When we arrive home, Uncle Sammy is glad to see everyone. A wink is given in my direction as he smacks my butt. He tries getting close to Katie. She immediately drops the cast-iron pan she is carrying so she can bend down to pick it up just as he approaches her. The pan dropping makes a lot of noise. Mama looks in Uncle Sammy’s direction. He gets the hint and walks to another room.
Sandy is sure glad to see us. She doesn’t like being left behind with Uncle Sammy. He hates animals and doesn’t give her any attention. With her tail wagging a mile-a-minute she gives everyone kisses.
Mama doesn’t say much to old Uncle Frank. Unfortunately for us, he arrived home the night before. It looks like he didn’t get much sleep. His eyes have dark circles under them and they are bloodshot. He is still wearing the same clothes, and he reeks of beer and cigarettes. I don’t want my clothes smelling like some dead animal. I stay far away from him.
• • •
Katie is still grounded. She stays in the yard and sunbathes in pink shorts and a pink sleeveless top. Our yard is huge; there are a lot of bushes close to our house so no one can see her. We have pear trees, apple trees and a few cherry trees by our barn. Mama has plenty of room for flower gardens, a vegetable garden, and even a compost heap. The compost heap comes in handy to fertilize all Mama’s gardens. She cans everything she grows. Fresh canned goods always taste better than store bought, and she sure has enough room in her walk-in pantry to store food. We have several jars of canned fruit, applesauce and vegetables left from last year. But we are out of Mama’s good pickles and canned salmon.
Every year Mama goes fishing in Wisconsin for salmon with Aunt May and Uncle Jimmy. She usually catches at least one salmon weighing twenty-five to thirty-five pounds. She keeps the dead fish in a cooler packed in ice until she arrives back home to clean, cook, and can the salmon. Aunt May and Mama can the salmon together and share the canned jars between them.
The canned salmon makes the best salmon patties in the world. It is a good thing they know how to fish; it saves a lot of money. Canned salmon is pretty expensive and more money than Mama can spare with her budget. I can’t figure out how a petite woman can catch such large fish. Mama says it takes her almost an hour to land her salmon, but it is worth every minute.
It is too hot to even sit at the kitchen table to eat when Mama does her canning. She tries to do her canning late at night or early in the morning when she isn’t working. This is when our kitchen is the coolest.
We have a couple large oak trees that give us shade early in the morning. Mama brings her fan in the kitchen from her bedroom. She opens all the windows, closes the curtains, turns the radio on, and sings country western songs as she cans. She seems perfectly happy in the steaming hot kitchen. Sweat just pours off me. I feel like I’m going to faint.
“Billie, can you go pick me some cucumbers for pickles?” Mama asks.
“Sure, I’m hungry for your fresh pickles, Mama.”
Mama prepares her pots and jars for canning. Then she gets the cucumbers ready. I can’t wait to eat those pickles.
I don’t know how Mama does it. Standing in the hot kitchen all day over the stove is more than I can handle and she has a hangover.
“You know, Mama. You should sell your pickles at the store. They are the best pickles around!” I say as she places them in the jars.
“Thank you, Missy. You saying that makes all the work worth it. You guys are so sweet I am going to make us a pie for dessert tonight. Missy, go in the pantry and get me a couple jars of my canned apples.”
I can’t wait for the pie to be done.
Mama starts singing along with the radio in the kitchen. I don’t know how she can be happy after fighting the night before. But I’m sure glad she is in a baking mood.
“Mama, you make the best pies I have ever tasted.”
The smile on Mama’s face almost makes my heart melt like fudge on ice cream. Nothing makes her more proud than people loving her cooking and baking.
The smile doesn’t last long. The local news broadcast comes on the radio.
“Early this morning, Roger Miller of Dixon, Illinois swerved to miss what the police think was a deer on Il Route 2 near Castle Rock. Miller’s car ended up upside down in the Rock River trapping him. Friends state they were out dancing and drinking with Miller until about one at Castle Rock Restaurant and Bar. There are no other injuries reported. Stay tuned for your local weather….”
Mama sits down at the kitchen table. Tears stream down her cheeks. It breaks my heart to watch her cry.
Old Uncle Frank puts his hand on Mama’s shoulder. “Dot, I’m sorry about Roger.”
Mama pushes his hand away. “Don’t you ever pretend you cared about Roger! You threatened to kill him yourself. Where were you after you left the trailer?”
“You heard the radio. Roger had an accident. Dot, you really don’t think I’m capable of killing someone?”
“I’m sorry. I’m just upset. Roger was really a gentle man. I know you didn’t—I can’t talk about this right now. This is too much for me to take in!”
Mama turns off the radio and continues working on the pie crust. Every now and then I can see her wiping the tears slowly falling onto her cheeks. I think her hearing about Roger’s accident brings back memories of Daddy dying. It sure does for me. I head to my bedroom and bury my head in my pillow; crying myself to sleep.
