LEAVING WAYLAND
Contrary ' to ' what ' most ' people ' think,' not ' every ' story ' has ' a ' beginning.' Mine ' didn’ t.' At ' least,' I ' don’ t ' know ' when ' it ' was.' The ' first ' thing ' I ' remember ' was ' that ' moonshine ' still,' but ' it ' must ' have ' started ' way ' back ' before ' that.'' You ' see,' my ' daddy ' was ' a ' runner.' And ' I ' don’ t ' mean ' an ' athlete;' I ' mean ' he ' ran '‘ shine.' And ' his ' daddy ' before ' him ' did ' too ' back ' in ' the ' twenties.' Matter ' of ' fact,' the ' Selvy ' clan,' far ' back ' as ' we ' can ' tell,' had ' white ' lightening ' running ' through ' our ' veins ' instead ' of ' blood.''
My ' mother ' ran ' things ' around ' the ' house ' while ' my ' daddy ' was ' away.' She ' stood ' almost ' as ' tall ' and ' had ' every ' bit ' of ' muscle ' he ' did.' I ' never ' did ' ask ' how ' they ' met,' or ' why ' she ' never ' left ' him ' even ' though ' he ' was ' drunk ' all ' the ' time.' Most ' days ' it ' was ' just ' her ' and ' me ' there ' in ' that ' house ' besides ' the ' babies,' and ' we ' kept ' busy.' There ' was ' a ' hog ' to ' be ' fed,' chickens ' in ' the ' coop,' plowing ' and ' planting ' and ' harvesting ' in ' the ' garden.' And ' on ' top ' of ' that ' we ' had ' to ' keep ' everyone ' fed ' and ' clothed.''
The ' Singer ' machine ' Grandpap ' brought ' up ' from ' Lexington ' before ' he ' died ' sure ' made ' things ' easier.' Sometimes ' when ' I ' was ' little,' my ' mother ' would ' get ' tired ' of ' pumping ' the ' wheel,' and ' she’ d ' have ' me ' crouch ' down ' under ' the ' table ' to ' press ' the ' foot ' peddle ' for ' her ' while ' she ' worked.' I ' kind ' of ' liked ' the ' job.' I’ d ' pretend ' I ' was ' milking ' a ' goat ' because ' that’ s ' always ' what ' I ' wanted,' was ' a ' goat.' At ' first ' the ' metal ' would ' be ' so ' cold ' like ' it ' was ' frozen ' solid;' that’ s ' when ' the ' goat ' was ' lonely ' and ' her ' tits ' was ' sore ' and ' swollen.' I’ d ' start ' gentle,' and ' the ' metal ' would ' whine ' until ' I ' built ' up ' a ' rhythm.' I’ d ' imagine ' that ' the ' goat ' was ' happier,' and ' I’ d ' think ' about ' how ' sweet ' and ' thick ' the ' milk ' would ' be ' when '
Writen by: Caroline Fraley Illustrated by: Andre Gruber Read by: Molly Sweet
But ' the ' real ' reason ' I ' wanted ' goat’ s ' milk ' was ' to ' make ' soap.' Maddy’ s ' family ' down ' the ' road '
I ' drank ' it.''
had ' goats ' and ' made ' some ' of ' the ' best ' soap ' I’ d ' ever ' washed ' with.' It ' wasn’ t ' anything ' like ' the ' lard ' soap ' mama ' used ' to ' buy ' in ' town.' Maddy ' complained ' sometimes ' about ' how ' the ' goats ' were ' loud ' and ' they ' ate ' everything ' in ' the ' yard,' even ' the ' fence.' She ' had ' to ' wake ' up ' every ' morning ' before ' the ' sun ' to ' go ' milk ' them,' and ' she ' used ' to ' complain ' about ' that ' too.'