CAKEWALK AT UNION COMMUNITY

CAKEWALK AT UNION
R. D. ICE 1995

"Look at all the cars! Where'll we find to park?"

"Over there, Fred, behind the Community Building. Isn't that a parking place?"

Fred and Geneva walked around to the front door.

"Hello!" they shouted as they walked in the door, waving at everyone. The people were all talking and laughing and shouting at each other. You had to shout to be heard above all the noise.

Fred and Geneva circulated through the crowd, shaking hands, talking, joking, just enjoying this time of good cheer. The Spring Carnival was one of the high points of the year.

"Geneva, come over here." Shirley was calling her. She and some other women were sitting at a table.

"Shirley. Tracy. Heather. Isn't this some party!"

The kitchen had opened promptly at 5:30 pm. Hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, potato chips, pie, and lots of coffee and pop. Fred headed in the direction of the serving counter.

"Here you are. Two hot dogs and potato salad. That's $1.75."

Fred paid, then took his food and sat down beside an older man, who was crippled with arthritis.

"Andrew, who let you out?"

Andrew's eyes sparkled with glee.

"Who do you think you are, coming in here and talking to me like that? The old lady kicks me out once in a while. But who let you in?"

"How're you doing, Andrew?" Fred asked seriously.

"Not very good, Fred. I hardly can get around any more. That arthritis has got me down. Look at my hands." They were gnarled and fingers twisted.

Geneva came over to speak to Andrew.

"How's Martha doing. I see she is here tonight."

"She's not very good, but she had to come anyhow. Geneva, how's your feet?"

"Doing better, Andrew. You can see these fancy shoes I've got on. (She had on a pair of the special sandals you wear when you have a foot operation.) It's been four weeks now. The doctor says the toes are healing just like they should do."

A man walked up.

"Andrew, I hear you are going to vote Republican this time."

Andrew looked up to see Bud Reeder. He scowled in mock horror. "When the moon turns blue," he said. "Get out of here, Bud. Go home!"

Bud grinned from ear to ear and slapped Andrew on the back. Others came and went. Everyone thought a lot of Andrew, who had just turned 80 years old. He was one of the patriarchs of the community.

"Fred!" Herbert slapped Fred on the back. "Lots of pies and cakes tonight. You gotta walk and walk and walk some more when the music plays."

"Here comes the music now," Fred said.

Three men came in the door carrying a guitar, a banjo, and a mandolin. Ed, Bernard, and Hayward. This was the music for tonight. They went up on the stage and began taking their instruments out of the cases.

Clifford had come earlier. He was already up on the stage and had his fiddle out ready to play. He would play with the group for a short time, but would not be able to continue. His health was not very good anymore. He had "black lung" from working in the coal mines. He had a lot of trouble breathing. Damp weather especially bothered him.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Tom was shouting as loud as he could. "It is time to begin the cakewalk! Our thanks to Ed and the rest of the band for the music. Get over here and let's get things started! It's time to cakewalk!"

A rectangle had been marked out in front of the stage, at the opposite end of the building from the kitchen. It stretched from wall to wall, and about one-third the length of the building. Numbers were painted on the floor about two feet apart, around the rectangle. Three tables were in the middle. On them were pies, cakes, and loaves of homemade bread.

Fred, Geneva, and others took their places around the outside of the rectangle.

"Just look at this pecan pie!" Tom shouted, holding it up so everyone could see it. "Some walker is gonna get this! Let's walk!"

As the band played a country song named "Faded Rose," the people began slowly walking around the rectangle, counterclockwise.

Bert and Milt walked around the inside and collected a dime from each of the walkers.

When Milt came to Geneva, she held out a quarter. "This is for both of us." Milt gave her back a nickel.

The music played and the people continued walking.

The music suddenly stopped. "Take a number," Tom shouted. Each of the walkers carefully put his or her foot on a number painted on the floor in front of them and held it there.

Milt had a coffee can containing numbers marked on pieces of cardboard, which he shook. Then he went to Elise, one of the children who were walking, and asked her to pick out a number.
He showed it to Tom.

"Number 34!" Tom shouted.

Each moved his or her foot to see the number again.

"Nobody on it!" Tracy shouted back.

"Pick another one," Tom said.

Milt walked on further to Brandon, a young boy, and held out the can to him.
Then Milt showed the number to Tom.

"81!" Tom shouted.

"That's me!" Lorada shouted, jumping up and down with glee.

Tom took the pecan pie to her. She took it to the nearest table and put it down. She would get it later. No one would bother it.

Others were still sitting at the tables near the kitchen. Some were eating. Some just wanted to talk. Some like Andrew couldn't cakewalk anymore, and just watched the others.

"Let's do it again!" Tom shouted, holding up a German Chocolate cake this time. "Everybody walk!"

The band began playing "Under The Double Eagle," and the people walked slowly around the numbers.

When the music stopped, Tom shouted, "Take a number!"

Milt again held out the can to a child.

"Number 1!" Tom shouted.

"I got it!" shouted Brandon. His mother grinned from ear to ear.

Tom presented him with the cake, and he took it over to place it on a table until the walking was over. He ran back to join the walkers.

The walking continued, and Brandon won again; a pie this time.

"Brandon, how did you do that?" Fred shouted. "You got two things and I got nothing! It isn't fair!"

Brandon just grinned. He was proud that he had won twice.

Mildred and Susan, her daughter, came in and walked a few rounds and then left. Others came and went as the evening continued.

Fred finally won a pie. He was happy. He held it high and did a little dance step. Then he took it over to a table.

At last all the goodies for the walkers had been given out. The band began packing up their instruments.

"Let's give the band a big hand!" Tom shouted. "We sure appreciate their music tonight. Many thanks to Ed, Bernard and Hayward. And to Clifford."

Everyone clapped their hands in appreciation.

The band picked up their instruments and went out the door.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Tom shouted. "We're gonna auction off these special pies and cakes on this table! Kenny, come up here and do the honors!"

Kenny came and stood in front of the table.

Tom held up a white cake decorated with clowns and bears.

"All right, we're gonna sell it!" Kenny shouted. "Two dollars. Who'll give two dollars?"

A hand went up.

"I got two dollars, who'll make it three?"

Another hand went up.

"I got three, who'll make it four?" Finally the bidding was up to eight dollars.

"I got eight dollars, who'll make it nine? Eight dollars, who'll make it nine? All right. Going once, going twice, sold, for eight dollars."

"Give that to Clyde back there." Milt took the cake to him.

"Look at this huge Rhubarb pie!" Tom shouted. "Is it delicious!"

"All right, we're gonna sell it!" Kenny shouted. And the bidding began. This continued until the seven items on the table had been auctioned off.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Tom shouted. "That's all for tonight. Many thanks for coming. We appreciate your support. We hope you had a good time. Come back again this fall when we have the Fall Festival. Good night to all!"

The people began leaving. Saundra and Valli had already cleaned up the kitchen. Tom locked the front door. Others would sweep and clean. They would go out the back door, locking it.

"Whew!" said Fred. "I really enjoyed it. But I'm glad it's over. I need to get my shoes off."

"Me too!" said Geneva. "My toes hurt. I really walked too much. I shouldn't have done that. But it was such fun!"