Hillbilly Exodus

 “Where ya bin, sonny?”

“Out back, Mamaw, sayin’ goodbye to the pig.”

“You ain’t really leavin’ now, is you”

“Yes, I gotta go, Mamaw. My future awaits.”

“But you could stay; the reverend Higgins said he’d git you a place in The Bucket of Blood Bible College. You don’t need to leave these hills.”

“I told you before, Mamaw, that Harvard is the place to be. All the rich folks’ sons go there. I aim to find one who’ll be my friend and take me with him when he starts his own company out in California.”

“And how are you goin’ to git to Harvard.? You gonna have to take one of those air-e-o-planes? I don’t trust me them flying machines. If you go to Bucket of Blood, you could stay here with the pig and take the bus over the mountain.”

“But if I go to Bucket of Blood, I cain’t make money to get us out of these hills.”

“But, sonny, I like it here, all convenient with the water pump just down the road.”

“Mamaw, when I’m rich, I’m a-gonna take you away from here and move you to —”

“To where, sonny?”

“To Ohio!”

“I just a-noticed. What’s that on your feet?

“Thems shoes”

“Shoes? Whatever for?”

“In the big cities the streets ain’t made of dust and it’s a-hard walking them.”

“I caint believe you’re really a-going. But give your Mamaw a big hug a-fore you go and tell her you love her.”

“You know I love you more’n anything for all you gave me. But one thing does bother me, though—why you didn’t give me a real first name, only just initials.”