Steve

Dear Sister,

I've just about got Harla and Darla packed up to spend the 4th with Lester's people. When his Momma asked if they could come up for a week or so, I knew she could see the concern in my face. You remember Lester's Momma? Big Ida Joe Hurley is the one that's had two grandchildren, one of her own, four cousins, and three or so kids she was babysittin, get maimed, disfigured or met horrible deaths while they were in her care. Not to mention that summer she helped out at the neon-natal unit at the hospital, and they had all those babies die of SIDS or C.R.I.B.S. or somethin like that. They didn’t blame or even suspect her, but they did let her go, and they didn't ask her back the next Summer.

Well, Lester said that it's all a bunch a hooey, and his Momma is not a murderer. She's just had bad luck or maybe some kind of jinx or somethin, and I shouldn't worry about the twins stayin with her.

It all started back in 1953, when Tommy Roy and Mozell went fishin with her down at the pond over next to the old homeplace. She was pregnant with Lester at the time. Anyway, she drew back her hook and line to cast it, and accidentally, so they say, hooked Tommy Roe’s left eye, and completely jerked it out of the socket with her cast. By the time she got it reeled back in she had caught a three pound bass with it and there wasn't enough left to save.

That's why to this day he has that glass eye. Remember you met him at my wedding and you asked me why he was starin at you? Well, his left eye stares at everybody like that.

Then there was the little neighbor boy that kept sneakin her cigarettes, when she babysat for him. One summer they had a bunch of firecrackers on the place, and she slipped one in with her camel shorties, knowin it would be dark when he tried to smoke it, and he wouldn't know the difference. Well, when that child lit up that Black Cat Firecracker, it blew his lips almost entirely off, and rearranged his teeth like a trainwreck. I don't think that boys Momma ever spoke to Ida Joe again.

Another family she babysat for, had an elderly Great Grandpa in the house, at the time. Ida Joe decided to clean their toilet for 'em as a surprise, cause she said it was stained so bad. She made up a special mix of several different cleaning solvents, which included a slick of turpentine floatin on top. She figured it would need to soak for about an hour, so she told the kids they couldn't pee ‘til then.

She didn't tell the old gentleman a thing, and when he came out of his room with a people magazine and a lighted cigar... well, it wasn't long after he shut the door that the force of the explosion blew it back open. Ol' Grandpa was layin there in a pile of pink linoleum squares, with the shower curtain rod across his shoulder and a dazed look on his face. They said that some of the burns on his backside were third degree.

I could go on and on about what all misfortune and tragedy has followed Ida Joe around since, but I think you already know most of the stories. And of course, Lester says Harla and Darla have enough Devil in them to beat any old curse or jinx they might run into. Just the same, I'm gonna take out life insurance policies on the both of them. At least that way we could re-roof the house or take a trip or somethin.

You have a good 4th of July now and remember' we love you anyway.

Steve Stickley 7/97