Untitled chapter
A NOT SO EASY ROAD
THE STORY OF A LITTLE BOY THAT KEPT HIS PROMISE
April L. Jones, PhD
Chapter 1
LIL’ BOY AND FIESTY THE PIG
Many, many years ago when grandpas and grandmas were still little children that lived on farms, there lived a happy and hardworking boy named Mose Jones Jr. Everybody just calls him Lil’ Boy because they think he is too small and too smart for his age.
Lil’ Boy lives with his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Jones in a small town named Creek Town.
Those days only black people live in a small community called Creek Town, and Lil’ Boy and his family were black people.
There were so many fun and exciting activities those days that Lil’ Boy love to do.
Since Mr. and Mrs. Jones were not rich people, Lil’ Boy got to do more creative things. Lil’ Boy went hunting and fishing with his father. He also went with his father to sell the captured fish and chicken at the market and many other things.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones are tenant farmers, and they grew crops like grains, corns, peas and also reared livestock.
This means they were sharecroppers. Farming was how the family survived.
Lil’ Boy has total of six brothers and sisters. Together they all work on the farm.
They always share the farm tasks amongst each other.
Sometimes Lil’ Boy tends to the chickens, and sometimes he is in the pigsty slopping the hogs.
Lil’ Boy hates this task very much. Anytime it gets to his turn, he whines and whines.
Lil’ Boy says, “Oh no, not again! Is it already my turn to slop the hogs?”
Mr. Jones knows Lil’ Boy hates slopping the hogs, so whenever it is his turn, Mr. Jones gives Lil’ Boy a grumpy look that sends him running into the pigsty.
Mrs. Jones sits aside and laugh.
“Behave yourselves you rusty fat pigs!” Yells Lil’ Boy as he tries to get hogs in order.
“Snort! Snort!” goes the most restless hog among the herd.
Lil’ Boy names it Feisty.
As the other pigs struggle to eat the slop, Feisty comes from Lil’ Boy’s back and bumps into his bum.
“Ohhh,” Lil’ Boy yells in pain and shock.
“That is it Feisty,” no slop for you today.
Feisty grunts back, as though he could hear what Lil’ Boy just said.
No way am I giving you any slop Feisty, not after what you’ve done!
Lil’ Boy continues slopping the hogs, while he ignores Feisty.
Once in a while, Lil’ Boy will steal a glance at Feisty.
Feisty loves grunting and now that Feisty is hungry, he grunts even more and louder.
No matter how hard Lil’ Boy tries to ignore Feisty, he keeps making him angry.
“Okay, Feisty here you go! That’s your slop for the day.” Lil’ Boy says while he uses the small shovel to pack some slop for Feisty.
While Lil’ Boy was still slopping the hogs, Mrs. Jones walks in on him. She wants to check how the feeding was going.
“Are you now talking to the hogs?” Mrs. Jones asks Lil’ Boy.
“No mom, just to this big bad hog I named Feisty. Each time I come here, he always tries to get on my nerves.
Mrs. Jones smiles and says,
“There is no need to get mad because of a hog, go and take your bath and come join the family for dinner.”
Lil’ Boy is excited that his task was finish. He quickly runs out of the pigsty to take a bath.
