#2 I love Bubba

Aunt Sally stepped out on the porch. Her nose expanded as she rounded her arms and took the deepest breath she could. She ended her reach for the sky by going up on her tip toes. She blew through her teeth like a balloon with a hole in it. "My that sky is beautiful! God you sure are showing off today. And the smell...ahhh...it's coming up honeysuckle!"

Before her heals could return to the porch, two large arms wrapped around her fluffy tummy.

"What in the world? Oh Bubba." For a moment Aunt Sally snuggled into his grip. Remembering her dinner, she wiggled free and lightly hit his arm. "You best get on in there and get washed up for supper. We are eating high on the hawg tonight."

Bubba headed for the bathroom while Aunt Sally shuffled food to the table. "I shore do love that man, but he's like a poke-easy mule and he's a gonna twiddle around so's suppers shore to be cold. Ah, ain't no use getting at yarns end. I'm bat-brained crazy for him and he knows it."

Bubba stood in the doorway, rounded his shoulders and began to sniff the air and mock Aunt Sally. "My that supper smells wonderful!" He smiled as Aunt Sally gave him a look and nodded at the table.

"It's about time Bubba." She piled the last piece of meat on a platter. "Supper's rising out the pan. I made you some golden brown fried chicken, mashed taters and gravy, mile high biscuits with molasses and honey, maters sweet and juicy, just picked sweet corn and country sweet ice tea."

Bubba smacked his lips and rubbed his hands together. "Darlin' I l-o-v-e you."

"I know you do, but I'm studying whether it's me or the chicken you love the most at this particular moment."

Bubba pushed back his chair and stood to hold hers in place. He bowed and continued to grin at her.

"What you standing there grinning for? You look like you swallered a watermelon rind."

"I love you darlin'." With one swoop he presented Aunt Sally with a handful of flowers.

"Oh bubba. You picked me some daisies. Ain't they so pretty. Bubba you take the huckleberry offen the bush. I fell into some kind of wonderful magnolia when you came along." She sniffed and found her hankie in her apron.

"Oh Bubba." She sniffed again as she rubbed her nose and pushed back a string of loose hair. "Oh fiddle dee dee. I know you is hungry as a bug in a tater patch. You go ahead and eat while I get these flowers a drink."

Bubba grabbed her hand. "Let's pray first."

While Bubba prayed she thanked God not only for the meal but for a loving and kind husband.

"Good food, huh!"

Bubba smiled and took another bite of chicken.

"I been sitting here studying our years together Bubba. I reckon we've had a powerful good life. Now I know it ain't done yet. but I suppose we can thank the good Lord for showing off so early and just take what comes now with a little less thought. I figure life is a like that beautiful sunset out there. Ain't it pretty? I heard tell once that the colors come from dust in the air."

Bubba stopped to look out the window and ponder with Aunt Sally. "Dust?" He poured honey on his biscuit.

"Yep. I hear tell that's why you never know what it's gonna look like. I guess the parti-cles move around and are different every time. Yet...no matter what, it's beautiful. Funny huh?

Bubba wiped his mouth. "Shore is funny."

Aunt Sally snickered, "Real funny. God doesn't clean up and we get a pretty picture. Hum...maybe life is like that. You do what you can and when the dust settles God'll make it a pretty picture anyway. How about some more coffee and a piece of pineapple upside down cake?"

"That would be great." Bubba wiped his mouth and helped carry the dishes to the sink.

"I shore do miss our youngins. Having eleven of them running round the creek shore does bring up a lot of memories. And now that they are all gone, it just seems too still."

"It's not still Sally." Bubba pushed back in his chair.

"Oh go on. I know what your gonna say. The quiet ain't took over yet. I know it seems like I got a swinging door to my kitchen. Some body's always eating out of my pans. But my heart just aches when I see people so down and out. They seem to be trying but they done hemmed a bear with their life."

"You got that right." Aunt Sally cut a piece of cake and sat it in front of Bubba.

