Almost ready

The truck is washed (Mother Cray insisted), the neighbor kid has agreed to look after the critters and we’re mostly packed.

Mother came up with one more demand: we had to find a motel with a microwave so she can make her own coffee.

“The crap they serve everwhere is just cricket piss,” she says. “If they do make it strong enough they serve it in them teen-tiny cups.”

We are bringin’ lunch to eat at one of them rest stops along the road. None of us trusts the food they serve in restaurants. It’s chemical-laden crap if you ask me, so we eat food what we know the origins. We’ll go to the grocery store to find somethin’ organic to eat on the way home.

Even me an Nell is gettin’ excited about this now. We never been arrested before, although I came close once when they towed the truck an impounded it in Asheville because we was late gettin’ back to the parkin’ lot. It was a Friday night an we couldn’t get the truck back until Monday mornin’. Nell had to drag me away, still cussin’ when the guy called the cops. We hadda hitchhike home.

I still steam a little when I think about it. But we called the paper an they did a story on them theivin’ bastards what run the parkin’ lots. I’ll bet them theivin’ bastards are in the legislature in Raleigh now.

Anyway, we will park in the Presbyterian Church lot on Davie Street this time, where our truck will be safe from money grubbers. Nell called the NAACP to get the low-down on the schedule for the day. They said the police have been behavin’ well, so I guess Mother Cray will be safe. I swear, if they harm a hair on her head, me an Nell will have our revenge.

They’re callin’ this Mega Moral Monday, so I expect we’ll see hundreds, perhaps thousands, of moral people there hollerin’ and singin’ about their outrage. I mean, if Mother Cray is worked up enough to leave the farm and drive five hours to git to Raleigh and make our voices heard, I imagine a lot of other folks are upset enough to do the same thing.

Mother Cray is under the impression she will be able to speak to that squinty-eyed governor and let him know how immoral he is and how if she was his mama (or grandmama), she would be utterly ashamed to admit it.

I don’t think he has a conscience, though, so it wouldn’t do any good an would probably bring extra charges, so I hope he stays outta sight.

Mother told the Rev. McGraw at the early service this mornin’ that we will be protestin’ tomorrow an he said a prayer for our “moral courage” and for our safety along God’s chosen path for us — right up there from the pulpit! Imagine! We got called out from the pulpit, only in a good way.

I will take pictures so we will have somethin’ to show y’all when we get back.