Bras D'Or

Dennis Jessome
The Boy From Bras D'Or

"Egg Eating at Easter"

Well here it is Easter at the Bras d'Or Shacks. It finally came.

We were waiting for it since last year when Ya Ya Slade ate the most eggs. Ethel, his mother, verified it. Anybody can say they ate so and so but they had to be verified. Someone asked her and she said:
"Yes that's true, he ate 16 eggs, I don't know where, in the lova geeses he put them but we counted every one he ate and only for Bernice, Ligey and Ruby (Ma we wanna eat some too!), he woulda ate the whole works."

We only had two and a half flats. Nuxie Chisholm ate 14 and Margaret (Jessome) (M) Jack Chisholm, his mother said: " Nuxie yer gonna shit for a week. Those eggs will give ya the runs if ya eat too many" and sure enough every time ya saw Nuxie for a couple a days he was running, holding the back of his pants.

"Gotta Go Boys" and we'd laugh at him.

Giggy Carey was next he ate a dozen as did Patty Jessome, John Matt and Mary Jessome's son. Patty, with the dozen eggs he ate, made him look like he ate a large peanut with the little swell on his belly as he was tall and skinny. They were the Egg Eating Champs last year.

I could only eat 8 and I couldn't get a grape in me if I tried, I was so full. Wonder whose gonna be the champs this year.

We didn't believe in the Easter Bunny cause we knew rabbits didn't lay eggs. Barry Swan hunted rabbits all his life and never ever saw a bunny egg in all that time .So there's proof right there.

We got a few little blue white and pink candy eggs Ma got at the 5 and 10 in Sydney Mines.

It was Easter Saturday and Hans Larsen from Mill Pond road in Millville, he was our egg man ( as was Cyril Reynolds but ya had to go to Cyril's, to get them) he had his 1947 Blue panel Chev truck, parked at the top of the Shack Hill ,right in front of George and Janie (Cormier )Longs' shack.

When he opened the two back doors on the truck, they were full of flats of eggs. Enough to feed an army. Well down at the shacks at Easter, was like an Army as far as eggs went. That was every kid tried to see how many eggs they could eat. Everyone knew he was coming so they all came out .Ya could see them coming from over the other shack hill to get the eggs. It was a site to remember all the Mothers going with the flats of eggs and kids all around the truck.

Larncie Carey , Uncle Jo Jo's' (m) Aunt Dorothy( Long) son was a little mischievous and when Larsen was busy selling the eggs, he put an egg in each pocket and walked around like nothing was going on . Ya Ya Slade saw him doing it and went up to Larncie and said:
"How ya doing, Larnce?" And slapped his two pockets. Ya could hear the squish and the eggs breaking. Larncie just walked down the shack hill to Jack Penny's as he didn't want Larsen to know he took them. We were standing on Harvey 's hill laughing at Larncie picking the shells out of his pocket and the runny eggs. Was he ever mad and said: _"I'll get ya back Ya Ya "and we laughed again.

Everyone thanked Larsen and the back of his panel truck was empty. He'd sold them all.
He said, "well I gotta get going and get them hens laying some more eggs, you bet chum."

We got up Sunday morning and went to church to make our Easter duties and couldn't wait to get home to start on the eggs. After everyone ate the eggs, we all gathered at the top of Harvey Clarke's hill by the light pole. We could see Ya Ya coming down Aunt Emma's hill, holding on his stomach and hollering:
"I ate 16 again, I ate 16 again."

Well no one ate that many of those who were standing there and said:
"He's the Champ again, this year." But it had to be verified again so Donnie Clarke, Nuxie Chisholm and Stewie Penny said:
"Dennis you go up and ask Ethel if he ate that many."

Up I goes to ask Ethel and on the way up I said to myself, I'm gonna say he ate 13 to see what she says. I walked in Ethel's kitchen and she was standing by the stove. I said Ya Ya said he ate 13 eggs is that true?

"What! If I hadda had another dozen he woulda ate them, he ate 16 and I said yer gonna bust." Ya Ya said, "Gaw way ma didn't even fill me back tooth."

I laughed and went back to tell the boys.

Ya Ya said": "I told ya, didn't I?" And he was the Egg Eating Champ two years in a row.
Baba Clarke was second with 13 and Patty Jessome was third with 12.
They all said to YaYa: _"We'll knock ya off yer throne next year " and Ya Ya laughed and said: " Oh ya!"

That was it for the Easter egg eating for another year. It was a yearly tradition and I will remember all the mothers and boys that took part.

Thanks Larsen, for the eggs and the memories, they will live in my heart forever.

These pages were created by Lark Szick
© Copyright All Rights Reserved. Mar. 2007.

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