Seems around the fall of each year older churches would have homecoming and revival services. Why those evening services would end up lasting a full week. Most churches like Bethel, where Wille attended, would have a guest speaker and most of the time he would stay at the regular preacher’s home. Most early evening meals for the preachers were provided by regular church members at their homes.
As I told you earlier Mr. Hudson’s wife had passed but his oldest daughter became a great cook. It was during one of these fall revivals, believing his daughter could handle two guests for one night, he invited both preachers over for a Thursday night meal.
That Thursday morning, Mr. Hudson and the older boys went out to the fields to cut corn stalks to feed the animals. Willie and his sister were starting the cooking for the evening meal. Mr. Hudson had told Willie that morning to catch several of those younger roosters and take them to the chopping block, chop off their heads and clean them for his sister to fry.
So happened about the time Willie went to get the axe that Patches, his friend, walked up. Between the two of them they finally cornered two roosters in the mule stable. Between all the cackling and the scratches, the boys finally got the job done including burning off the pin feathers.
Willie’s sister hollered from the kitchen, “you got them “Gospel Birds” ready Willie?” This was term hill folks used when they were frying chicken for the preacher.
Willie brought the birds into the kitchen and cut them up and placed them in salt water while his sister made-up dough for homemade biscuits. Why, she had cooked up a big pot of field peas, mashed potatoes with gravy on the side and had a pot of coffee on the wood stove. All that was left to finish their meal was bake the bread and fry that chicken in some hot lard before supper.
Mr. Hudson and the older boys had come in from the fields early that evening to get ready and wash up for the preachers visit. About an hour before supper, Willie’s sister put the chicken in a pan of hot grease and put a couple pans of biscuits in the oven.
Won’t long some of the boys said, “here they come,” but it wasn’t the preachers!!! It was some of Mr. Hudson’s family that had fallen on hard times. The family piled out of the wagon and said they thought they would stop by for supper and meet the preachers.
Well, what were the Hudsons going to do? Why, they done just like any other southern family should do and that was put some more water in the pot and went out to the smoke house and cut off several pieces of ham meat to fry up right quick.
Finally, here comes the two preachers up the winding dirt road in their horse drawn buggy. They both got out and sat on the porch for a while and then were invited in for supper.
Back in that day and time the older folks ate first, and the younger folks ate the leftovers. Willie’s Pa had reminded Willie that he best stay outside till the preachers and the older folks got through eating.
Well, being told to stay outside while most of the rest of the family ate didn’t sit well with Willie. Besides, it was him and Patches who done and kilt the Gospel birds and got them ready for his sister to fry.
After the preacher asked the blessing, Willie and Patches were glancing into the dining room and saw that big platter of golden-brown fried chicken being passed around and it was quickly getting gone piece by piece. Willie says to Patches, “we ain’t going to get nary a piece of that chicken.” Patches says, “you’re right Willie, there ain’t gonna even be a good smell left.”
In a few minutes the boys looked again into the dining room. That time they saw Willie’s preacher take the last two big pieces of chicken and two large cat-head biscuits, wrap them in four handcloths and stick them in his coat pocket. “Why that rascal’s gonna take all the chicken home with him,” said Willie right angerly.
Finally, the preachers finished their meal, thanked the Hudsons and said that they better be getting on up to the church for service. As the preacher walked by Willie and Patches he reached in his pockets. To Willie’s surprise the preacher pulled out those four handcloths and handed two to each boy. Inside were two of the biggest pieces of white breast chicken that had been on the platter plus two even larger cat-head biscuits.
“The Good Lord don’t never forget his children,” said Wille’s preacher. Seems Willie’s and Patches’ eyes got as big as a saucer, and Willie had made another best friend in his preacher.
Next week we find Willie and Patches stumbling upon a moonshine still in those Pee Dee Riverhills.