Interview with James Fergus Jackson

Little James Fergus Jackson became quite a sensation when he debuted in the story " Blackberries ain't worth the Bull". He has been likened to the characters of Mark Twain in his works Huckle Berry Fin and Tom Sawyer.

So, today I'm visiting with James to get his thoughts about his rise from the pages to household fame. And he has indicated he wants to share more with us about life on the farm.

PRR: Hi, James. How are you today?

JFJ: You can just call me Jimmy. I guess I'm 'bout as happy as a hog in a woller.

PRR: Well, I'm not sure how happy I'd be. That's kind of messy isn't it?

JFJ: Well, yeah, I reckon so since it's muddy and all. I reckon for regular folk, the pond seems like a good place to go on a hot day like today.

PRR: It is pretty hot out here isn't it?

JFJ: Oh, yes, ma'am. The ground is cracked wide open. Grams said it's the hottest Oklahoma summer she could remember. But Poppa said Texas has it worse. Seems like to me it couldn't get any hotter anywhere unlessen' the sun fell outta' the sky and ran right over us. Maybe ifin' it did, it would get Texas first cuz' if it's hotter there than here, the sun must be closer to Texas I reckon. And I betcha' since the sun is so powerful hot it would burn right straight into the earth and never ever get to Oklahoma.

PRR: Oh my. Well let's hope the sun never falls from the sky.

JFJ: Me, too. Right now it's hangin' right up there shinin' down on me and I can feel sweat drops poppin' out all over me.

PRR: It is pretty warm out here, that's for sure. So, I hear you love coming here to your grandparent's farm. What big plans do you have while you're visiting this time?

JFJ: Right now, I'm sitting here bored plumb ta' death. Fiona Mae is at the Farm this week. Grams has been makin' a fuss over her ever minute since she got here.

PRR: Now, Fiona Mae, that's you little sister, right? Do you two get along? Or is there a lot of sibling rivalry?

JFJ: I kinda' don't like Fiona Mae but I kinda' do.

PRR: Why is that?

JFJ: Well, before we got her, it was just me, Momma and Daddy. I really liked that cuz' we did lots of stuff together. Then ever thang went crazy-like with baby talk and whisperin'. Momma's belly got real big and one day she come home from the doctor and told me there was a baby girl in there and they wuz' gonna' name her Fiona Mae.

PRR: What' did you think about that?

JFJ: It was confusing to me how she got in there. When I asked Momma about it, she said they prayed for God to put Fiona Mae in there because Daddy loved Momma.

PRR: I see.

JFJ: The onliest thang is, how in the world was Fiona Mae gonna' get out of her belly? Momma said Fiona Mae would knock on her belly an' ask to come out. An' when she did, Daddy would drive Momma to the hospital so the Doctor could make a door in Momma's belly to let Fiona Mae out.

PRR: Well, that is quite a deal.

JFJ: It's just plain crazy is what that is. Havin' God put a little baby inside my Momma's belly when we coulda' had Amazon mail her to us or somethin'. I know Momma has Prime cuz' I heard her tell Daddy we did and that meant she didn't have to pay for shipping. Seems to me like that woulda' been the best thang to do. I'm just a kid and I see that made the best sense. Grown ups sure are weird.

PRR: Amazon Prime is a very good service. I don't think they are quite ready to get into the baby delivery business though.

JFJ: I reckon not.

PRR: So, did things change a lot after Fiona Mae was born?

JFJ: A good thang about Fiona Mae comin' was we moved from California to Oklahoma to be close to Grams and Poppa on the Farm. So that wuz' a real good thang right there. I need to remember that and be nice to Fiona Mae cuz' I sure do like comin' to the Farm.

PRR: What do you do when you come to the farm?

JFJ: Fun stuff usually. Only today with Fiona Mae here it's kinda' boring.

PRR: And why is that?

JFJ: Well, Grams is fussin' over Fiona and Poppa is cuttin' and bailin' hay in the south pasture. They got bunches of pastures that they move the cows around in. I'm glad about that cuz' right now Poppa's ole' mean bull, Twister, and his lady cows Bessy and Daisy an' their babies is all in the back pasture right now so I don't hafta' worry none about Twister gettin' me if I go to the pond.

PRR: Well, we sure don't want any mean bulls chasing us today. Now, you mentioned the pond when we first started talking. Tell me more about that.

JFJ: Well, I can see the water from here and there's a real good shade tree. It's got some nice pears on it. One of them 'id be mighty tasty. I could hop myself right off this here porch and take us on down there and get us some pears. You want to?

PRR: Actually, that sounds nice. Let's go.

JFJ: We can take our shoes off and wade around and give our feet some coolin' off. Reckon we could take our shoes off right now and leave 'em on the porch here so we don't ruin 'em puttin' wet, dirty feet back in 'em. And we won't hafta' carry 'em.

PRR: I'm all for going to the pond and having a pear but I think I'll skip walking barefoot and wading in the pond.

JFJ: I love going barefoot. The dirt on the path feels real good on my feet. It's warm and soft.

[We walk to the pond.]

JFJ: See now, it didn't take us long to get here. Hey! Lookie here!

PRR: What is it? You're not going to splash me or anything are you?

