Excerpt from The Way It Was.

Lilly waited on customers and Kathryn went to the bathroom. After handing out the last customer’s change, Lilly started cleaning the meat cutter. Hearing the bell Lilly looked toward the door and nearly screamed. In that instant she understood why women might kill themselves rather than be raped.

A very hairy, dirty, rotund, smelly man stood before the counter grinning at her. Chewing tobacco leaked out of both sides of his smiling mouth dripping down his chin like two rivers running into the pockets of his very big bib overalls. He chose to wear no shirt and the hair sticking out from under his arm pits made vomit rise to the back of Lilly‘s mouth. Then, she looked away and drew in a semi-fresh breath of air.

“Can I help you?” asked Lilly suddenly glad Kathryn was in the store. Speaking of Kathryn, where the hell was she?

The man grinned at Lilly and never said a word. The gas pump bell sounded, breaking the silence as Lilly looked out the window to see Ricky Rye replacing the gas nozzle and was coming in. Praise God!

“Morning, Lilly” said Ricky. The Ryes were a poor family from the hills around Three Rivers. There was an even dozen brothers. Lilly had no trouble keeping them apart for they all looked quite differently except for the hirsute gene they all carried. Ricky was the best looking of the brothers and was a bachelor who never spent a Friday or Saturday night alone from what Lilly could tell. “Did you meet my baby brother here, Darvin?”

“Ah, no we didn’t exactly have much conversation. So, this is Darvin. Hi, Darvin. How are you today?”

Darvin just kept smiling. Lilly held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Darvin took her hand and squeezed it while shaking it. He squeezed it hard! Lilly let out a muffled, “ouch!”

“Darvin!” Ricky said. “You promised to be good if I brought you to the store. I’ve told you not to be so rough. Now, tell Miss Lilly what you want.”

Darvin point to the smokless tobacco and said something that sounded like SOUL. Lilly retrieved a tin of Skoal and put it on the counter. Darvin shook his head no and pointed again.

“How many you want, Darvin?” asked Ricky.

Darvin held up two fingers.

“He wants two, ten-count rolls of the Skoal,” interpreted Ricky.

Lilly got him two rolls. “Is this with your gas, Ricky?”

“Nope. Darvin pays his own way.”

“Okay. That’ll be eighty-seven, ninty.” Lilly tried her best to look Darvin in the eyes.

Kathryn returned and sat on the stool.

“Here’s my fifteen dollars for the gas.” The two brothers then left.

“Who was that?” laughed Kathryn.

That was Darvin Rye. Apparently, the youngest Rye, a close throwback to our cousins the apes.”

"Momma must have used an old, deteriorated egg to make that boy! Must have been the last one in her ovary."

“My first thought was more self-serving,” said Lilly.