Grandpa and Tomatoes

Grandpa Effie Plumber (E.P.) Pritchard, who had been born in 1882, sat at the back of the table, looking like a King who proudly kept the people at bay, enjoying the supper that had been prepared.

There were those of us who had the privilege to sit. Janie, Ricky Joe, Randy Gene, Kenneth Ray, (grandkids) Uncle Ray, (son-in-law), my daddy Roy, my brother and sister, (great grandkids)Roy Elvis and Sonja Kay and me, (Ralph Edward) were all taking up space, while Ain’t Hazel and my Mother, (granddaughter) Geraldine kept the stove going, gathering food and vegetables from the burners and the oven on the gas stove; there were fresh biscuits, and from two large black skillets there was enough fried chicken and gravy for everyone and then more. Ain’t Hazel had sliced at least five tomatoes and a dozen green onions.

The meal was winding down, the women grabbed a plate a piece, filled them and sat at the brown mixing table that had been used to prepare the supper.

We were all full, the kids were all joking. Uncle Ray had lit up a cigarette and leaned back and Daddy and him sat and discussed the day, and it all was a 1967 warm evening in Foster, Oklahoma.

I noticed the large plate that was in the middle of the table. There was red juice and little yellow seeds on it and one slab of that ripe fresh tomato. Ricky was looking at it, a glance around the table and you could see Kenneth, Randy Gene, and pretty soon all of us were staring at that tomato.

Then I looked at Grandpa. He was sitting there in his white t-shirt, covered by the blue long sleeved striped shirt, and two black straps of his suspenders coming down from his shoulders and disappearing at his waist. In one swift move, he managed to reach across the table with his fork in hand, deftly stabbed the tomato, picked it up and returned it to the saucer next to his plate. He then reached and picked up the sugar dispenser, shook it loosely over the tomato, and in three bites it was gone.

Grandpa smiled. Sharing was different then.

Ralph Peck

Photo by Ralph Peck

Foster, Oklahoma