JFJ: Oh, no ma'am. I wouldn't do that to a nice lady like you. I just seen a tadpole in the edge of the water is all. Poppa says those weird little wiggly things with tails turn into bullfrogs. I put one in a jar one time so I could see it happen. But after a couple of days it was floating upside down in the jar and smelled bad. Grams shooed me outside and made me toss it in the grass. I guess tadpoles don't care much for living in jars.

PRR: Yikes! That's sad about the tadpoles. I'm sorry that happened.

JFJ: Yeah, me too.

[JFJ starts looking all around as he walks out of the water towards the pear tree.]

PRR: Have you lost something Jimmy?

JFJ: Nope. I'm just seeing where the goose is at. I wanna get us some pears from this here tree.

PRR: Does the goose not let you get pears?

JFJ: Well, one time I reached up and grabbed a pear and just as I did, I heard a whap! whap! whap! hisssssss! hisssss! And somethin' bit me right on my behind! When I turned there was an ugly long neck bird. I had forgot there was geese down here. I don't know if the one that got me that day was a goose or a gander but all I know is I needed me some yonder to get away from it.

PRR: Is that a fact. (laughing)

JFJ: It was flappin' its wings and hissin' at me. It would run at me and when I tried watchin' it and runnin' backwards it would kinda' dance it's neck around looking straight up in the air. Ifin' I turned my back, it would run up on me and bite my behind. I never seen the like. There's something weird about farm animals likin' to chase me. I guess they don't like city boys.

PRR: As I understand it, when the bull chased you, you leaped over a fence to get away. How did you get away from the goose?

JFJ: Well I took off down that path but that dang thang could fly so it was keepin' up with me pretty good. So, I decided to zig zag around a bit and maybe that would slow it down. I did it a couple of times and it did seem to make it harder for the goose to get at me.

PRR: So, you zig zagged your way free of the goose.

JFJ: Yeah, but then all of a sudden I had the most terrible pain in my feet that felt like I'd been jabbed by Momma's sewing needles. I fell plumb down because I couldn't keep going. I'll tell you, I ain't gonna' lie, I had tears. And even with me down, that stupid goose flew at me. I ducked down and covered my head.

PRR: Oh, Jimmy! Did the goose hurt you?

JFJ: Naw. After I wasn't moving anymore, that dang goose decided he had showed me good so he went strutting back off to the pond.

PRR: So, if the goose didn't hurt you, what was the pain that put you to tears and made you hit the ground?

JFJ: It was some kind of monsters stickin' in my feet. They had thorns all over them and they were hard. And ifin' I touched one of them I thought I was gonna' have a heart attack.

PRR: What was it?

JFJ: Goatheads is what Grams and Poppa said they was. I can tell you, they are the hurtinest thang I ever did step on.

PRR: After hearing that, I'm really glad now that I didn't walk down here barefoot.

JFJ: Aww, no. I know where the goatheads are now so we wouldn't go anywhere near them.

[strange bird shrieking noises]

PRR: What is that weird bird screeching sound? It isn't the goose is it?

JFJ: Nope. That's the guineas.

PRR: What are guineas.

JFJ: They are a funny looking black and white pokadot looking thangs like an ugly chicken. They sit up in trees and watch out over ever thang. Then if they see something, they start screeching like that. Sort of like when dogs bark.

PRR: I see. So they are sort of a watchdog then?

JFJ: Yeah. And they eat ticks, too. And other bugs. That's what Grams says she got 'em for was the ticks and bugs. But Poppa, he likes 'em 'cause if any coyotes come 'round or strangers walk up or drive up, them guineas make a terrible rukus. Oh, yeah. And snakes. They don't like snakes and they will gang up in a circle and get on that snake and take care of it.

PRR: Well, sounds like life is a whole lot safer on the farm with guineas around.

JFJ: Yes, ma'am.

PRR: You became quite a hit in the story Blackberries Ain't Worth the Bull. Do people recognize you when you go to town now?

JFJ: Oh, they always have knowed me. They call me "little Jimmy, Bill and Inez Jackson's little grandson." That's how they know me.

PRR: So, did the story not boost you in the community?

JFJ: Oh, yeah, it did. A few folks asked me for autographs. I gave 'em one. I wasn't sure if they was honest wanting one or if they was just funning me. But I gave 'em one.

PRR: Since I came all the way out here to the farm today, can I get your autograph?

JFJ: Yes, ma'am, you sure can!

To Ms. Pam Reeder, a pretty lady and my new best friend. Yours truly, James Fergus Jackson

PRR: Oh, that's so sweet. Thank you so much.

JFJ: Nothin' to it.

PRR: Well, Jimmy, I'm so glad I got to come out here to the farm today and visit with you. And thank you for the pear by the way. It was really delicious.

JFJ: You're welcome.

******

And that's a wrap up of our interview with little James Fergus Jackson on his grandparent's farm in Oklahoma.

Until next time,

Pam Reeder,

Stifled wordsmith re-embracing my creativity. I like to write stories that tap into raw human emotions.

Author of "Bristow Spirits on Route 66", magazine articles, four books under a pen name, technical writing, stories for my grandkids.

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