Chicken Gravy

Mommo and Granddaddy had just finished eating a big supper-- fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, etc. While Mommo was clearing the table, Granddaddy decided to take the garbage out. Just before he got to the door, Mommo yelled "Wait just a minute-- take this leftover gravy with you". With that, Granddaddy untied the garbage bag and she poured the remaining gravy in the bag. Granddaddy picked up the bag and opened the door. He didn't know it, but the back steps had iced over while they were eating. He hit the top step and lost his footing. Bam, bam, bam, bam-- twenty one times, til he reached the bottom step. Hearing the commotion, Mommo rushed to the door, looked down and saw Granddaddy lying in a pile of trash at the bottom of the stairs. His entire face was covered in chicken gravy. Mommo asked "Ernie, did you fall?".

"Hell, no! I come down this way all the time!", he answered.

Mommo didn't check to see if he was hurt, or dying, or anything. She was laughing too much at the time. She ran to the phone and called her mother, Mamie, who lived next door. By the time Mamie arrived, Grandaddy was already making his way up the slippery steps. The two of them had a great laugh at his expense when he came through the door covered in chicken gravy. Luckily, he hadn't hurt anything, except his pride.

Later that winter, the Atlanta Journal was sponsoring an essay contest and the subject was "Ice Storm Memories". Mommo wrote her story and mailed it in. She won first prize, and Granddaddy never lived it down.