Jimmy Crack Corn: A Short Story by Gary Flory

 

     You probably think this story is about the old song Jimmy Crack Corn (or Blue-Tail Fly), but it’s not. It has nothing to do with a black slave's lament over his white master's death in a horse-riding accident (as is the premise of the song according to Wikipedia). Actually, his real name is Jimmy, but I’m sure you don’t know all the embarrassing things I’m going to tell you about this lad. You see, I knew Jimmy when he was quite young. He was all the things a dad would want in a son. He was no sissy, no sir. When he fell and scraped his knee, he’d jump right up and continue playing. Furthermore, he would be more concerned with the hole in his pants, than his banged-up knee. If Mom didn’t see the hole in Jimmy's pants when it went in the wash, she would surely notice it when she hung it out on the line. 

    Sure enough, when Jimmy got home from school Tuesday afternoon, Mom was waiting with his torn pants in one hand and the sewing basket in the other. He knew what that meant, she didn’t have to say a word. If he wanted to go out and play, he knew the sewing job would have to pass the inspector, Mom. He also knew he would be wearing them to school next week and didn’t want the kids to make fun of him. He watched his grandma sew on a number of patches, and she taught Jimmy how to do it. She used a gourd or light bulb on the inside of the leg to hold the patch tight up against the pants. This patch job would have to last at least till Christmas. That’s when you get some new boring clothes. Every kid would be wearing something new the first day back to school after Christmas break. The girls loved it, the guys hated it. I mean, how can you play at recess wearing new clothes.

    Jimmy’s family always put out a big garden every Spring. His dad would dig the rows, while him and his little brother would drop in the seeds. That part was fun, it was the hoeing weeds they didn’t look forward to. When it was time to pick the sweet corn for dinner, Mom sent him and his brother out to pick it. There was only one order, make sure you come back with plenty. Jimmy picked and loaded up his brother's arms, all of five ears. He could carry seven or eight, but there was one ear left at the end of the row. His arms were full, so he picked it, and shoved it down the back of his pants – right where the Lord placed the divide.

    When they got back to the kitchen, they laid the ears of corn down on the table, well, most of them. Little brother pointed to Jimmy and said, “Look Mom, Jimmy has corn in his crack." It got to be a joke every fall, that they never let him forget, Jimmy crack corn.

    As Jimmy got older, he had a well-built body, and played several sports in school. His favorite sport was baseball. He played left field. At the plate, he very seldom struck out. In the fall came basketball, at least during his Junior High years. You see, that was the same time hunting season came in, making it difficult to attend practice, because he would rather be in the woods hunting wild boar or squirrels. Hunting and trapping won out in his last couple of school years. Since Pep Club didn’t require any practice, he tried that for one year, but his heart just wasn’t in it.

    Then there was the meeting-the-girls' thing. He could dance, if it was a slow song, but most were on the fast side. Jimmy was not one of those guys that could just walk up to a girl and start talking. He was on the shy side and wasn't sure what girls would be interested in talking about. It was like he had tape over his mouth, and at best mumbled a few words. One year, one of the prettiest girls in the class sat across the table from him in study hall. He didn’t know it at the time, but several years down the road he would marry her. Her name was Rose, at least that’s what he called her. It took him awhile, but eventually he got over his shyness. He realized girls were no different, they had their fears too. Once the tape came off, enjoying Rose’s company became fun. It didn't matter who it was, he could talk to anyone in the country.

    Well, that’s how I remember Jimmy. He went on to living a life he truly enjoyed, living in God’s country. Oh, did I mention he also became President? You might remember him as Jimmy Carter.

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. KJV 2 Timothy 2:22