Can one wish oneself ill? For many years I’ve wondered about that day. The task was given, everyone must hull
ALMONDS until they were done and then we would all go out to dinner. Now going “out” to dinner was a rarity in our
family of eight, so no one took the thought of the treat lightly.
But what a hated task this was. Knocking and picking up nuts on our 100 tree property could be tedious
enough but hulling was misery itself.
The stickies had hard green covers that had to be pried from the shells
and even the “non-stickies” would leave a person with sore, green stained
hands.
About an hour into the job, my face started swelling, my
eyes were watering ferociously.
Allergies, you say. But I had not
been prone to allergies and prided myself on the fact I was never sick, at
least not since I had my tonsils out (but that’s a different story) After
another half hour my eyes were sticking shut and as no one could ignore the
swelling I was sent off to rest.
Certain that I was destined to stay home alone while the
family went off to dinner unless I managed to get out and help more, I worried
myself into a deep sleep. When I woke
the swelling was gone. I rushed out determined
to get back to work and earn that dinner, only to find hours had passed. Dusk was falling and everyone was coming in
to clean up for dinner. Sure I was out
of luck, I slunk back to my bed and lay there in despair.
Although most of my life crisises culminated in help from Dad, this time it was Mom I remember sitting quietly down on the bed
and asking if I felt good enough to go to dinner. Well, my silent sobs had caused some new
swelling and red eyes, but I instantly replied, "Yes, but how can I? I didn’t help."
It turned out that my Never
Being Sick, was a good thing, it wasn’t likely I was pretending. I’m not sure my siblings bought it though, I
remember a few dark looks. I don’t even
remember where we went to dinner (was it the Nut Tree? Most likely.) or what I
had, but I surely remember the day.
Notes
- We did not hull all the almonds, usually there were one or two gunny sacks full that were held back for our own use and for christmas gifts for relatives. The rest of the nuts were either sold unhulled or taken to hullers and sold after. I remember trips to Chico and other places with a trailer load of almonds.
- Although the family seldom went to dinner and I'm sure there were good restaurants in Sacramento, the Nut Tree which was about an hour drive away was a family favorite. Besides the Sacramento Inn, where we went for special occasion breakfasts (first communion, etc) and Sambos where we went on many Sunday mornings after church (each of us usually responsible for our own breakfast with money saved from allowance, special chores, and outside jobs) I don't remember going out.
- Growing up on a small almond orchard had advantages, land to run around on, trees to hide behind or climb, the beauty of the trees in bloom, the coolness of the canopy even on hot Sacramento County summer days, and the interesting treat of not quite ripe nuts to munch on. There was also the disadvantage, the months of nut related chores. Given a choice, something young children of course don't have, I would pick the chores and the freedom of that land any day. Even at the time it seemed such a special place that the chores, though worth complaining about on occasion, were not enough to dampen the advantages.
- This is the first of Cath's Tales. I realized I will never write my memoirs. I'm much better at telling the tales of ancestors than telling my own. Yet, I also realize that I wish with all my soul that my ancestors had told their tales themselves. So for my grandchildren and their descendants I will leave these occasional tales of the wonderful life I have lived.
