When I was eight years old I lived with my grandparents most of the time, as my Mom and Dad were having a struggle surviving with two other kids. I was very sad as
I had just lost my dog Toby to a snake bite.
I chose to stay with Mam Maw and Pap Paw who at the time lived west Of Bruni, Texas in an oilfield house.
They were furnished a very beautiful home to live in.
My Grandfather was a pumper in the oil field and had a long drive to many wells back then in different places. He gauged the tanks and checked well pressures and changed charts some where everyday. It was a seven day a week job.
Ollie Moore was my grandfathers name and my grandmother was Viola Moore. They called each other Ollie and Ola.
One night at supper time he said to my grandmother 'Ola I want you to go to Red and White in the morning and get these things for me'. This was the only grocery store for miles around. He said 'take this boy with you and get him something'. So next morning off we went.
I was in the store with her and saw her get a large amount of beans and a great big sack of flour. Also a large tin of Lard and a few other things but, all in large amounts. I never asked anything but just helped her load the things.
When we got home she left these things loaded in the car and next morning Papaw hollered at me to get up and eat because we were going to be gone for awhile. He said 'get the gun and I might let you kill a deer or something'. I felt like I was really grown then as he had a way of making me feel that way.
We set out that morning and it was a real long drive and lots of gates to open and go through. All the dirt roads were red dirt and it was dry so there was a red cloud following us.
When we got to the turn where his wells were and he turned left I never said anything as this was a way sometimes he would go to let me out to hunt deer while he went on down the road .
Many times before he had come to pick me up and had watermelons, cantalopes and tomatoes with him. Sometimes he really had a lot of them.
Me being so young I never thought anything about it, but this time instead of letting me out he said 'we have to see some folks this morning'. Heck I had been all over that country and never saw anyone out there but I just kept on watching him drive.
Finally he found a bushy lane and turned down it and we drove for a while. All of a sudden he made a sharp turn and there was a big house with a lot of mexican kids.
A mother and father came running out to the truck both crying and then started hugging my Grandpa and talking spanish. My grandpa spoke it fluently as we all did back in those days.
They started unloading his truck crying and they were all a bunch of real happy folks.
We had to leave real soon and I never said a word but sure was thinking really hard. When we got to his leases he said, 'Boy I have got to tell you something. That is where I get the fruit I take home sometimes and all the corn and things. The crops are gone at Christmas so your Grandmother makes clothes for them. That food I brought them will keep them alive many months.
I met them one time when their truck was broke down and they had been on the side of the road for a few days. They were hungry and thirsty and had those kids. I stopped and helped them get that job out here on the ranch so they could have a home and they are friends.
Son he said, as you get older never let anyone go hungry or thirsty as you may never see a reward here but God watches what we do and how we do it. So remember to always take care of your fellow man.
He said I know they are Mexican but they have a heart and soul and God told me to help them out'.
After that until he passed away I never knew my grandpa to be broke or hungry.
When he prayed he shed many tears. His prayers were silent ones and he never said anything out loud. My grandpa loved God and was blessed for it. When he prayed it always got to me because I knew what he was doing.
He had a tender heart until you pushed the wrong button. All my life he never said a lot but just lived and spoke with his eyes. I could read him and knew what he was trying to tell me . When he did speak it meant something as he never wasted words.
Aw yes, I sat beside my grandpa for many years. I sure do miss him but I know I will see him again one day.
