Posted by Many Flags on January 04, 2002 at 12:49:06:
Several months had passed and the snow was deep in the Allemangel. At times like this, the piled up wood was welcomed, the root vegetables and dried meats were used sparingly, and the folks kept to their cabins. Many Flags stayed close to home, it was difficult to move in the three feet of snow, although at these times he often reverted to breeches instead of his usual breech clout.
This particular late afternoon, he had been visited by his brother Three Tales and some other lads of the area, one Jakob Schissler and one Tobias Stebleton. They sat in front of the warm fire, as Flags' wife Magdalena busied herself around the hearth, and Flags held their child Andreas. Stories were being told by the brothers Tales and Flags of their adventures in '58 with the 77th Grenadiers, as the two other young men listened intently.
"So, tell us of your Uncle Angus," spoke Tobias. "Tell us, have you seen him of late?"
"Nay!" replied Flags. But, at that moment they heard a strange swishing accompanied by the calling out of "Ewe, Mother Ewe"!
All four men rushed to the cabin door, swinging it open, as Magdalena grabbed the wee one from Flags' arms so the child wouldn't catch cold from the frigid air. It being late afternoon, the sunlight was already weakening, yet the onlookers could see white lumps plowing through the also-white snow. And leading the white lumps was a tall man with staff in hand, plaide thrown around his shoulders, and bonnet on his head. His bare knees pushing back the snow as he trudged along, the white lumps suddenly becoming visible, they being a flock of about 30 sheep, led by a large ewe.
"Uncle Angus!" shouted the brothers. Many Flags further cried out, "Gott in Himmel! We haven't seen you, our dear Uncle, for months! Come in by the fire. Magdalena! Find that bottle of amber liquid. It's up above the firemantle by my rifle!"
Angus grunted something in Gaelic which sounded like "brahd hair queasy ah shame ooze" and suddenly, popping out of a bank of snow behind the sheep, came two bundled figures. "Flags, Tales"! They both shouted."Have you amber liquid for your Uncle Quasi and your cousin Seamus!!"
And what a festival suddenly began. Although Uncle Angus preferred to sit on a stool outside the cabin, with his sheep gathered around him, drinking some amber liquid and singing softly in gutteral Gaelic; all the others clamored inside with Uncle Quasi kissing and pinching Magdalena, among her squeals of laughter, amber liquid flowing, with dried fruits, nuts, bread, meats, and cold sauerkraut laid out on the table. Flags began playing the nose flute, and the fest turned to some dancing and singing of old songs - "So, let the rum flow and the ladies dance.....".
Reminisces abounded as finally a quiet descended on the group and Seamus and Uncle Quasi shared their latest adventures and travels with the group gathered by the warm hearth. (Quasi, winking at Magdalena, whispered to his nephew Flags that motherhood had made Magdalena even more beautiful than before!!) 'Twas a wonderful evening of remembrances with folks from the Chronicles.........