just wait 'til my birthday next year. I'll be outta here quicker than greased lightning. Then I'll show 'em!"

"When do you have to go, Frank?" Mama asked.

"Well, I go next week to the City for a physical and mental examination. Then I'll be on a waiting list to be called whenever they need men," Papa replied.

"So you don't have to go right away?"

"No."

"Well, that's a relief anyway. I just pray that this terrible war will be over soon," Mama said.

"Mama," Thelma said as soon as she had a chance to speak without interrupting, "can I have some sugar in my clabbered milk?"

"Me, too, Mama. I want sugar in my clabber, too," Gordon said.

"Not this time, children. We have to be careful with the sugar. But you can have some honey for your cornbread."

"You kids better be careful," Charlie spoke up. "The government man, Herbert Hoover, might get you if you eat too much sugar!"

"What's a Government Man?" Gordon asked.

"Why, he's the man who goes around getting little kids who eat too much sugar!"

Gordon and Thelma looked at one another. They were not sure they believed Charlie. Until the next afternoon...

Dinner was over. Thelma was helping Mama wash the dishes. Papa was stretched out on the floor of the porch with a brick under his head. He always took a little nap after dinner before heading back to the fields. Gordon sat beside Charlie on the steps and played with one of Betty Fay's kittens.

Gordon became aware of a roaring overhead about the same time Charlie looked up. Papa sat up and called Mama and Thelma to come out.

"Look, children, it's an aeroplane." Papa pointed up to the bi-plane as it flew over the farm.

"Where's it going, Papa? Who's in that aeroplane?" Gordon wanted to know.

"The Government Man is in that aeroplane," Charlie said before Papa had a chance to answer. "And he's coming to get you kids for eating sugar!"

"Papa, is he?" Gordon was worried. He did not trust the "Government Man". Anybody who denied little kids sugar in their clabber was not to be trusted.

"No, Gordon, I don't think so," Papa calmly replied. "I expect the 'Government Man' has better things to do than going around checking on little kids."

That made Gordon feel a little better, but he carefully watched the aeroplane to make sure it would not land in one of Papa's fields. It finally passed out of sight and Gordon relaxed.

Papa made the trip to Oklahoma City the following week to be tested for the army. When he returned the whole family, along with Charlie, took the farm wagon to meet him at the depot in Eldorado. Papa drove the team home, then unloaded his purchases.

The children gathered around to see what Papa had brought. There was a stick of candy each for Gordon and Thelma. He had brought a bolt of blue calico for Mama. The remaining package he unwrapped was for himself.

"Look at these overalls, Kate," Papa said as he held them up. "This striped fabric is something new. I thought maybe it wouldn't show dirt so bad." Papa's overalls had always been solid blue denim before.

"Your papa's joined the army," Charlie told the children. "See his striped army suit? It's just like Uncle Sam's!" Thelma and Gordon looked at the new overalls once more. It was true. They had seen pictures of Uncle Same in blue striped pants at the post office.

"Are you gonna be a soldier, Papa?" Gordon asked.

"Well, son, I hope note. It looks like this war is about over. In any case, 'army suits' are drab green, not blue stripes. Soldiers don't dress like Uncle Sam."

"They don't?"

"No. Charlie's been pulling your leg again. Anyway, I'd rather be a farmer than a soldier, wouldn't you?"

"I sure would, 'cause farmers get to wear pretty blue stripes like Uncle Sam's!"

By Karla Cook. Copyright 1992.