Freddy had his fishing gear spread out, untangling lines and poles. He was getting ready for a trip down the Susquehanna with Butch. Butch was a tall lanky boy about 16 years old and they were the best of friends. 2
I was only 5 and wanted to help, I always helped my brother. I never knew life without him and to me he was bigger than life.3
I picked up a fish hook, not knowing it was attached to the line he was working on. Fred pulled the pole back and the hook went right through my index finger, blood went everywhere! 4
I remember watching the tears fall down his cheeks at the same moment I wailed in pain. He scooped me up and ran into the kitchen, there he washed my wound and bandaged it and all the while apologising wildly to his baby sister. I smiled and said, "it wasn't your fault Punky, I didn't know that hook was on your line." Yes, I said Punky, when I was smaller I had a minor speech impediment that did not allow me to pronounce any letters combined with the letter R. So my brother Fred became Punky and my sister, Esther became Ettie. Yeah well it was cute when I was two okay!5
At any rate we picked up all of the fishing gear and Fred was ready to go just when Butch arrived. 6
Butch patted the top of my head and said..."hell
Fred told him..."I have to Waite about 5 more minutes until Mom gets home from work before we can leave, we can't leave my sister alone."8
Butch replied with..."okay
Butch had an uncanny talent for throwing the ball right through the window in the kitchen door, at least once a month no matter where he threw it from. This time my mom came home, went through the front door, through the house and opened the kitchen door just as Butch through the ball. She hollard for us to come in just as the baseball whistled past her head and landed in the pan on the stove.10
All she said was..."Hello
Butch, red faced just answered with..."she'
Fred kissed me and mom goodbye and said he'd be home in the morning. He and butch sometimes spent the night in an old cabin they'd built on a small island in the middle of the river.13
The next morning, just after day break, they returned home with fresh catfish. Crispy fried catfish and eggs for breakfast, a specialty at our house. My Mother cleaned the fish and fixed breakfast, that wonderful smell wafting through the house waking us all up. Her rolls baking in the oven was the first smell of the morning.14
My mother made some big breakfasts at our house. Besides the catfish, rolls and eggs she made pancakes and red eye gravy. My father was from Texas and raised in Kansas. My Mother was born and bred P.A. Dutch so we were fed quite a variety of foods.15
Butch and Fred and I came down for breakfast, Butch usually slept over when they fished. He loved my mothers cooking. 16
My dad and sister arrived at the table and we all clasped hands as dad blessed the food.17
We all laughed as my mother set a plate in-front of Butch that contained the baseball from the night before. Turning red faced once more, he rolled the ball under the table and our German Shepard chased it through the dining room.18
"You're forgiven", laughed my mother as our plates were passed to be filled with that wonderful crispy fried catfish.
Adding your comment:
~Laura
It is great to travel back in time to days when our lives were just beginning. The family gathering for catfish for breakfast was especially heart-warming. (My only memory of a catfish is catching one when I went fishing with my sister and her boyfriend. Didn't eat it, though...threw it back in.)
LOL, bet Butch was really loved around your house 
