Chapter 19 - A Life Well Loved

Here is a another excerpt from A Life Well Loved about a very funny story one of my cousins told me that happened to her mom. It will give you a little glimpse into the funnier side of life back in the early 1920s.  Enjoy! 

“Help! Help!” Beth screamed.  “I can’t find the handle!”

It was just after dinner late in the winter, and Ella Mae was in the kitchen cleaning up, and Harrison was sitting in his green chair in the living room, reading the newspaper. He loved that chair the minute he saw it in the store.  It was the only place he would ever sit in the living room, and just about every child and grandchild would eventually sit in his lap in that same chair, either listening to a story or singing a song.

“What in the world?” Ella Mae said as she ran to the back door, with Harrison not far behind her. They both heard Beth and realized she was giggling at the same time yelling for someone to help. “Beth, are you in the outhouse?” Ella Mae asked, as she started to giggle a little, too.  She didn’t want Beth to be hurt, but she assumed she wouldn’t be laughing if she was scared or hurt.

“Yeah! One of the chickens somehow got in here, and it’s making a fuss, and I can’t open my eyes to see the handle to get out. Ah! Get away!” she screamed again.

“Honey, I can’t open the door unless you get the lock loose. Cover your face so the bird doesn’t hit your eyes and peek through so you can see the lock to slide it. You’ll be okay,” Harrison said, trying very hard not to laugh. He knew Beth was okay or she would have sounded more frightened, so he was hoping they would be getting a good laugh out of this in just a minute. 

“Okay, here goes,” Beth said as she squeaked out an eek and came running out, slamming the door behind her.  She looked at her parents, who had big grins on their faces and obviously trying to hold back bursting out laughing. Once she began to giggle, there was hardy chuckling all around.

“How did that chicken get in there, I wonder,” Ella Mae said.

“I bet one of us left that door open a little, just enough for a curious chicken to sneak in. Let me go in and take care of this poor guy.  He’s going to be dinner tomorrow night!” Harrison said with determination. 

The next night, prayers were said for the chicken who made the mistake of entering where he was not wanted.  Everyone had a good laugh over it, and as always, Ella Mae cooked an excellent meal. 

“Harrison, don’t you think it’s time to complete the plumbing in the bathroom?  I do think it’s time we had an indoor toilet, don’t you? I have a feeling the girls would agree, especially Beth!” Ella Mae sternly said but with a little grin.

“You’re right, Ell. I have been putting that off.  You know I’ve never liked plumbing all that much, but I’ll get Roy to help me.  We’ll have a big old toilet party with the first flush,” he winked at the girls.

“Oh, that sounds awful,” Beth said.  Olivia chimed in, too.  “Pop, I think you should be the first.”

“Now this is not very suitable talk for dinner, everyone. Your dad agreed to finish up the bathroom. Let’s leave it at that!”

Dinner was enjoyed by everyone that night. Well, maybe not so much the chicken. He would have liked having dinner, not being dinner.

Everyone was thrilled that the family finally had indoor plumbing and no longer had to deal with the outhouse, or chickens in the outhouse. As Roy and Harrison took down the old outdoor commode, they had a good chuckle over the times they had gone through the neighborhood when they were boys, turning over the outhouses during Halloween. They did at least make sure no one was inside. Everyone knew who the culprits were, but the guys always felt a little pride in the fact they never got caught red-handed.