Jewel and I spent the entire day having a real ball being together. We raked out the hay in the barn, and she worked even faster than me. She decided she wanted to clean out some of the junk there, but I told her Uncle Muddy would never be able to find it if we did. So she hung it on the wall hooks, and cleaned that place up with me so good, I swear it never looked that good before, ever!

The fun part was feeding the critters; she loved collecting eggs, and even the two hens that pecked me all time time, never even offered to fuss at her. They just clucked and cooed like she was their best friend. Our dog wanted so much affection from her, I finally had to shoo him; the baby ducks got their millet and a fresh change of hay. The goats weren’t real sure about her, but the best part was watching her bottle feed the baby goat.

That had to be about the funnest thing I had ever witnessed, because baby goats do NOT care who has the bottle, they just want it NOW! All that little white goat did was “Blaaa, blaaa” until Jewel stuck that bottle in his gob, then he commenced to emptying it as fast as he could. She held him like a newborn when he was done, and he was so happy when he was full, he fell fast asleep with her petting him. It looked like one of them famous greeting cards, and I could not help busting out laughing, and her laughing with me.

We got back inside to wash off, and make lunch and Double Mamaw was napping in her knitting chair. She heard us come in, and asked us to warm her up a biscuit, and make her some cheese grits. While Jewel was making those, I got out the plates of leftovers Mamaw had left us, and started heating all that up in the stove.

We let Double Mamaw eat her cheese grits in her chair, while we feasted on green bean casserole, hamburger steak with potatoes and sweet tea. We each had a piece of lemon icebox pie and finished up. I said, “Why don’t we get in the chairs in there like Double Mamaw, and each of us get a little nap? We both been going since about 4 am, because you got up to come over here and its almost one pm now.”

Jewel agreed we could both use a little nap, so we both cleared the table and washed the dishes in the dishwasher that Mamaw never uses. As soon as we both sat down, we were fast asleep. We both slept until 5pm, and woke up about the same time. Double Mamaw was watching the evening news, and we both looked at one another, happy and tired.

I got up with Jewel right behind me, and I unloaded the dishwasher, and put all the dishes where they go, and we heated up the tea kettle again, in case Double Mamaw wanted some – she did. So we just kind of sat there staring, holding hands on top of the table, both hands together and just kind of reflecting.

Double Mamaw, still in her favorite chair, asked me, “Pete, why don’t you take Jewel there over to my maw in law hootch, and make sure and leave the porch light on for her, so she can see to get in. Show her where she is sleeping, and make sure she has clean bedding. You know that rinky dink little house has a bunch of stuff in the way, and she might trip and bust her noggin. Come to think of it, maybe you two oughta go over there now early, and maybe help your old Double Mamaw by straightening up a bit?” I told Double Mamaw, “I will be glad to do that, you just sit right there and we will take care of it. And here is your tea we made you, in case you wanted some.”

Double Mamaw thanked us, and I took Jewel to the little house and showed her the sleeping arrangements. Double Mamaw has a bed in the back room, and a daybed in the front room. She had told Jewel to take the daybed, since it is the closest one to the front door, and she would be less likely to trip on stuff in the dark that way. We went over, and her house was spotless as usual, but I moved a chair or two, and put a cup or two out of the sink in the dishwasher just the same.

Jewel went on and on about how cute this and that was, and she really had the best time staring all the pictures of people long since passed away on the wall. I told her, “The house ain’t haunted, even with all them old people just a staring at you from the picture frames on the wall. I tell Shady it is though, and he will NOT come over here by himself.”

Jewel chided me, “Peter Hegelund, why do you have to scare that child so? He is so little he probably has nightmares and is so scared of the dark?” She teasingly punched my arm, and I explained to her, “Shady can’t help himself. He tattletales on me all the time, and even lies like a dog on me for stuff I didn’t do, especially when he doesn’t get his way. So I have to get even with him, so I am always inventing ghost stories to scare the bejeebers out of him.”

She looked at me, and I looked at her and I ain’t sure exactly what happened, but right there in Double Mamaw’s front room, I just put my arms around her and kissed her. And she kissed me back, a real kiss. Not real long, but long enough to know that we better not keep doing that. We had promised we would behave, and we were by god going to do just that.

We both backed away slightly, and we both looked stunned, but she smiled. I asked her, “Like you told me before, I hope it was ok that I did that.” She replied, “Yes Peter, because if you had not, I most certainly would have.” By that time we were both giggling like idiots, and I hugged her, and just stood there, drinking it all in – hugging her forever it seems.

We both figured out that we had better get back. “Say, lets see what we can rig up for supper?” I told her that and she answered, “Maybe I will cook something for you, we should see what your grandmother has set aside, or in the cupboard. If she made us plates, and I checked and think she did, perhaps I will make you some cookies.” I half-shouted, “Oh yeah. I want to see you roll out them cookies with a rolling pin, just like a little old lady would, heh heh!”

Jewel spun around as I was opening the door to leave, and said, “Oh Peter, once you have my homemade chocolate chip cookies, you will never ever want one from a package again, as long as you live, I promise.”

And with that, we went back inside to the other house with Double Mamaw, and Jewel made cookies for us. And they were some kind of fine.