The Verducci Tales: Billy Bob (Part I)

I suppose it all started about 30 years or so ago. Down in the Lousianna bayou, there lived a happy couple known as Ma an Pa Hatchet. By the time I had met them several years later, they had long since forgotten their real names and insisted on being called Ma an Pa. Well now, the Hatchets was simple folks. They had both been born an raised out in the swamplands an for the most part, they had very lil exposure to what one might call "the outside world." The only real exposure they had ever enjoyed was what lil bit they managed to get to come in on ol Jed Ellis's TV set.

Noone ever really knew exactly how ol Jed had come by that particular TV set, but eventually, I managed to find out for myself. Ya see, ol Jed had met a fellar by the name of Johnathon L. Perkins III. Well Mr. Perkins was one of them high flatutin city slickers who figured he could make a quick buck off of some of the swamps inhabitants. Well, from what I gathered, Mr. Perkins made a deal with ol Jed to trade him some high techy things from the city for some of those shiny gold nuggets Jed had kept in a jar over his mantle. A fellar can sure get lost out in the Lousianna bayou, an Johnathon L. Perkins III was no exception. He never did find his way back outta that swamp an niether did his high techy TV set. But now I'm getting myself sidetracked.

Well come one hot an muggy January, Ma Hatchet found herself in a state of labor. That is to say, that Pa had gotten a lil drunk on moonshine 'bout nine monthes prior an found himself cravin a lil bit a Ma. Well, a short struggle later, Ma was out cold and she found herself not only knocked unconscious but just plain knocked up ta boot. Anyways, they had themselves there first and only child, a boy that they named William Robert, or Billy Bob for short.


to be continued...