• • •
Uncle Sammy is really getting on everyone’s nerves. He doesn’t do anything around the house but make a mess. It seems like Katie and I are always cleaning up after him. He helps himself to all our food without even asking Mama. She’ll go in the refrigerator to get carrots for a roast and they are all gone. At first she thinks us kids are taking everything. Mama even grounds us for a day because she thinks we lied to her. The last straw is when she goes into the refrigerator to get a couple of eggs to make a meatloaf and there is none. She knows she still had eggs left earlier in the day. The farmer down the road just brought her some of his beautiful brown eggs from his prize chickens.
“Frank, Sammy, Katie, Billie, Missy, come here. I want to know who ate the last of my eggs. And I want to know the truth!”
I think she knows we kids didn’t eat her eggs. I am the only one who ever eats eggs, and I don’t know how to cook them. Uncle Frank is too lazy to cook eggs even if he did know how to cook. The only person left is Uncle Sammy.
“Sam, did you eat my eggs?” Mama asks him. “I need those eggs to make a meatloaf for supper. I told you to ask before you take anything. One more time and you either find a new place to live or you purchase your own groceries! Do you hear me, Sam?”
“I’m sorry. I won’t take anything again without asking first. I promise! Do you want me to go to the farmer and see if he has any eggs left?” Uncle Sammy asks.
“No, you can just eat hamburgers now. I’m not in the mood to cook a big meal any longer!” Mama says angrily.
I sure am glad Uncle Sammy got caught taking the last of Mama’s eggs. It serves him right for all the times he got us kids in trouble. Besides, I hate meatloaf. I got sick the last time I ate it and threw up all night. I probably had the flu since no one else got sick. I don’t care if I ever eat meatloaf again or even smell it cooking. Everyone else loves Mama’s meatloaf.
It’s too bad Mama doesn’t kick Uncle Sammy out. What is it going to take for her to see what a creep he can be? I will make it my business to keep my eye on him and tell Mama everything he does wrong.
I never knew a hamburger could taste so good. Every time I look across our kitchen table at Uncle Sammy my hamburger tastes better and better. We don’t have hamburgers very often so they are always a treat. Mama spreads butter lightly on the bottom of our hamburger buns, toasts them to perfection, and then she put the buns on the skillet lid to steam. She adds a small amount of cold water to the ground beef to make them fluffy, puts a small pat of butter in the middle of each hamburger patty pressing them gently so the meat doesn’t get tough. And then she cooks them till there is just a little pink left in the middle. I have never tasted any other burger as good as Mama’s. We call them “Mama’s Better Butter Burgers.”
• • •
Mama and Uncle Frank go out for a drive in the country after supper. They want a little time by themselves. I think they want to discuss Roger’s dying. They aren’t going to get any alone time around here. Mama tells us to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen while she is gone. This leaves Katie and me alone with Uncle Sammy. Billie is outside playing with his army men with Sandy by his side. Uncle Sammy is just sitting at the kitchen table watching us while we clean and do the dishes. Katie and I don’t say a word to each other while we do them. I wonder what Uncle Sammy is up to next.
Uncle Sammy just sits at the table guzzling his beer. His eyes are glazed over like Norman Bates in Psycho. He has an alarming smirk on his face. He looks like he is a bit psycho himself.
Without any warning he gets up from his chair and turns Mama’s radio on really loud. There is a Ray Charles song playing on the radio. I usually love to hear him sing, but not today with old Uncle Sammy lurking about.
He begins singing along with the radio as he grabs our broom to dance with.
“You girls want to dance?” he asks. “Come on, you know you want to dance with me. No one’s around. What are you afraid of? Your old Uncle Sammy hasn’t ever hurt you, now has he? Let me show you how a real man dances. I can show you how to move those hips. Who wants to go first?”
Katie calmly says, “Uncle Sammy, you know we have to finish doing these dishes and clean the kitchen before Mama comes home. Why don’t you wait for Mama and maybe she’ll dance with you?”
As I reach for a dry dishtowel in a cupboard across the kitchen, Uncle Sammy drops the broom and grabs me.
“Dance with me. Show Katie you aren’t afraid to dance with a real man!”
“Uncle Sammy, I don’t like dancing with anyone. In fact, I don’t like to dance at all! Besides, I need to finish the dishes before Mama and Uncle Frank return home.”
“Come on, Missy, this is no way to be to your Uncle Sammy. Didn’t you miss me just a little bit?” Uncle Sammy quickly grabs me, swinging me around to face him. “Just put your right arm around my waist, then put your left hand on my shoulder and follow my moves.”
Katie shouts. “Uncle Sammy, stop! Let, Missy go! Please. She’s too young to dance like that. You don’t know what you’re doing. Let go of her now!”
I sure hope Mama returns home soon. Uncle Sammy smells like a brewery. He must have been drinking all day. He is really making me nervous.
