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The Great Depression accorded my parents both noble lessons, and lasting scars. This story is about two sisters whose faith brought them through some of the tough times.
My mother was 11 years-old in 1932; a person needed God, and grit to survive. The Easley family worked a small farm in the Grub Hill Community, near Paradise, Texas. That summer, with daily temperatures topping 100-degrees, Wise County residents joked they lived in the opposite direction of Paradise. Add drought to hell-hot heat, and farmer’s crop-hopes vanished.
One steamy night, porch rockers creaking, my grandparents, thinking their girls were asleep, spoke quietly, “I just don’t know what we are going to do Birdie. If it don’t rain soon, we’re going to starve to death this winter.”
“I know George. I never seen a summer this bad.”
My grandparents grew wheat, sorghum, and some peanuts. Even if their cash crop had of produced that year, there was no market; but the crop that would feed them all winter, their huge vegetable garden, was withering on the ground.
“We’re not the only farmers hurting George,” Grandma added. “Everyone’s garden is dying. We can’t feed ourselves, and we sure can’t help our neighbors. All I do is worry.”
11-year old Irene, aka Reenie, and her 9-year-old sister, Novella, aka Flupee, decided they could do more than worry. “I hate being hungry,” Reenie whispered to Flupee. “I dang sure don’t want to starve to death.”
“Me either. What’s your plan?”
“I don’t know yet, but we’ll think of something.”
The next day, as the girls gathered eggs; they stopped to watch their father push and pull the lever on the hand-pump, splashing precious liquid into the water-trough.
“That’s it Flupee!” Reenie snapped her fingers, jerking her arm in an upward curl. “We need to round up every jug on this place; anything that holds water.”
“We have chores to do. Why would we do that?” Flupee asked.
Reenie’s shrugged, “We have to do something besides worry! Every evening after supper, when it starts cooling down, we’ll go out and take care of the garden.”
“Reenie . . . it’s June. It never cools down, even in the evening.”
Reenie grinned at her sister, “I know. But we can pretend it feels cooler.”
So, every evening, the girls loaded empty containers onto the hand cart, pulled it to the pump, filled the jugs, then lugged the cart to the vegetable garden. Several trips to the pump were required, and even then, only selected plants got watered.
“I’m pouring lots of water on the tomatoes and green beans. They’re my favorites, “Reenie joked. “That okra over there has good chances of not making it.”
Flupee laughed. “Don’t you dare pour water on those mustard greens, or turnips, either. We can do without them for one winter.” The girls joked about the work, though it was harder than either thought it would be.
“Reenie,” the girls always talked while they worked, “Preacher says if we have faith, God will answer our prayers. I believe if we keep these vegetables alive, and keep praying for rain, and keep believing God hears our prayers, it’s gonna’ rain.”
Reenie stood, wiped face-sweat with the hem of her skirt, and smiled at her sister, “Me too Flupee. Me too.”
The whole month of June, there was not even a scent of rain. But the girls kept their end of the bargain and believed God would do the same. For six long weeks, they prayed and watered. Finally, in mid-July, it started raining. Flupee and Reenie grinned at each other; the rain was no surprise to them.
And their garden produced an amazing amount of vegetables. They had tomatoes, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, green beans, squash, peppers, and a little corn, but no okra, no mustard greens, no turnips. Their mother canned all her family could possibly use, and let the neighbors gather all they wanted; everyone was grateful.
Two little girls, scared of starving had faith, if they did their part, God would do his. A lot of people didn’t go hungry that winter because of them.
Another thing my mother brought out in this story was in those times, you always thought about your neighbors too. If you could help them out, you just did. Hard times? Scary times? Faith building times? None of us knows what we will endure in our lifetimes, but whatever happens, I want to have the faith of those two little girls.