Family

Family

The trouble was Aunt Edna stopping in for this unexpected visit. We had work that needed to be done. Ted and I ran the butcher shop Dad took over from his father. Dad had passed, but Ted and I supported our families, and mother too with it. Mother lived above the shop.

Like I said, it was a problem. Aunt Edna was Dad’s sister, she and mother had never gotten close. Ted and I were anxious to get our work done, but reluctant to leave mother alone with Edna, Edna was already acting strange, fiddling with her cup, and seeming distracted.

“So,” I said, “What brings you here at such an odd hour?” Mother looked mortified, but someone had to take the lead!

“Actually… I have a favor to ask.” She started, struggling. “I accidently hit something with my car… I know, but then, I just couldn’t leave good meat laying there on the ground. It’s in my trunk.”

Finally, she just wanted us to butcher it for her. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, though tonight we already had our project waiting. I said we’d be happy, we’ll refrigerate it and do it tomorrow.

There was still a problem apparently… I looked at Ted. “We’ll do it tonight if you want, right now,” he said. “Let’s go get it.”

Walking to Edna’s car, she got more and more agitated, “Did your dad ever tell you much about our childhood?” she asked, “We had a little different upbringing… please understand…” she opened the trunk.

There was the body of a gentleman about sixty, obviously hit by a car.”

Ted smiled, “We got this Auntie E,” he said, to a very relieved Edna.

I was relieved too, the project waiting for us on table downstairs was a door to door salesman.