Southern Hospitality Petty Style

Southern Hospitality Petty Style

         The hot Texas sun melts into waves of pink and orange and washes gently over Petty’s dairy farm. Mack and Bama Petty fall into their rockers on the porch, much like every evening after dinner, to relax and take in the view. Mack reclines slightly and lights a cigar, while Bama sips her coffee and collects her thoughts before giving Mack the run-down of what’s happening in the big town of Shiner. After all, Bama runs the food pantry on Friday morning at the Shiner First Baptist Church, and spends the afternoon with her quilting group, so by Friday evening, Bama is full of the latest and greatest news. Mack, a man of few words, just savors the time spent rocking on the porch with the woman he loves deeply after twenty-two years.
         “Mack, honey, I think you’re gonna like the new Associate Pastor. They say his little wife died on him and left him with those three little babies. So sad…..anyhow, I invited him and the children over for dinner on Sunday after church. He has two boys and a sweet baby girl.  I’m gonna fix them a home cooked meal they won’t soon forget. Gonna be nice to have some life up in this house. I bet those kids would love to go see the cows and the barns. You can give them the tour while I’m getting the food ready.”
         Rocking slowly, Mack draws in on his cigar and lets the smoke swirl gently around his face before turning to respond. “What’s his name?”
         “Ethan Givins. He can’t wait to meet you. I told him all about the farm. I think he was surprised when I told him we didn’t have any children.” Bama’s smile fades quickly.
         “Lots of folks don’t have children.” Mack replied knowing the deep pain Bama feels every time that subject comes up. After years of trying to conceive, Bama was heartbroken that God had decided not to bless them with children. Mack grabs Bama’s hand, gives her a wink and a smile and settles back into his rocker. What Mack doesn’t know, is that the pain living deep within his wife results from the secret locked deep within her soul. Bama, only twenty years old, two years before meeting Mack, had become pregnant, and traveled two hundred miles away to have an abortion. Fearing her family’s disappointment, Bama never told a soul. The only lasting evidence is fact that complications from the abortion have left Bama unable to have children.
         Bama rushes home after church on Sunday to start preparing for their special dinner guests. Nothing suits Bama better than serving up some delicious southern hospitality with a side of cornbread. The dinner was a huge success. Mack and Bama both enjoyed getting to know Ethan and his children. The kids loved the tour of the farm with Mack, and had a great time making homemade cookies with Bama as well. Ethan packed up all of the great left-overs Bama had made up for them and loaded three tired and happy kids into the car. Mack and Bama retired to their rockers, tired but both smiling contently.
         “Oh Mack, didn’t you just live those little angels? I can’t remember when I’ve seen you laugh so much as you did today playing with Sam and Tyler. Those kids gave you what you’ve been missing out on, and you know what that is Mack?  Some good ole’ fashion fun! And did you notice how Sarah was just clinging to me? That baby misses her momma.” Bama leans back and sighs happily.
         “I will say this, for ten and seven years old, those boys are sharp as a tack. Oh hell, I ain’t ashamed to admit, I loved playing with them. Did you see Sam steering the tractor?”  Mack sits up on the edge of his chair and points to the field where they had been riding earlier. “I bet by next summer, he could drive the thing by himself!”
         Bama is smiling from the top of her head to the bottom of her tired feet. She hasn’t seen her husband this happy in a long time. Even though Mack Petty has never acted as though it bothered him one bit that they didn’t have children, the happiness on Mack’s face today spoke loud and clear.
         Over the rest of the summer, Sam, Tyler, and Sarah, spent many days (and a few nights) at the farm with Mack and Bama. Their beautiful old farmhouse was so warm and welcoming and the kids just loved the two extra bedrooms upstairs. Sam and Tyler now have their own rockers on the porch and Sarah is quite happy sitting in Bama or Mack’s lap.  Ethan, in his role as Associate Pastor, gets called on fairly often to make house visits or hospital visits as well as having to perform weddings and funerals, so it was a blessing for Ethan to have the Petty’s to help him with the children. Oh, there was talk around town that Bama was sweet on Ethan, but only a fool would believe anything they heard from one of  the “Shiner Whiner’s” (which is what everyone called the town gossip queens). 
         As September ushers in the beginning of school for the kids and the start of fall, life for Mack and Bama is better than it has ever been. Mack is so happy and not only is he spending quality time with the children, he is surprising Bama with flowers and secret romantic picnics. Every day after school, Bama picks the kids up and brings them to the farm until Ethan can come pick them up. One morning, mid-October, Ethan makes a disturbing call to the farm.
         “Bama, I need to talk to you and Mack. It’s about me…about the kids…can I come over?”
         “Ethan, are you alright? Come on over, I’ll call Mack up to the house.” Bama is shaking as emotions are flooding her body.
Bama and Mack are sitting out on the porch together holding hands when Ethan pulls into the drive. He hurries up onto the porch and throws his arms around Bama.
         “I have some news…I need to ask y’all something important…I’ve made a big decision…”
         “Slow down there Ethan” Mack puts his hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Come sit down and collect yourself so you can tell us your news.”
Ethan explains how he feels the Lord is leading him to do missionary work, and after speaking to his mentor (the Pastor), he feels that he must follow where the Lord is leading him. Bama and Mack listen intently as Ethan continues.
         “It will be a two year journey to several third world countries. I feel so strongly that this is something I need to do, but I can’t go unless I know that my children will be taken care of. I can’t even use the word “favor” when asking something of this magnitude, but would the two of you consider allowing the children to live here on the farm with you for two years while I go on my missionary trip? I know you need to think about it-“
         “Of course we will!” Bama jumps up and embraces Ethan. “You know we love those children like they are our own!”
         “When would you be leaving?” asks Mack.
         “My flight leaves Sunday afternoon, and it would be great if one of you could drive me to the airport.  I would rather tell the children goodbye here so it won’t be so hard on us at the airport.”
         “I’ll take you Ethan. You know Mack doesn’t like driving in that city traffic.”
That night while Mack is snoring, Bama can’t complete one thought in her head before the next one interrupts. So many thoughts…
         Sunday afternoon, after telling the kids goodbye, Mack helps Ethan load all of his baggage into the trunk of Bama’s Crown Victoria and they head of to the airport. As they head out of town, Bama turns off of the highway onto an old mill road.
         “Where are we going Bama? This old road leads to the middle of nowhere.” Ethan asks with a look of confusion on his face.
         “We’re on a mission Ethan. You see, I too feel that I need to follow my heart. Those children have given Mack and me a new love of life, and as you well know, southern women are very committed to getting and keeping what they want.”
The car comes to an abrupt stop in a very secluded area and Bama pulls out a large caliber revolver and orders Ethan out of the car. Ethan, in complete shock, gets out of the car, and starts to beg for his life, but Bama makes quick work of the job she has set out to do. After shooting Ethan, she pulls out a chainsaw hidden in her trunk under a blanket and proceeds to dismember the body. After loading the body parts into heavy duty plastic bags, she tosses them into the trunk and makes her way back towards the farm. She drives around to the back entrance to the farm and drives up to one end of a big barn. She quickly jumps out, opens the huge incinerator door and starts shoving the bagged body parts, along with all of Ethan’s belongings, into the large fire box. She checks the trunk to make sure it’s clean, fires up the incinerator, and heads to the house.
         Bama comes through the back door into the kitchen to see Mack, Sam, Tyler, and Sarah all sitting around the kitchen table and a big smile washes over her face as she asks “Who wants some peach cobbler?”