"It just don't seem right that two people God blessed and gave a few answers to should shut our bug gap and not share. Pondering back on our life, we ain't never been a-flutin' an' a-flying' like most folks, but we did just fine. Our children were happy and they've all made their own lives grand.

I still can't believe that eight of them chose some type of ministry. But then, I guess when your folks best friend is God, kids kinda get use to him being around. I recollect us praying together over most all our doins. I spect they saw it and liked the answers we got. I don't reckon they saw us standing in need of much and maybe they felt our road was straight. Bubba, you and me got more wrinkles than a washboard, but we still got a strong and healthy life. You know why?"

Bubba swallowed his cake and took a quick sip of coffee. "Whys that darlin'."

"I think it's cause we didn't waste our time with dead pigs. We spent our time building our kin and God's people. Loving and bridging the gap. We laughed hard, we cried sweet and cause of God we slept easy. Looking back is a fun thing and looking ahead seems like more of the same. And if it ain't..." Aunt Sally looked deep into Bubba's brown eyes.

He took her hand and with a deep voice of commitment said, "If it ain't my darlin', we'll be okay cause we're together."

Aunt Sally smiled, "Well, we've been in mud before, but a good rain and it all washes off. I guess that's why I likes helping people. I just ain't afraid. Life makes sense and what don't make sense is God's job anyway. I think getting older is a good thing. If it's done right then you gotta lota stuff to pass on to others."

Bubba poured another cup of coffee for both of them. Aunt Sally was on a roll and he thought better than to interrupt.

"The problem with a lot of people is they bile up a mess of clouds in their first 40 years so's their last 40 is one big storm. It hurts me to meet those kind. Their souls are ugly 'nough to vomit a buzzard. All I want to tell them is to slow down and just taste the coffee. God's more comforting than two quilts on a snowed high day. Whoa, I been carrying on something fierce, and here you are with an empty plate. I never knew you to eat just one piece of cake. Let me get you another."

Bubba stopped her and smiled. He leaned over and gave her a kiss. "I love you my little speckled hen."

"I love you too, Bubba." She sat back down and rubbed his hands in hers. "I want to thank you. Thank you for a wonderful marriage. I've jawed with a lot of people who are so low they have to reach up to touch bottom. They either feel as trapped as a firefly or mad as a settin' hen and they jest wants outta their marriage. I ain't never felt that way. I'm powerful proud to be your wife. I know we are so different. You don't say pea turkey and my mouth could power a town. " Tears dropped off her cheeks. "I never knowed love until you Bubba. You're big and strong as an ox and yet quiet and gentle. I've watched you wrestle a mad goat and then jest as easy pick daisies so's I'd cackle."

Bubba swiped at the tear rolling down his own cheek.

"Bubba, I love just watching your eyes. They make the world so beautiful. The way they look at sunsets and rainstorms and big motors and especially the way you look at me. Your eyes tell me I'm beautiful. When you look at me there are no wrinkles and my figure is gingham pretty. I touch your strong face and remember how I felt the first time I laid eyes on you." She gently cupped his face in her hand.

Bubba started to snicker, "Yea, I remember looking at you so hard that I took a step back and fell over that log."

"I laughed so hard I almost popped my gizzard string." Aunt Sally threw her head back and laughed. Bubba twirled his fork and Aunt Sally sipped her coffee.

Aunt Sally wiped her wedding ring with her napkin. "I remember the first time you took my hand at preaching. That's when I knew love. You looked at me and I...I thought your eyes would drown me. I could see all the love right there in your eyes."

Bubba threw his arm over the back of the chair and smiled at her.

"I guess most people today think love is getting something they can hold in their hand. But I think real love is having eyes on your heart. Thank you Bubba. Thank you for letting me see all the love in your heart."

"You know I'm not as jawin' as you my darlin', but I love you a powerful lot."

"I know. I love you too , Bubba."