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Cadillacs, Thunder And Dark Clouds

–Chapter Two – Cadillacs

I saw Daddy’s uncle coming down the road in a shiny black Cadillac with the radio blasting Hank Williams and a cloud of dust a mile high behind him.  Reverend Joshua was Granddaddy’s brother and Pastor of a small church near Bay View Road.  He was also a tent revivalist and snake handler.  I was both fascinated and afraid of him.  His sermons were stormy and full of thunder, and like John The Baptist he came looking to save us from the serpents.

They walked toward the creek and headed down a path into the woods.  I could see dark clouds in the distance, and I saw the crows gathering.  I could feel the chill walk down my spine, a warning that Reverend Joshua would soon unleash the word and hold the serpents high.  Even my dog, Cookie, would not come out from under the house.

A rumble like a train coming down the tracks shook the fields and even made ripples on the water of the creek.  The thunder rolled in the sky bringing an eerie darkness to the midday sky.  Crows filled the trees as Daddy and Reverend Joshua broke past the trees to a freshly plowed field.  The Reverend rubbed his chin and after much thought said this would be the perfect place for a revival.  It is big enough for a large tent and if we widen the path a bit it will be easily accessible to the field.

Daddy had little use for The Reverend and less use for Cadillacs.  He associated Cadillacs with funerals, yet he was Granddaddy’s brother and Daddy’s uncle.  He was well known for having deep pockets and rumor had it that he was still running shine even after Granddaddy passed away.  They made a deal that day, maybe one Daddy would come to regret.  The thunder rumbled again, louder and more ominous, a forerunner of things to come.

Daddy stood by the Cadillac talking low, but I knew he was not happy.  His uncle drove off leaving only a trail of dust behind.  I knew things were not right under those dark skies.  Grandma Pola was standing on the porch, and I knew there would be words passed.  She didn’t like nor trust a preacher that drove a long black Cadillac and she certainly didn’t like shine.  Just like yesterday I again thought tomorrow would be a new day and I was wondering how the adventures of today could ever be surpassed but they would indeed, beyond anything I imagined.

Larry Tyler
Larry Tyler
Awaken the possibilities … then unleash them. After 55 years of successful retail management, I have returned to my passion of writing. I write Poetry, Storytelling, and Short Stories. As a child, I grew up on front porch storytelling. I would sit and listen to my Dad and his brothers tell these great stories that were captivating, and I always wanted to hear more. I wanted to experience the things they talked about. I started writing at a young age and reading everything I could get my hands on. At twelve years old I started a storytelling group and several of my friends became writers or poets. At 16 I hopped box cars and worked the tobacco fields, orange groves, picked cotton, and spent many nights around a campfire listing to life stories. Someone once asked me why I wrote. It consumes an amazing amount of time and I assure you it is not going to make me rich. I write so that my children can touch and feel my words telling of the ones that came before us and the stories they told me. These are the chronicles of our family and even though they come from my childhood memories and are deeply rooted in a child’s remembrance at least they may feel what it was like in the time before them and cherish the things the elders left behind. I am a Columnist & Featured Contributor, BIZCATALYST360 and I have The Writers Café, a group on LinkedIn that features Poets, Writers, Artists, Photographers, and Musicians . On Facebook I have two groups and one page; Dirt Road Storytelling, From Abandoned To Rescue Dogs And Cats, and About Life, Love And Living. As writers, it is true that we honestly do not know what we hold within us until we unleash it. When our words inspire others only then will inspiration return to the writer. I will spend my twilight years in search of the next story, the next poem, and the next image. I will take the time to enjoy my Wife, our Dogs, and Cats, and our amazing new home and I will always find the time to walk down a dirt road I truly hope is that I never have to read another book on Leadership, be on a conference call or see another plan o gram as these were the tool for what I did in life and not about who I am.

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