Papa Tucker

     Lomie and I made at least one visit to Alabama each year. We never missed a July 4th family reunion as long as Mama and Papa Tucker were alive. Our visits usually lasted at least one week each time.
     Mama Tucker accepted me in the family from the first time we met, but Papa Tucker seemed more distant. It wasn’t until our third visit that Papa began to warm up to me a little bit. It started one morning when we were setting out on the front porch together. He took out his watch to see what time it was. It had stopped! He wound and shook and it; it still wouldn’t start. I asked if he would like to go into town to see if we could get it fixed. “Yes”, he said, ‘But I want to drive.”
     So, we jump in his pickup and head toward Centreville. We had not gone more than a mile until he noticed a large rattle snake crossing the road. I don’t know whether it was his driving skill or pure luck, but Papa ran over the snake’s head, hitting the brakes at the same time. He got out of the truck and took a tire tool to finish killing the rattler. I was stunned and a bit skittish; snakes scare the hell out of me. Papa picked up the big rattler and threw it in the back of the pickup.
     We went on into town and drove up in front of the Centreville Press. Papa got out and went in, bringing a reporter out with him. Papa picked up the snake by the tail and raised it above his head to show off its full length. The reporter ran back in and got a cameraman. We got our picture taken together with Papa giving me the honor of holding the rattler’s tail above my head; showing that it was over six feet long. I kept a copy of the Centreville Press article for several years. I wish I still had it, but it probably got lost in our move to Florida. .
     After the excitement, we went to a drug store that had watches for sale. They told Papa they couldn’t fix his watch... I already knew they couldn’t or wouldn’t... So, I bought him another, almost exactly like his broken one for about $3. Papa and I were finally beginning to be good friends! We and his boys had a lot to talk about for the rest of my visit.