Chapter 2
Strawberries and Yellow Jackets
It really was all my idea and my sisters joined in for their own reasons, so I really can't be blamed for what happened, can I?
It was late June and I decided to pick a lot of strawberries. I even was going to share them with two of my sisters if they would like to help. The only glitch was I was not asking permission to do so. My mind was set on sneaking into the kitchen to retrieve a small saucepan, the one with a copper bottom and run behind the house to the strawberry patch next to the grove of lilac; perfect place for the bees to find nectar and to pollinate the flower for strawberries.
Upon gathering a two quart pan full of luscious June berries, the three of us scurried past the house, to the clothes line, past the propane gas tank, through the pig yard and to our destination: the old Hudson.
Finding the door ajar, as there was no handle, little sister crawled into the back seat. There was no front seat either. Then I crawled in with the pan of berries, then my older sister. I had the strawberries on my lap ready to share our spoils.
We had company! Hornets were buzzing all around our heads. My older sister opened the door; I followed her and slammed the door on my younger sister leaving her to fight the battle with the yellow jackets.
Screaming for Dad to come to help, he came running and ripped the window with his bare hands as little sister could not find the handle to open the door. As Dad struggled to free my little sister from the hornet's home, he got stung above his left eye. Little sister was more traumatized than stung. I didn't get a single sting either.
The next few hours were very devastating for my Dad. He was allergic to bees and his left eye swelled up so bad he could not open it. He had field work to do and could use only one eye. He was scarey looking.
The next day we went back to the Hudson to retrieve the pan only to find the hornets had eaten everything, even the stems. They did not share my strawberries.
There really is a moral to this story. As a young girl, I knew I was taking the strawberries without Mother's permission. I did not need to steal them. I just needed to ask and they would be given to me. Because I did not ask, they were stolen from me...by the hornets. God wants to give us good things. Satan wants to rob us of those good things.
Ask and it will be given unto you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.