“Katie, are you getting jealous of Missy now? You want me to show you how to dance? Come on, I bet you’ve never had a real man show you how to dance, have you? Those little boys you play with won’t know what to do with you if you even give them a chance. You know you want a little kiss from your Uncle Sammy. Let me show you how a real man kisses, honey. It won’t be a peck like your little boyfriend Charlie gives you. A kiss from me will make your knees go weak!”
Uncle Sammy lets me go so fast I almost fall flat on my face onto the kitchen floor. Katie looks frightened. We have never seen Uncle Sammy look like this before. Katie backs up as far as she can go as Uncle Sammy places his hands on both sides of her face. He has her pinned up against the pantry door with nowhere to escape. I can see beads of sweat on poor Katie’s frightened face.
“Come on, Katie, just one little dance with your old Uncle Sammy. Don’t tell me you don’t like to dance. I bet you dance with Charlie. I bet he hasn’t even kissed you with his tongue in your mouth. I’ll do all that and more! I’ll even show you how to move your hips to the music really nice and slow.”
“Uncle Sammy, please let me go? You don’t know what you’re doing. Mama’s going to be home real soon. Please stop!” she cries.
“I have been watching you every day, Katie. You know you want me. I can see it in your eyes. The wait will have been worth it; you’ll see!”
Uncle Sammy puts his arms around Katie real tight and moves her body with his. He is holding her so close you can’t get a pin between them. It looks like he is going to smother her. Katie is trying frantically to push him away. But he is too strong and she can’t budge him.
“Doesn’t this feel real nice? Oh…Katie…this feels so…good. Doesn’t it make you want more, Katie? How about a kiss for your favorite uncle?”
I pound on Uncle Sammy’s back. “Stop! Leave my sister alone! You’re hurting her!”
“Go away, Missy. I don’t want to hurt you!” Uncle Sammy shouts. He pushes me away with one hand while he continues hanging onto Katie with his other.
Uncle Sammy grabs Katie’s face and pulls it toward him. I can smell his breath from where I am standing and it makes me want to puke. His face looks like he hasn’t shaved for a couple of days so his stubble is rubbing on Katie’s poor flawless face causing it to become red.
Katie gags. Uncle Sammy’s whole mouth covers hers. I see fear in her eyes as she struggles to get free.
I need to help her and fast. I’m afraid of what Uncle Sammy might do to her next. I wish Mama was still here. She would let Uncle Sammy have it.
I take a very large cast-iron skillet out of the dish drain and swing it with all my might at the back of Uncle Sammy’s legs. He lets go of Katie and falls to the floor moaning. It serves him right. I hope I broke his leg and he can’t run after me.
Uncle Frank and Mama walk into the kitchen as the cast-iron skillet lands on Uncle Sammy’s legs. Mama looks shocked at the scene she just witnessed. My aim isn’t as good as I would like it to have been if Uncle Sammy had been facing in my direction. I would have aimed at his third leg, and he would never have thoughts like that again.
Mama’s face turns as red as her freshly polished nails. She screams at Uncle Sammy. “Go to your room! Frank and I will be there in a few minutes to talk to you! Don’t you even think of leaving this house until I’m done talking to you!”
She asks us if we are all right and if Uncle Sammy hurt us in any way. Katie and I know what she means and we both assure her he hadn’t.
Mama tells us to finish our dishes and go take a nice hot bubble bath. I think she knows we both want Uncle Sammy’s sweaty, smoky, beer breath off of us. He made us feel dirty.
“Girls, if you want to talk later, just tell me.”
Uncle Sammy is standing in the living room glaring at me. He should have listened to Mama. He is going to be in big trouble with her now.
“Sam, if those girls tell me you put a hand on them, I’m calling the police to have you arrested. You make me sick to my stomach. Pack your bags! I’m giving you fifteen minutes to get out of my house, out of my sight, and as far away from my kids as you can possibly go! If any of your items get left behind, I will have Frank drop them off at whatever poor soul’s door you end up at! And, Sam, don’t ever come on my property again!” Mama screams.
“Dot, I am truly sorry, I didn’t know what I was doing. I am drunk and—”
“And what? You grabbed another beer? Stop making excuses. There’s nothing you can say to me or my kids to make things better.”
Uncle Frank doesn’t say anything to Uncle Sammy. He just follows Mama around looking stunned. I think he is afraid Mama is going to throw him out next. If it was up to me, I would kick him out immediately. He frightens me.
• • •
Uncle Frank helps Uncle Sammy pack and carry his belongings to his car. It looks like they are having a serious talk out by his car. I try listening through the kitchen window. I think I hear Uncle Frank tell Uncle Sammy it’s too bad they came back so early. But I must have misunderstood. They both start laughing. And then I hear Roger’s and Daddy’s names. I bet Mama wouldn’t find them laughing about Daddy so funny.
When they finish talking, Uncle Frank gives Uncle Sammy one last pat on the back. If it were me, I would have given him one last smack upside his head.