continued from page 23
“Ha, well don’t let that worry you,
Joe. I already care a lot about you and
would never harm you. Caring about
you is a new experience for me and I
don’t know what that is. It’s a funny
feeling. Please just look at me as a
woman, that’s what I am, just like all
the rest. I could quit being one any
time, but I like it so far. Can I get you
a drink this time?”
“Let’s have one more, then I’ll take
you back to your car. It’s about an
hour away from here.”
“Ok, thanks.”
“Are you hungry?”
“No thanks. Tell me how you
ended up here.”
“I went in the Navy out of high
school, got a degree at Sul Ross after I
got out. I moved to San Angelo and
worked as a stockbroker and got mar-
ried. I’d been married a little over
three years when my wife got killed in
a car wreck. I hung around there
another year and then my mother
died. She’d been living here by herself
after my father died, had a hired hand
do the farming. I thought I could use
a change of scenery, so I moved back
here to live.”
“Thanks for catching me up Joe,
sorry about your wife dying so young.
It’s an hour drive both ways back to
my car, could I just sleep on your
couch? That way we could have
another drink before we go to sleep.”
“That sounds good, Honey, I was-
n’t looking forward to driving back. So
tomorrow you just go where they need
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rain, and make it rain?”
“Yeah, that’s one of the things I can
do if the conditions are right. There’s
just a certain amount of water vapor in
the air over the earth, but I have the
ability to move it around a little. I try
to keep droughts down, but I can’t stop
a flood if the weather gets out of con-
trol.”
“Well, there’s a lot of work for you
around here, seems like somewhere in
Texas always needs rain and I know
that better than most, being a farmer.
I know humans terribly mismanage
the water we have. A few people
around here are starting to catch rain-
water for their gardens and raise crops
that don’t take much water. Anyway,
if I need a rain, I’ll holler. Sure nice to
know the lady that’s got it.”
About half an hour after we said
goodnight Honey knocked on my
door.
“Joe, I started missing you, is that
another crazy human thing?”
“Yeah it is, but I was missing you
too, come on in.”
The next morning I got up and
started the coffee, and Honey came in
the kitchen rubbing her eyes and
yawning.
“Joe, I need to go outside and check
on things; just part of my job to see if
the sun comes up at the right time and
all the critters are okay.”
By the time she got back, I had
breakfast on.
“Honey, I raised the hog that
sausage came from, the chickens that
the eggs came from, and the potato for
the hash browns, but I buy the flour
and the milk for the biscuits, and gravy
in town.”
“It smells great Joe. I’ve never tast-
ed any of this, but I can’t wait to try it.
You know I had never experienced
any of these human things, but you
made me feel so good last night and
this morning that I’m having a hard
time sorting it all out.”
“Honey, believe you me I’m right
there with you. I hope you don’t just
leave, and that’s the end of it.”
“I’ve got a busy day today, but I’d
like to come back tonight around
happy hour.”
“Yes ma’am, you are sure invited.
Tonight is Saturday night. I think it’s
about time you experienced some
Mexican food and dancing to some
music that’s a lot like Bob Wills and
Hoyle Nix. Let me give you a ride to
your car.”
“That’s alright, I can get there real
quick as the crow flies, I’ll see you
tonight.”
That night about five, the red
Caddy turned up the road to the
house. Honey got out with two big
bottles of whiskey and kissed me on the
cheek. We had a drink, got in my pick-
up, and headed out for Saturday night
on the town.
We got home close to midnight,
laughing and talking. I got us a couple
of drinks on the way through the
kitchen.
“Joe, I did love the Mexican food,
and the dancing, I promise I’ll get bet-
ter at it.”
“You haven’t said anything about
how your day went today. Did you get
everything done you wanted to,
Honey?”
“I’ve just been in a daze all day
thanks to you. I made a couple of mis-
takes, just not paying attention. A
bridge got wiped out from too much
rain but it was just a little one.”
“I know what you mean. I’ve been a
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little slow in the head today myself. I
went to town at lunch time to get a bite
to eat and told all the boys I was sleep-
ing with Mother Nature, but they just
laughed at me.”
When I woke up Sunday morning
Honey was gone. I looked out the east
window. She was standing outside with
the sun coming up out of her head.
“Honey, today is Sunday and
humans usually don’t work much on
Sunday. Why don’t you stay here
today? We can just lay around and be
in love all day?”
“I’d like that Joe, in fact I’m liking
everything about this being a human.”
A year passed, and Honey and Joe
never had a quarrel. They went out
every Saturday night and hung around
the farm together on Sunday. They
took a couple of short trips, but mostly
they just stayed at home.
The morning of their one-year
anniversary, Honey said, “Joe, I don’t
know if you realize it but this is the
one-year anniversary of our first night
together. I’ve cooked up a little cele-
bration. Hope you don’t mind.”
When they got out to the backyard
Joe looked around. Every critter in the
county had gathered there. They were
all calm and didn’t make a noise; rab-
bits sitting next to coyotes, rattlesnakes
next to mice, all the birds in the coun-
ty roosting in the trees and Joe’s hogs
and chickens in the front row.
Honey and Joe stood next to Joe’s
little table and a talking crow hopped
up on top. The crow said a few words
about always being good to each other.
Joe kissed Honey. The yard exploded
in an uproar. The coyotes howled, the
rabbits thumped, the snakes rattled,
the mice squeaked, the birds all sang
their songs. Joe’s chickens clucked, and
his hogs grunted in unison. Joe
and Honey waved and bowed,
then it started to rain a little so
everybody left. Honey and
Joe went back in the house.
They enjoyed that Sunday
afternoon together. It rained
about a half inch, real slow,
and fell real pretty, took all
day.
After that day Joe and
Mother Nature lived happily
ever after, following the crow’s
words. Honey aged along
with Joe until he rode on
ahead. Then Honey became
something else, and Big Bend
Texas never needed rain
again.