Makin' Me Itch

     The vegetable rations we were given that night looked like dried out blocks of green cheese mixed with pork fat. “You need to boil those,” said Mr. Ankles. “Like this.” He took the dry block and dropped it in one of the mess pans of hot water. Within a few minutes the block began to break apart and the dried out parsnips, carrots, and turnips within began to plump up a little. “Looks like you got some onions in this one.” Mr. Ankles poked at the floating vegetables with his knife, investigating each morsel. The vegetables had no flavor at all and they had the consistency of hot mush. “No you know why our boys’ll be cleanin’ out some of them gardens round here.” Mr. Ankles chuckled again and finished eating his steak.

     “What you cookin’, Nicky?” asked Steven. I looked over and saw the other drummer boy poking a stick into a mess kettle that was hung over a fire. The water in the kettle was beginning to boil over. Nicky lifted the stick up out of the water and a gray mass of wet clothing lifted up with it. I realized now that he was only wearing an undershirt and long johns. “Why you cookin’ your clothes?”

     “Damn lice,” said Nicky. “Makin’ me itch. I heard this is the only way to git rid of ‘em.”

     “You have lice?” I asked.

     “Yeah. Awful little critters.” The camp cooks used mess kettles to boil coffee, soups, and our peach sauce among other things. Some of the men also used them boil their clothes when they had lice which apparently was spreading through the camp like crazy.

I took off my cap and ran my hand through my shaggy hair. It was natty and filthy and probably hadn’t been washed in months. I looked at my dirty fingers and there they were. A couple tiny, clear-skinned bugs in my sweaty hand.  “Ah, crap.”

     “You need a mess kettle, too, Zammie?” I looked up and saw Steven grinning at me. 

--from Time Trip #4: Killing for Country

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4

KILLING FOR COUNTRY  

To be released in March 2013! 

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 1

THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 

Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2

A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

Available at Amazon.com!

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3

WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 

Available at Amazon.com!