a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Sunday, July 12, 2015

An Eye For An Eye


We buried Ma and the boys down by the creek when the scarlet fever took them. It wuz jus' me an Pa for a lon' time.  I turned suitors away 'cause Pa needed me.  I weren't leavin' him for nothin'.

Pa always said a liar was worse than a thief cuz sometimes there's reason to steal but thar's ne'er a reason to lie.

Tonight while I's out, that good for nothin' neighbor came to jaw with Pa some. He told a pack of lies and Pa believed 'im!

Pa wuz waitin' when I come in, white as a ghost and mad as a wet hen.  He had his double ought ready and gave me no choice.  His voice shook and a tear rolled down his cheek but his aim and his intent wuz steady.  

Said he'd heard I'd been sneakin' around seein' the new teacher and up to no good. I tried to tell him why I had been seein' Teacher but Pa di'na let me git a word in edge wise.  He cocked that scatter gun and said, "Git outta this house, girl. I don't abide liars ner whores!"

I packed my few belongin's in a bed roll and saddled my old horse, Isaiah, and left without lookin' back.

"An eye for an eye..." the Bible said cuz I 'member all the words Ma read to us by lamp light.  First I shot that no account neighbor for lying to Pa. Then I seen Teacher and tol' him.  He hept me writ a letter to Pa about what I'd done and the why of it 'n ask Teacher to read it to Pa after he'd cooled down some.

I's a murderer and they hang people for that but I weren't no liar, ner a whore, ner a thief. I'd been learnin' to read so's I could read to Pa at night jes like Ma usta do.

Ole Isaiah and I headed west.  I'd heard you could get lost out there.
Thanks, Tess!

32 comments:

kaykuala said...

Very crisp and a very real tale in them classic lingo! Great write Gail!

Hank

Anonymous said...

I love this! Now, please write the whole book.

Keith's Ramblings said...

This is amazing! The accent is so readable that it gives an extra dimension the piece. Bril!

Visit Keith's Ramblings!

MadSnapper said...

I do hope she found herself a good man and all her descendants are out here until this day reading those books out loud... good story... i think she should have shot Pa for not believing her.

Gorges Smythe said...

That's the beginning of a good book!

Berowne said...

Powerful story, well told.

Grace said...

Go for it ~ Enjoyed the story Gail ~

Lynne said...

You have that lingo down pat!
You done good girl . . .

Maude Lynn said...

I love this!

Anonymous said...

This is a great tale!

Carola Bartz said...

I would like to read more. What happened to her then, out west? I don't think she got lost... Great read!

Deepa said...

I loved the story and its voice, Brilliant!

Kutamun said...

I think she showed True Grit , and i'm sure it will work out for this Sorcerers Apprentice ....

LilliStJohn said...

Great beginning of great story. Well done Gail. That gal had lots of grit and determination.

Arkansas Patti said...

A great hook to what could be a riveting book.

Helen said...

A great big WOW ~~~ I thoroughly enjoyed your prose piece, left me wanting more.

Debbie said...

i wasn't sure at first, was i reading an excerpt from a book??? i had to read the comments, then i knew...well written, well done!!!

Sandy Livesay said...

Well written!

Unknown said...

Nice language play. :-)

Michaele said...

This was perfect! I am sure they will be concating you for the movie rights!

Cranberry Morning said...

No kidding. You wrote that? It's amazing!! Like a cross between Harper Lee and Willa Cather. This is a book. Keep going!

Lowcarb team member said...

How you managed to write in the accent / voice was excellent.

Love the picture caption too.

All the best Jan

Magaly Guerrero said...

Beautifully crafted, Gail. I'm a sucker for well balanced dialect. And the tale itself? Wow! Now I want to know everything about this woman, and about her Pa. I feel she will do well. But the old man's heart is probably broken; ignorance is such killer of relationships.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I like! I hope the MC escapes (gets lost) too. Is it right to cheer for a murderer?

T

Truedessa said...

Gail, you did a great job with this one..the language really made me feel the story.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful voice in this - well done!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Not sure being a murderer is better, but she proved she wasn't a liar. Well done with the accent.

Josie Two Shoes said...

Awesome!!

Ira said...

It was like reading from a book. Enjoyed it!

21 Wits said...

Oh goodness girl, you's a wonderful writer! This is rocking hilarious and gripping too! I just finally got mine posted too, so I can begin reading these!

The Blog of Bee said...

I just love, love this. I knew when I read the first line it was going to be good. And I was right!

Tess Kincaid said...

Delightful...dialect and all...

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...