The year was 1944, and we lived in the town of Freer having moved from Bruni, Texas.
Of course when we moved the Maxwell's moved also and lived about four miles west
of town so we didn't see them as often.
I had a cousin name Herman Willie that lived near me and one day Momma told me and
Herman to go to Peck's grocery store and take her ration stamps and get a carton
of kitchen matches. Some of you older folks will know what I am talking about.
Ten boxes of matches were in a carton and even though it was 1944, we were still on
ration stamps for alot of things and matches was one of them.
I was almost grown up at the age of seven so me and Herman left for the store which
was about a mile and a half away. While at the store we saw a ball we sure would love to
have as we only had big rocks to pitch to each other but there was no money for that .
On the way back home we decided to play catch with that carton of matches. We were having
so much fun and were happy as we did tricks with them but suddenly something bad happened.
I'm not really sure but it could have been me that missed a catch and the carton of matches hit
the ground and fire and smoke started filling the air.
Herman said 'T.C. Oh, Sweet Jesus we better get to praying because we are gonna get our butt's beat'.
There would be no more matches for another week at least and no way to light the stoves in the house.
We were so afraid because Momma shared these matches with alot of folks and we figured all of them were
not going to get anything to eat if they couldn't cook. Right then we figured we boys were dead and not even grown up yet.
When we got to my house the first thing Momma asked was what happened to the carton of matches. We told her we were
playing catch and had no ball and accidently missed and they started smoking and burning.
We told Momma we prayed but they still burnt up. Let's look she said as she tore the wrappings off and would you believe
Jesus saved one box from burning ? Oh we were so thankful and Momma told Herman to go to his house and get some rubber bands
and to tell his Momma and grandma that we were not going to have many matches.
Momma poured all of them out on the table and separated them into ten piles. Herman got back and we helped her wrap them but then
it was our job to deliver those ten little packages and tell them what we had done.
Off we went and we sure did get chewed out alot that day.
In later years we found out Momma had called all of the ladies and told them what happened but to act like us boys were just so terrible.
I wondered how come a couple chewed us out but were smiling as they did it .
I don't remember her name now, but we saved the last one for an
old ugly woman that scared us when we looked at her. She was the worse but we survived and never played catch with much of anything for awhile.
I didn't get a whipping but getting chewed out so many times took a toll on us and we were model boys after that. Well for awhile anyway !
