Sharon Sandifer Johnson had a special manner in how she dealt with situations that would arise in the course of raising three rowdy boys. She was particularly talented in the redirection of rambunctiousness whenever the three of us boys got bored and resorting to whining about there being nothing to do on those Summer days in the early 1970s. Mama knew well that idle minds are Satan's playground and the methods she employed are a testament to her amazing ability to get our focus on "La Vida Sueno" and away from the sloth of boredom. I've recounted the tale of her dealing with Matt in "The Bunny Rabbit" and that is but one illustration of who she was.
One summer day in 1971 Wallace, Matt and myself were probably whining about boredom when Mama came up with the idea to get us motivated. She prepared three sack lunches of Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, some cookies and two quart jars of chocolate milk then called us to the kitchen to "fall into position" and receive our orders for the day. She informed us that Newton Lane had reported sightings of enemy combatants in the back yard of Reverend Liles's house and that we should go out in the back yard to set up an observation post between the Camellia bushes to keep a watch for any "bad guys" that may attempt to breach the perimeter of 105 South Cook Street. She added "I have packed you soldiers a lunch. You are to consume them when you get hungry after setting up the observation post. When finished, stay on your post until I sound the all clear siren. I thank you for your service, and may God's love shelter you from harm."
We raced out the house with an old sheet, a couple of blankets and our lunches and zig-zagged our way to the rally point to make it difficult for a sniper to pick us off. We collapsed into a pile of six lungs working overtime to provide sufficient oxygen to return our bodies to a state of rest following our run across the yard and to let the "buttermilk" taste in our mouths that always came with exertion ebb. The blankets were laid upon the ground, the sheet was clothes pinned to the Camellia branches and we settled in for our lunch, which we eagerly devoured! Of course, Matt and I had to share the second quart of chocolate milk as Wallace had deemed himself as Lieutenant and claimed one of the quarts for himself. The wages of seniority was an entire quart of Nestle's Quik-adulterated milk!
We spent the rest of that day with our assigned task, and even went on patrol to recon for enemy activity down Newton Lane. We extended the seek and destroy mission to include the area down Everette Street to Main Street and back around Ms Jennie Bell McCrae's house where we stocked up on Magnolia "Grenades" before continuing our mission which now included checking on the Hamers to see if they were okay and to recruit Ervin and Arthur into our ranks. According to the level of activity central intelligence had provided Mama with, we needed all the help we could muster!
Having procured the services of the Hamer boys and following a hasty induction into our ranks we all marched down Newton Lane to help liberate the Taylor house and possibly procure the services of Robert and Frankie. We saw zero enemy activity and no signs of foreign occupation when we arrived, and the Taylors joined our platoon. We decided to see if Bo and Charles Deese wanted to join us, so we double timed the hump to their house and recruited them on the spot. We had assembled the perfect platoon, and we all continued in our quest to quell any signs of enemy combatants.
Somehow we missed the "All Clear" notification from Mama, but certainly heard the bell ring five times, which meant "All Johnson Boys Must Come Home". We decided that the entirety of Cook Street and Newton Lane were free of enemy combatants and that we must now report back to HQ for debriefing by the General. We parted ways and raced back home as the train bell Daddy mounted outside the back door could be heard for nearly a mile, and it's toll never indicated the reason for getting called home....a reason that was sometimes unnerving as you were usually in trouble when you got "rung" home!
I'm thinking it is time to bring back a good old "Army Lunch". Will you join me?