More Momma Sib Stories

My brother Ken and I went hunting deer yesterday. The snow came, but the deer didn’t. As we sat we chatted quietly. He reminded me of a story about our mom, Sybil Miner Beck. She held many jobs in her lifetime. In high school, she worked at Resh’s Red & White store in Indian Head, Pennsylvania. She worked at the local bank and did accounting work for two large corporations. She also did taxes, a leftover from helping our grandfather Edson Thomas Beck. Mom’s office was a room at the side of our house. It could only be reached from the driveway by walking past the front door of our house along a covered walkway.

Too many times Mom’s customers came to the front door and knocked, thinking that it was her office door. Mom finally made a sign posted on the door directing them to her office area. The sign read, “Use other door” with a drawn an arrow that pointed toward her office.

Ken was at home when two older women came to have their taxes done and knocked on the front door. Ken was inside watching television and ignored them. They knocked a second time and Ken ignored them thinking they would soon read the posted sign and move on to Mom’s office.

When they knocked the third time it upset my brother and set of his temper. He answered the knock and opened the door. The ladies smiled and started to come inside, but Ken stood his ground and they couldn’t get by him to come inside.

Ken had only partly opened the door and he said, “Can’t you read?”

They smiled again and tried to come inside after saying “Of course we can.”

Ken said, “Then read” and slammed the door in their faces.

They stood there, stunned for a few minutes and finally noticed the sign and walked down the walk to Mom’s office to keep their appointment time.

Mom was also Notary Republic. She heard the office door open and went to investigate. A stranger sat at her desk. She asked, “May I help you?” When he looked up, he had a glassy eyed stare that gave mom the chills. He didn’t say a word, it was then Ken’s Doberman Pincher Sam walked out and sat at her side. The man saw Sam, rose, and left the house. Whether he meant to cause a problem or not, Sam answered the question for him.