Billy and the Turkey
Shoot
A Thanksgiving Story
By Danny Tillman
Bernny and Ernny back at Aunt Mary's house!
Bernny And Ernny returned to Aunt Mary's house and double- parked beside the other Yark & Co. pickups. They exited their father's truck and walked around the immediate vicinity of the house checking on all the goings-on and talking with the DCR… [M.w.: Aw ferget it.] members. They had made a complete circuit and ended up back at the overloaded front yard, just as Mr. R.L., his wife Ida Lula (or "Mimi" pronounced MEM-ee, as Cousin Cheryl called our paternal grandmother) and their daughter (Daddy's sister, our Aunt) Louise, pulled up and parked behind Mr. Yark's truck. Mr. R.L. (Richard Lee Tillman) was called Hi-Daddy by his granddaughter Cheryl. Her (and our) great-granddaddy, R.K. (Rufus King Young), was Ida's father. To distinguish between R.L. & R.K., someone (Cheryl?) had come up with the title "Hi-Daddy,"--Hi for "High" (as R.L. was taller). Even Aunt Mary addressed R.L. as "Hi-Daddy." But she called Mimi "Mother" or "Mother Tillman." The two ladies had a distinct fondness for each other.
It is an interesting fact that Mary's mother and Rufus' mother shared a common name, within both their second given names: Mary's mother was Mary Telula Mixson Feaster, and Rufus' mother was Ida Lula Young Tillman.
The brothers, Ernny & Bernny Yark, walked over to the newly-arrived Willis-model car and Bernny said,
"Hidey, Mr. R.L., we just got through a-talkin' with the gun club folks."
"Good, Bernny. Are Albey and Rufus out in the woods yet?
"Yes sir, Mr. R.L.: Them, Aunt Mary, Billy, Betty, and the whole rescue crew aer all back thar at the Knife Lady's house," answered Ernny.
"Must be gettin' kinda hot out there about right now," added Mr. R.L. as he got out and went around to help Mimi and Louise out.
Miss Ida said, "Louise and I will go and help the ladies with the food and table-setting."
"That's good, mother. Me and the boys'll just go and check on Rufus and Albey. Come on, Bernny and Ernny, get in." And they got in Mr. R.L.'s Willis car, backed up and turned around.