“Ahh Sammy, come on. You know you play Go’lyiah better’n me.” Hucklebenny smiled, hoping his words would convince his brother. Again.

“Yeah that’s only cause I’s got lots mo’ practice than you.” He turned and bent over to pick out a dried mud clog, “Lemme see…this looks like a good en”
Benny saw his opportunity, aimed his slingshot and fired.
“OOOOW!” Sammy dropped face down in the dirt.

“BENEDICTUS HUCKLEBENNY HINN! I SAW THAT!”

Every time he heard his momma say his name that way he knew he was in trouble. Again.

Momma Clemance rushed to his brother, lifted him up, and began dusting at Sammy’s clothes. “Lands sake, you boy’s gonna be the death of me yet.” She gave him one last inspection, kissed him on the cheek, and turned to Benny. “BENEDICTUS HUCKLEBENNY HINN,” she had that glare he knew only too well. Her hand reached out, “Gimme.” He handed her the slingshot and knew her were eyes blazing hell and damnation. It was a stare that could sour milk still in a cow during the coldest day of winter.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”

“Momma, God told me to-“

“Now you hush up this instant. It’s blasphemous you always saying God’s been telling you things!”

“But Ma, it’s all true-“

“Uh huh, like that time you said God told you Pa was going to be the Mayor of Jaffa? My, how you got him excited and all, he was happier than a dog just let outta de house. That was, until he found out he couldn’t be elect’d cause he ain’t a Jew. Why’d you go and put that fool notion in his head anyway? An Arab running for Mayor. Bless his soul. T’aint it hard enough us being Palestin’ns living here in Israel without you goin’ and stirring up mo’ trouble…”

Benny looked at his Mother, his mind starting to drift like a skip on the Mediterranean. He licked his lips, and could taste the salt ...

“And that time he said you was going to be a travel agent and see the world, and then you was…” She leaned closer, “BOY, YOU LIST’N TA ME?”

“Uh…” He blinked his eyes and swallowed, “But Momma, you watch an see. I’m gonna be famous, an rich too. I’m gonna live in a hun’ner dollar house, an-“

She shook her head, “Hunklebenny, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times, quit your exaggerat’n.”

“I’m sorry Mamma, I won’t do it again.” He crossed his fingers, “I promise.” He hugged his mother.

“Now get, you two. Scoot. It’s almost time for school.” As she turned to leave, he stuck his tongue out at Sammy and smiled.

Instead of heading for school, Hucklebenny convinced his brother to go fishing. “Who ever catches the first fish doesn’t have to do the supper dishes for a week, O.K.? Now come on, I ain’t got all day for you to think it over. You with me or not?”

They settled in at the stream. “Thar’s a rabbit, see ‘im?” Benny pointed towards a clump of trees, “bet Ma an Pa would like rabbit for dinner, huh.” He patted at his pocket, “Darn it, I don’t have my slingshot.”

“I got mine! Watch my pole O.K.?” Sammy shot off like greased lighting.
With Sammy now out of his hair, Hucklebenny laid back, taking in the sunshine. His eyes got lazy. Suddenly he felt a pull on his line. “What the…” He jerked the pole up, and saw a large mouth bass.
He reeled it in, “Oh boy, no dishwash’n for a week.” As he started to take the hook off he got an “inspiration.”
He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a fifty-cent piece, put it in the bass’s mouth and threw it back in the water. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his brother coming back. He closed his eyes.

“Wheren’t no rabbit anywhere- Hey, what’s wrong? You got that crazy look agin.”

Benny cocked his head, “Yes Lord, I hear ya.” His neck stretched farther out. “What? I’mma gonna catch a fish. A largemouth bass? And do what? Look in it’s mouth? What for? Ah what? Ah coin? Okay, what ever you say God.”
Hucklebenny shook his head, looked at the pole in his hand then over at Sammy. He tried to take a step, staggering as he did. Reaching for his brother, “Sammy, what happ’n?”

“I don’t know, but it sounded like you’s talking to God agin.”

“Bless my soul,” Hucklebenny made his eyes get wide, “What’d he say this time?”

“Some’n bout a fish, an yourn to look in his mouth.”
The bass splashed in the water as it jumped. “Looky that,” Sammy pointed, “and it’s a bass too!” He looked over at Hucklebenny, his eyes bigger than basketballs.

Hucklebenny acted like the fish was putting up a fight, he shook his body like every muscle was working overtime.

“Quick, bring it in,” Sammy yelled.

Hucklebenny was enjoying the moment watching his brother and he remembered fishing with his other brother. Willie caught a brim. Well, almost caught it, the line broke before he could reel it in. Worried the same thing could happen to him and he’d be out fifty cents, he swung the fish over towards land.
As it got within reach, Sammy grabbed at it but missed. It was jerking, first one way, then the other. “He’s slippier than a wet noodle.”

“Come on Sammie, grab ‘im by the bottom lip! There. Now take the hook out. Hold em tight.”

The fish took a leap of faith.

“DON’T LET HIM GET AWAY!” Hucklebenny screamed as the fish flipped, flopped and executed perfect somersaults, inching it’s way towards the water. It was a matter of life for the fish, and a matter of death for Hucklebenny. Both boys took turns grasping at the fish. Neither was successful. Desperate, Hucklebenny stomped a foot at it, but each time his foot got closer, the fish jerked out of the way, and closer to the shoreline. Suddenly, it stopped. His mouth opened and closed, then was still.

“Ya think it’s dead?” Sammy asked.

“Don’t know, hope so,” Hucklebenny wiped at his brow.

Sammy stuck his finger at it, and the bass started the convulsions all over again.

Ten minutes seemed like three hours to the boys, more so to Hucklebenny. Even more so for the fish for another five minutes.
Then he decided to die.

Hucklebenny reached into its mouth, and felt the coin. He looked over at Sammy and stalled for time, roaming around the insides. His brother’s face watched eagerly.

Hucklebenny lit his face up, “I feel something! It’s hard.” Sammy got closer. “It’s round too!”

“WELL PULL IT OUT! LETS SEE!” the anticipation and excitement was more then Sammy could stand.

“It feels like…like…a-”

“A COIN?” Sammy burst out.

Hucklebenny smiled as he retrieved his money, and put it in front of Sammy’s face.

“IT’S TRUE, YOU HEARD RIGHT, GOD TOLD YOU IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN AND IT DID! IT’S A MIRACLE HUCK, A REAL LIVE HONEST TO GOD MIRACLE! IF’A I WEREN’T HERE, I’D A NEVER BELIEVED IT. BUT I SAW IT HAPPEN. WAIT’LL MA AND PA SEE THIS!” His face dropped, “Wait a minute. How we gonna explain that fish and money when we’s suppose to be at school?”

“Don’t you worry none,” Hucklebenny smiled. “God’ll tell me something.”

Back Home for more 'Spiel'