Rethinking Sobriety

I got to be honest. I been thinking and I ain't so sure that one dream had a lot to do with me quitting drinking. I think it was more of Bethel praying for me. During that time me and Bethel had two more children and I was still hanging out with my drinking buddies till late at night. When I would come in and try to be friendly with Bethel, she was usually friendly back. God bless her. But night after night when I turned and started to  try to go to sleep I could feel the bed shaking away. I thought she was crying and after a few nights I said what's wrong with you? What are you crying for? And Bethel said she warn't crying she was praying. I'm telling you it was like lying in one of them beds you put a quarter in and ride out five or ten minutes of tingling. And I figured if she was praying that hard for me I had to do something about it. And that's when I quit.
We had a real good life with me acting right, but it warn't long until Bethel got real sick and died. And I have to live with all that.

Note from Hollis: I am trying to steer Uncle Harvey Lee away from the sadness in his life and on to some humorous stories about Harper. But tomorrow he wants to tell about how he came to marry his second wife Mary Kate.
Now reading: Off Magazine Street by Ronald Everett Capps