Billy and the Turkey
Shoot
A Thanksgiving Story
By Danny Tillman
The 5 days before Thanksgiving!
"And by the way, Vonnie, you and your family are invited too," said Aunt Mary without whispering to Uncle Rufus this time. Oops! She forgot! But Uncle Rufus seemed not to mind. "Come on, boys, let's get home. These folks need some peace and quiet after a day like today," and Aunt Vonnie and her two nephews headed home.
At Wonderwood Baptist Church the next day, being Sunday, Rufus, Mary, Betty, Billy, Sonny, Deuie, Little Sis and even Little Janice as best she could with her very young and limited vocabulary, told everyone in their Sunday School classes about everything that had happened at the turkey shoot. Pretty soon everybody in the congregation, including Pastor Allen, were well acquainted with all the details. The same thing happened at the Sunday evening service and the mid-week service on Wednesday night.
During the week leading up to Thursday, all the people who had been to those church meetings told their neighbors and everyone they saw at work and school. Aunt Vonnie told everyone on her school bus and all the neighbors. Their mother sent Sonny and Deuie next door to invite Mr. Schuller, and then back through the woods to Mr. Fuller's house for the same reason. Aunt Mary wrote a letter to friends in Jacksonville, the Hawkins family, telling them to come too.
All in all, the Duval County Rod, Gun, Bow, Knife, Black Powder and Long Beards Club (editor's note: DCR…aw, forget it!) unintentionally got more publicity in those few days than they'd seen in 50 years.