Story from Jerry Donahue (Mae's Youngest Brother)
I remember a Sunday afternoon in rural Arkansas in the mid 1950’s. the family had come home from church and changed their Sunday clothes. The older boys , Doyne, James and Arnold, had left to spend the afternoon with their friends. An afternoon summer rain storm had just passed through the area leaving the sweet smell of fresh air. Dad settled into his straight back chair on the front porch. He would lean the chair against the wall pull his hat down over his eyes and take his Sunday afternoon power nap. That would be called a “Redneck Recliner” in today’s time. Mom went into the bedroom opened the windows turned the old window fan on for good air circulation and lay down to take her Sunday afternoon nap.
That left Mae and me to entertain ourselves for the rest of the afternoon. We had no television and the radio only played religious programs on Sundays. Growing up in the country, miles away from your nearest neighbor , on a sleepy Sunday afternoon was extremely boring.
I was setting in the living room being bored when Mae came in. she was obviously as bored as I was and suggested we go for a walk, at least we would have something to do. So away we went.
The afternoon rain had settled the dust on the old dirt road. We had no idea that the journey we were about to embark on was to leave pleasant memories and generate a story for future generations to tell for the rest of our lives.
As we left the house Mae was bare foot and wore a simple pull over dress that buttoned up in the back. I had coveralls with no shirt and was also bare footed. We walked down our dirt driveway and onto the county dirt road. As we walked each was in their own thoughts and did not say much to each other. Sometimes it was best that way. The air was fresh and the smell of honey suckle was intoxicating. We felt comfortable with each others company.
Now don’t get me wrong, Mae was my older sister and as an older sister she had her moments when she had to exercise her authority or keep me in my place in the peeking order. In other words she would definitely toss me under the bus, but when I got the chance I would do the same to her. It was two kids growing up together. On the other hand if I needed help she would be the first to come running. Believe me, while I was growing up she ran to my rescue quite a bit. She was my best friend.
We had walked for a long time when off the side of the road I heard at least a thousand frogs croaking for more rain. The croaking was coming from a low area that was filled with about a half of an inch of water. This area was about the size of a football field and was surrounded by a stand of trees. I told Mae to come with me so we could get a better look. She was hesitant but reluctantly came with me wadding out through the tall grass and water. All at once in front of us were thousands maybe millions of baby frogs jumping and hopping all over. I couldn’t resist. I started picking them up, they were so cute, when Mae made a suggestion. (DO YOU HEAR A BUS?) she said why don’t we take some of them home and show Momma? What a great idea! Momma always liked to see what I would bring her. So I started catching them and putting them in my pockets. Mae was helping me catch them and she had her hands full. They were just born cause they were not even a inch long. We took off to show Momma what we had. (HERE COMES THE BUS)
We went passed Daddy on the porch, still taking his power nap, straight into the bedroom where Momma was laying on her side facing the wall sound asleep. I called out, “Momma! See what I have?” she started to turnover still half asleep. That’s when I held out my hand for her to see the frogs. Of course, they started jumping all over the bedroom ,and I must say, most of them were jumping on Momma. There must have been a hundred frogs on Momma, the bed, and all over the floor.
Momma screamed and like a shot she was out of bed headed through the door towards the back of the house. I didn’t know Momma had diarrhea ! With bewilderment , I looked at Mae. She stared back at me with ‘that look“. Anyone who knew Mae knew “that look“. She scowled at me, “Jerry Leon, your going to get it now!” I said, “You, said you were going to throw frogs on Momma too”! she simply walked over to the open window and tossed her frogs out the window. She said, “What frogs?” (THAT DARN BUS HIT ME AGAIN) Then my wonderful sister said she was going to help Momma clean up.
I ran out the front door. I didn’t know where I was going to go, all I knew I was in big trouble. As I was about to jump off the front porch Daddy, who was awakened by all the screaming and commotion, said, “Where you going boy?” I had forgotten about the “Big Man” on the porch. Without waiting for an answer he continued. “Won’t do you any good to run, you’ll have to come home for supper”. He was right. I told him what happened . He said, “I’m glad I’m not in your shoes.” he pulled his hat back down over his eyes and appeared to go back to sleep.
Finally the moment of reckoning came. Momma all cleaned up, along with Mae, came out on the front porch. Mae was waiting for the punishment stage to take place. Momma looked at me and started laughing. Momma could always take a joke. I guess she had to have a good sense of humor after raising twelve children. When Momma laughed, she laughed all over, she weighed almost 300 hundred pounds at that time. Mae stomped her foot and went back in the house. Momma told me that was the funniest joke that was ever played on her but now it was her turn…. so be prepared. Sad to say it never happened. To be honest, I was kinda looking forward to it. After all she use to play practical jokes on my brothers all the time.
Fast forward to the 1993. My brother Bobby and I flew in from California for my other brother, Bill’s, funeral. As we were driving from the airport to the town of Carlisle. Bobby suggested we drive by the old farm were we all grew up. We drove up in the driveway (which had not changed at all ) and parked in front off the house. There was a man setting on the front porch about the same place that Daddy use to set.
When we got out of the car the man recognized Bobby. They were old friend who had grown up together. As they talked I asked the man if I could walk around the old house just for “ole times sake“. he told me to go ahead. As I walked around the side of the house where Momma and Daddy’s bedroom was. I heard the croaking of frogs. I went over to the rain washed gully that ran alongside the house and looked down. To my amazement I saw little tiny frogs jumping and hopping all over the place. In my mind I immediately went back to the mid 1950’s and thought about the frogs and how I made a “Kodak memory”. I heard Bobby calling my name I wiped the tears from my eyes and briskly walked back around the house hoping that he could not see my memories in my eyes.
