coffin’ll be.”
Joey Frank stayed down on the ground while Ernie got up, stood on his tiptoes and looked through the window. He could see the coffin well and could tell that the corpse was a man. He bent his head down sideways to view the body from that angle. He held the position for a moment. He raised his head back up and bent it down to the other side, squinting his eyes to get a better look at the dead man. In a moment he whispered down to Joey Frank, saying, “That fella a-layin’ in that coffin in yonder looks like ole Banker Tolbert.”
“The heck you say, Ernie Brown.”
“Yeah, he does, looks just like’m. Git up from there an’ take a look for yoreself. Keep your voice down when you commence to talkin’.”
Joey Frank slowly raised up, looked through the window and said, “I cain’t see too good, Ernie, ‘cause yore breath has got the window all fogged up.”
Ernie reached over, wiped the glass with his hand and whispered, “Can you see better now?”
“Yeah, a little bit.”
“Well, what’cha thank? Do you thank he looks like Banker Tolbert or not?”
“I don’t know Ernie, I guess he sorta looks like’m. I cain’t tell if dead folks favor anybody or not. To me they never did favor their own self.”
“Well, can you tell if that woman over yonder a-sittin’ on the front row with that black thang over her face, that’s s’pose to be the fella’s wife, is Miss Rene or not?”
“No, I cain’t Ernie, ‘cause she keeps a-lookin down at the floor, an’ I cain’t git a good look at her face.”
Ernie turned away from the window, saying, “Let’s sit down here for a spell, Joey Frank; my legs is hurtin’. Maybe that preacher’ll git around to callin’ that fella’s name in a little bit.”
Joey Frank replied “From what that preacher’s done said in there, I’m commencin’ to wonder if he’s even got a name. All he’s called him so far, over an’ over is ‘This man, this man.’”
“Preacher’s say that at all fella’s fun’rals, Joey Frank. If that wuz a woman’s fun’ral he wuz a-preachin’ in there, then he’d be a-sayin’, ‘This woman, this woman.’ That’s just a habit that them preachers have got, that’s all. He’ll git around to callin’ his name after a while.”
If the preacher ever called the man’s name, then the boys missed hearing it. During that time, a pain hit Ernie in the stomach, and he had to make fast tracks to a patch of woods. Joey Frank went along with him because he didn’t want to be left by himself.
As they were returning to the church, they heard the choir singing. Ernie said, “The way it’s soundin’ in yonder, Joey Frank, I’d say that it’s a-gittin’ close to the end ‘cause they a-sangin’ that sad song that wuz sung at gran’ma’s fun’ral. If that preacher’s gonna call that fella’s name, then he’ll do it when them folks stop singin’ ‘cause that’s when they about ready to close the coffin lid. He’s gonna jabber some stuff, an’ in ‘twix of what he’s sayin’ he’s gonna be a-callin’ his name. That’s the way they done it when Gran’ma wuz put to rest”.
The boys sneaked back to the window at the church. They stood quietly for a while, listening closely for the preacher to call the deceased by his name. He referred to him only as being a prominent man and an angel, who was now in heaven with his Maker. Ernie whispered that the dead man couldn’t possibly be Banker Tolbert about whom the preacher was talking. He said that it doesn’t look as though he was going to call his name and they could find out in Ruby Creek who was being put to rest.
They made their way back to the shrubbery, where they had left their things. Joey Frank almost cried at the sight he saw. His egg basket was overturned and shells lay scattered on the ground. He picked up the basket and found there wasn’t one single egg left. He said in disgust, “Well, Ernie, I won’t git no shoes today for shore
Joey Frank stayed down on the ground while Ernie got up, stood on his tiptoes and looked through the window. He could see the coffin well and could tell that the corpse was a man. He bent his head down sideways to view the body from that angle. He held the position for a moment. He raised his head back up and bent it down to the other side, squinting his eyes to get a better look at the dead man. In a moment he whispered down to Joey Frank, saying, “That fella a-layin’ in that coffin in yonder looks like ole Banker Tolbert.”
“The heck you say, Ernie Brown.”
“Yeah, he does, looks just like’m. Git up from there an’ take a look for yoreself. Keep your voice down when you commence to talkin’.”
Joey Frank slowly raised up, looked through the window and said, “I cain’t see too good, Ernie, ‘cause yore breath has got the window all fogged up.”
Ernie reached over, wiped the glass with his hand and whispered, “Can you see better now?”
“Yeah, a little bit.”
“Well, what’cha thank? Do you thank he looks like Banker Tolbert or not?”
“I don’t know Ernie, I guess he sorta looks like’m. I cain’t tell if dead folks favor anybody or not. To me they never did favor their own self.”
“Well, can you tell if that woman over yonder a-sittin’ on the front row with that black thang over her face, that’s s’pose to be the fella’s wife, is Miss Rene or not?”
“No, I cain’t Ernie, ‘cause she keeps a-lookin down at the floor, an’ I cain’t git a good look at her face.”
Ernie turned away from the window, saying, “Let’s sit down here for a spell, Joey Frank; my legs is hurtin’. Maybe that preacher’ll git around to callin’ that fella’s name in a little bit.”
Joey Frank replied “From what that preacher’s done said in there, I’m commencin’ to wonder if he’s even got a name. All he’s called him so far, over an’ over is ‘This man, this man.’”
“Preacher’s say that at all fella’s fun’rals, Joey Frank. If that wuz a woman’s fun’ral he wuz a-preachin’ in there, then he’d be a-sayin’, ‘This woman, this woman.’ That’s just a habit that them preachers have got, that’s all. He’ll git around to callin’ his name after a while.”
If the preacher ever called the man’s name, then the boys missed hearing it. During that time, a pain hit Ernie in the stomach, and he had to make fast tracks to a patch of woods. Joey Frank went along with him because he didn’t want to be left by himself.
As they were returning to the church, they heard the choir singing. Ernie said, “The way it’s soundin’ in yonder, Joey Frank, I’d say that it’s a-gittin’ close to the end ‘cause they a-sangin’ that sad song that wuz sung at gran’ma’s fun’ral. If that preacher’s gonna call that fella’s name, then he’ll do it when them folks stop singin’ ‘cause that’s when they about ready to close the coffin lid. He’s gonna jabber some stuff, an’ in ‘twix of what he’s sayin’ he’s gonna be a-callin’ his name. That’s the way they done it when Gran’ma wuz put to rest”.
The boys sneaked back to the window at the church. They stood quietly for a while, listening closely for the preacher to call the deceased by his name. He referred to him only as being a prominent man and an angel, who was now in heaven with his Maker. Ernie whispered that the dead man couldn’t possibly be Banker Tolbert about whom the preacher was talking. He said that it doesn’t look as though he was going to call his name and they could find out in Ruby Creek who was being put to rest.
They made their way back to the shrubbery, where they had left their things. Joey Frank almost cried at the sight he saw. His egg basket was overturned and shells lay scattered on the ground. He picked up the basket and found there wasn’t one single egg left. He said in disgust, “Well, Ernie, I won’t git no shoes today for shore
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