PAYDAY

Late 1920’s Bossier Parish, Louisiana

Sam stood on a bluff overlooking the river. Watching incoming flocks of ducks and geese fly in from there Northern homes. He turned to his mule, “Ole Girl”. “Well it looks like they made it back.” he then took the reins and swung into the saddle. He patted her neck “We’ll come get’em in the morning.” Ole Girl just plodded along, anxious to get out of the cold and get the weight of dam and the deer he just shot off her back. Sam never gave her a real name, he just called her “Ole Girl” and she responded. Whether she was pulling a wagon, a plow or under a saddle.

The temperature was dropping as he made it home. The smoke from the chimney was a welcomed site. As he rode up to the porch three young children ran out to welcome home there dad. “Wow that’s a big’un Papa.” Sam crawled off Ole Girl and picked up the little girl. “Yea, I reckon he’ll feed s for a spell. Ya’ll better get back in the house for ya catch a cold.” just then his wife, Freya, came to the door. She was a slender woman with creamy skin. Her long blond hair was braided and her blue eyes shone brightly. Her Nordic heritage was obvious, just like Sam’s.

As he and Freya were talking, there two oldest sons were walking to the porch. “You boys stack plenty of wood on the porch, its going to be cold tonight.” without a word the boys began bringing wood and stacking on the porch.

“ The ducks are back, saw plenty of’em today.” Freya knew what that meant. Other than meat for the table. It meant money, something hard for a share cropper to come by. She was relieved, now they could pay off there ticket at Mr. Chaission’s General Store. They usually pay as they go, but they can’t grow everything they need and the money usually runs out in late September. The ducks are welcomed news. “When you finish cleaning that deer supper will be on the table.” He finished cleaning the deer and packed it away. “I should shoot enough to pay off the ticket and still have some left over.” He sat down and sipped his black coffee. The deer steak and beans warmed him up. The family sat and chatted, this was the time of day to unwind after working all day.

After supper it was time for the kids to go to sleep. Sam brought in more wood and Freya read to the kids from the Bible. As Sam got his clothes ready for the next day the children were settling into there pallet in front of the fire place.

Sam gathered his guns. A double barrel 10 gauge and a Remington Model 11 12 gauge. The 10 gauge worked well when the ducks were rafted up. He would shoot once about head high then raise the gun a few feet and shoot into the rising flock. The model 11 came from a “sport” he guided one day. The “sport” came to town and asked Mr. Chaisson if anyone guided in the area. Because Sam sold his duck the general store, he gave the sport directions to Sam’s farm. Sam agreed to take the sport on a shoot . They had a good shoot and afterwards Sam commented on his gun. The sport said the Model 11 was not as good as he wanted and instead of paying Sam for the hunt, he gave him the gun. He also left the ducks with Sam, he only liked to shoot. So at the end of the day Sam has double the amount of ducks and a new gun.

As he put more wood on the fire, he kissed the children good night and made sure they had enough blankets. He then joined Freya in bed. It seemed like only minutes when Sam woke up. He got dressed and gathered his guns and crept out the door so not to wake the kids. Outside the wind was blowing and he went to the barn to saddle Ole Girl. Then he went and caught his decoys, he gathered about nine and placed them in a burlap bag. He tied them to the saddle horn and climbed into the saddle. It was about a thirty minute ride to the spot on the river were Sam saw the ducks. He tied Ole Girl, grabbed his ducks and guns and walked down to the river. He sat his guns down and took the ducks from the bag one at a clipped a weighted piece of string to a ring around the ducks leg. Once the last duck was in place he settled into dome driftwood . About daylight the first group of ducks started winging there way through the sky and into Sam’s decoys. He put the bead just ahead of an incoming Mallard and slapped the trigger three times. Two ducks fell, it was pay day.

A little short story based on my Great-Grandfather