The Rhodes poultry farm was one of the only farms that survived the Great Depression. It was a modest place that smelled a lot like chicken shit. Tommy Rhodes was the older brother of Johnny’s mother. He never took a drink and because of this Johnny knew he could trust him. Uncle Tommy and Aunt Victoria welcomed Johnny as if he was their long lost son. Johnny didn’t mind working on the farm, slaughtering chickens and shoveling chicken shit. He felt at home with his aunt, uncle and cousins. Every Wednesday Tommy would send Johnny to town to sell…….you guessed it chickens and
eggs. Guess where….. Montgomery’s Store.
“Yep those are some ugly old brown eggs you have there sir and I wouldn’t be doing the proprietors of this here establishment justice if I paid full price for those
undersized sickly looking eggs” Pearl bargained.
“Um I’m Johnny, Tommy Rhodes’ nephew” he said as he walked around the wagon where Pearl could see him.
“Oh well in that case let me pay twice as much for them ugly ass eggs since your Johnny and all” Pearl said sarcastically.
Pearl was being resourceful again but this time at the expense of Johnny Rhodes and his uncles eggs. She was actually flirting. Johnny was in fact tall, dark and handsome. He had thick black hair that he slicked back and dimples. Pearl wasn’t too sure how to get his attention because the first three times Johnny came to the store he hadn’t even spoke to her. It wasn’t because he didn’t notice the beautiful blond hair blue eyed southern girl. It was because he was very shy. I mean after all he left home at age twelve and worked on farms all his life so meeting girls wasn’t exactly his area of expertise.
“I will tell you what, if you clean the chicken shit off of your boots, and carry them egg crates all the way to the stock room for me I will buy them at full price Johnny, my names Pearl by the way” she said as she chuckled at her own resourcefulness.
“Nice to meet you Miss Pearl” Johnny said as he kicked the shit off the side of his boots and started unloading crates of eggs.
Inside the store is where it happened. He realized that she was special and he had to find out what made her so special.
“Hey Johnny are you gonna ask me to court or not?” Pearl said.
“Pearl!” Mrs. Montgomery said as she tried to act surprised. She was not surprised. After all this was Pearl. Johnny put down the final crate of eggs and rushed back to the truck without getting payment.
“Wait Johnny heres your payment” said Mrs. Montgomery as she ran up to the delivery wagon.
“You know Johnny….Pearl really is a sweet girl”. Mrs. Montgomery said as if she was
a salesman of sorts.
“Oh I think she’s great” said Johnny. “I just don’t know how to talk to girls.”