In April, she sent Dad another envelope, a hundred dollars and a note in her loopy handwriting: For the family money. —C.
In May, she sent another hundred.
Dad gave each one to me without a word, and I deposited them all in the account.
The next June, on the second Saturday, the Brandt family reunion was held at Uncle Gene’s farm again, the way it always is.
Josh called Dad in May, the way he always does.
“Leon, you’re coming to the reunion. Gene’s smoking a brisket, and I need somebody who can actually catch a fish.”
Dad came. He brought a pecan pie from the bakery in Ozark.
But this year he didn’t stand off to the side. Uncle Gene put him on the smoker. Cousin Tyler, the one who walked the pond bottom until dark, brought him a lawn chair and a cold Dr Pepper and sat with him for an hour talking about the co-op. A couple of the little kids followed him down to the dock and asked him to teach them to fish.
