front porch. Seated in its rocking chairs were three people all “talking a mile a minute”: her grandmother, Aunt Kate and Pastor Jake.
So Aunt Kate’s fiancé must have brought her down the hill from Mr. Max’s in that old car, instead of the even older carriage he had used for Ben Dunn’s party.
“Guess what, Holly Jean!” Granny Nanny called. “They done set a date for the big day! How about that?”
Holly Jean jumped up on the porch and gave her great-aunt a hug. “Ooooh, I’m so excited! So when is it?”
Aunt Kate giggled. “Well, we’uns decided on Saturday, August 15, ’cause that’s the anniversary of the very first time we went out together—August 15, 1901. My, my, 41 years sure flies, don’t it, Jake?”
He reached for her hand and laughed. “Not half as fast as this next month is going to, Kate. Not half as fast.”
Holly Jean plopped down on the porch steps. “So where you two gonna get married and who’s gonna marry you and where you gonna live?”
“We’ll get hitched at the church house,” her great-aunt answered. “Miss Linda said she’d ask her pastor in Willow Bend to come do the rites. And we’ll live in that little old cabin on Brother Max’s land.”
“Brother Max”? How good it sounded not to hear Aunt Kate say “Madman Max” anymore!
“See, I never got no inheritance from Pa,” the preacher explained, “’cause he was mad at me, so my brother got everything. Now Max wants to share with me. He even gave me his old Model T. See her out there? Lawsy, I ain’t never had a car in my entire life! But I did learn to drive one summer workin’ for old Mr. Johnson ’fore he passed away. That’s how I got Miss Kate home today. Max is gonna take me down to Willow Bend tomorrow and get me a driver’s license and then a license for this car.” Shaking his head, Pastor Jake added, “Boy, when life changes, it sure changes fast, don’t it?”
Suddenly Holly Jean remembered about the pig and the pup.
Jumping up, she said, “Granny Nanny! Aunt Kate! Guess what I found at the barn just now! An adorable puppy and the sweetest little piggy you ever saw! I think they’ve been lost in the woods! Bear’s taking care of them for me right now. Could we keep them, Granny Nanny, please?”
Her grandmother stared at her. “Land o’Goshen, girl! We just got you a rooster! Why, I ain’t kept hogs around here for ’most ten years now. And ain’t Bear a good enough dog for ye?”
“Oh, but, Granny, they’re so sweet! And the poor things are almost starved. I gave them some of your good cornbread and biscuits, and they just loved it!”
Her grandmother sat quiet for a moment. “Well, you know, girl, more animals mean more responsibility. Takes more money to feed them too. But tell you what: come milkin’ time I’ll go to the barn with you. You can take some vittles along, and we’ll meet these new friends of yours. Then we’ll see. The pigpen’s all trashed, of course, but maybe Uncle Tom can help me fix it up. Okay?”
Holly Jean rushed to hug her. “Oh, Granny! I know you’ll just love them! And you too, Aunt Kate!”
Oh, please, pretty please, dear God, help them love my new pets, too!
Holly Jean could hardly wait for Pastor Jake to leave, so she could take her grandmother to the barn and show off her new pets. And maybe ask about that carved heart with the initials in it too!
Finally, Granny Nanny was ready, and with a pan full of leftovers to feed her new friends, so was Holly Jean.
Cocky walked along with them, pointing out all the interesting sights along the way, such as bugs and earthworms and blackberries. At least they seemed very interesting to him—and to the four or five hens following him around, even inside the barn.
There he drew the attention of Domino and some of the other kittens. Domino tried to play with Cocky’s gorgeous tail feathers, but he didn’t seem to mind. He even seemed to like being around Star and Morgie.
“Now don’t get your hopes up, girl,” her grandmother said, as she lifted down her milking stool and milk bucket. “But I promised I’d come see your new friends, so show them to me.”
Holly Jean led Granny Nanny out to the back of the barn with Cocky, the hens, and the kittens trailing along. Outside, the three animals still lay all curled up in a ball. Bear was wide- awake, and thumped his tail vigorously at seeing Holly Jean and Granny Nanny, but he seemed afraid to wake up his little friends by moving.
When they heard kittens and chickens all carrying on lively conversations around them, though, the little pig and puppy woke right up. At first they seemed frightened, but when Holly Jean pulled some leftovers out of her pan for them, yum! Immediately, they were eating out of her hands. There was plenty for the chickens and kittens too.
Bear stood up and stretched, then stood there grinning, as proud as if all this was his very own idea!
Suddenly, Granny Nanny laughed. “Well, you sure know how to pick ’em, girl. I guess they’re keepers. Whatcha say their names were again?”
Holly Jean hugged her grandmother, then picked up the now-stuffed puppy. “This is Puppsy. And this,” petting the piglet, “is Mr. Bigwig Pig. Okay, Puppsy and Bigwig, I want you to meet Granny Nanny. Mind your manners and tell her hi!”
Both animals squealed with delight. Then Granny Nanny went on to do her milking, while Holly Jean played with her new friends. She hugged old Bear. “Thank you for taking care of them for me,” she said.
The next day when Holly Jean walked down to Uncle Tom’s store for the mail, she told him and Aunt Tillie all about Cocky, Puppsy and Mr. Bigwig Pig. “The only trouble is,” she added, “Granny Nanny says the old pigpen’s all busted. She was wondering if Mr. Anderson could come fix it for her.”
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