The Bologna Sandwich

There was once an old country store in Kentucky that had been around since my mother was a child.
It was a favorite store of the community and all the locals had their stories about what they had experienced from the owner. This is what happened to me.

The owners name was Oley(last name withheld). He was as nice an old man as you could imagine. Always quick with wit and loved by all.

One day as I was working in the area, I got hungry. I decided to stop in to see old Oley and get me a bologna sandwich.

I walked up to the old screen door, with its metal Kerns bread sign(the same one that had been there for as long as I could remember), opened it up and walked on in.

Upon entering, I saw Oley behind the counter waiting on a customer. Oley looked up and saw who had entered. Now, I had known Oley since I was a baby. After all, my grandfather had taken me in to meet him when I was less than a week old. When Oley saw me, he smiled and waved. I waited until he was through with the customer before I spoke.

While waiting I looked behind Oley at the old butcher block he used to cut up meat. Oley never did have a meat slicer. He used a butcher knife to cut his meat. Stuck in the top of the butcher block was this very same butcher knife.

I couldn' t help but notice, but under the butcher block was the family cat. About the time I saw the cat, it leaped upon the butcher block and to my astonishment started licking the knife clean.

Around that time, the customer left. Oley then looked at me and said," Tommy, I haven't seen you in a long time. How you been doing?"

" Oh, I' ve been alright, Oley.", I replied, "How about yourself?"

"Pretty good for an old man. Whats brought you back in this neck of the woods?, he then asked.

"I was up this way working. It was dinner time and thought I would come in to see you and get a bite to eat.", I then said.

"Well, what can I get you.", he asked.

What a loaded question that was. After what I had just witnessed. I replied, "Now, Oley. I have known you too long not to be up front and straight with you."

It was then he got a serious look about him and asked "Tommy, whats wrong?

I then answered "Oley, I was going to get me a bologna sandwich, but after I saw the butcher block, I changed my mind. Why don't you look for yourself?"

It was then he turned to look behind him and there that cat was, still licking the knife.

He turned back toward me and with a smile on his face his reply was "Tommy, when you were a little baby your grandfather would bring you in here. Once a week we would put you up on this set of deli scales without any clothes on to see how big you had gotten. You know, not once did I wash them scales. So, if people can eat after your bare ass, you can eat after that cat."

At first, it took my by surprise and I didn't know what to do or say. Then I laughed out loud.

We finished our visit by my purchase of an ice cold Coke, a pack of crackers and a can of potted meat. I then promised I would return to see him.