Steve

June 5, 1997

Dear Sister,

Well, summer is here and thank God all the kids are in Summer School. It was either that, or be put back another year. I'm not sure Darla and Harla will make it though, and will be held back anyway. Momma says she doesn't think they got enough oxygen in the womb, ‘cause I was chain smokin all that year.

Heck, she doesn't even know I was drinkin’ pretty heavy for the first four months, ‘cause I didn't even know I was pregnant. I should have known somethin’ was up. I was eatin’ liver sausage right out of the package and chasin it down with Big Red and vanilla ice cream floats. Lester was out on that oil rig that summer, and I was just a wreck. Come to think of it, it's no wonder they come out half- baked.

Remember that weird guy that kept writin to Lester when he got home off the rig? He still gets Christmas cards from him and he signs ‘em "your Bunky". Pretty peculiar for two grown men, if you ask me. Lester says there isn't a queer bone in his body, and then he smacks me across the face so hard that I fall back over one of the aqua vinyl dinette chairs and land hard on the kitchen linoleum, with my back up against the stove.

The impact knocks the kitchen clock off the wall. It hits me in the head, then tumbles into my lap, as the blood starts to trickle down between my pink sponge rollers and into my eyes. I looked down at the clock , its' eyes are still rollin, and its Felix the cat tail still swinging back and forth, but the little motor inside is grindin and straining, like it's about to burn out. Lester snarls at me, "See", he says. "Would a Sissy Boy smack you like that?"

Oh, that reminds me. Have you heard Sheba Rae Twitty's new C.D.? Girl, it’s my favorite. "Tear Stained Negligee". Dwight Yoakum and Sawyer Brown are in the video with her. For once that little Sawyer Brown guy is not doin that silly dance where it looks like he's tryin to shake poop off his boots. There's two other songs on it I really like too. "I'm Changin All the Locks," and the really good one about havin to give up her baby, "She's Got Your DNA and My Momma's Eyes". She really knows how women feel and she puts it in her songs. Besides, I just love her hair. If I can get my weight down, I'm gonna get some of those lace, eyelet trimmed, "Daisy Dukes", like she wears on the cover.

Well, I see the bus from the "Special School" pullin up, so that means the two youngest are home. I’ve got to lock all the doors and tell em I just waxed the floors, so they'll have to play outside ‘til dark. Did I send you that casserole recipe with Post Toasties, canned lemon pie filling, and frozen popcorn shrimp? You have to have one of those Teflon bunt pans, but it's real good.

Well, Bye for now. Remember we love you anyway.

Your sister, Leona