Son was a speculator and well- known throughout the village. He drove an old 1951 Chevrolet Fleetmaster to haul the various animals for his trade. The vehicle was like no other vehicle in the town. It was faded black, no seats except the driver’s seat, and the vehicle smell arrived several minutes before the old car. Son hardly washed the vehicle, and so it had a variety of animal smells and dung in the old jalopy.
Son had a reputation also that preceded him. He was a mean man; no-one cared for him nor wanted to be around him. Son was about six feet tall and around 250 pounds. Son sometimes killed pigs and other animals to sell, and he often carried a sticking knife. He used the sticking knife to puncture the heart of the pigs to kill them. There were many stories about Son, either threatening or using the sticking knife on his enemies. The children were terrified of him, but teased him often. Sometimes, when he drove through Chimborazo, he would swerve his car at the children in the street.
But Son was more famous for the sounds he made when he gritted his teeth. When he was challenged or angry, he ground his teeth very loudly, so he earned the nickname Crumpsah. He hated the name, and the children knew it. Each time he drove through the village, the kids yelled out, “Crumpsah!”.
Crumpsah had one brother John, who lived through Mascoll Road. John was a tall, quiet man who worked the land and kept to himself. He had two young children and a spouse Earline. Crumpsah was the only visitor John received. Every evening around five P.M., Crumpsah showed up at John and waited for his food. Crumpsah ate until he was full and then left without thanking John for dinner.
It was an overcast day in the village, and Crumpsah had a lousy day speculating. He waited until the usual five P.M. and walked over to John for dinner. Earlier in the day, Earline and John fought about feeding Crumpsah. Earline was angry and started an argument with John. “John”, she said, “you good fuh nuttin’ brudda does come ova hey every day fuh food an don’ even bring nuttin’to cook, not even a salt pig snout. But why you does leh he do dah, doh?”.
John was concerned too but never knew how to approach the matter with Crumpsah. He tried to calm Earline. “Earline, you know he is me bruddah and I kahn turn he way. How dah wud look, I got food en kahn feed me bruddah?” Earline got angrier and told John her plan to trick Crumpsah. “I tell ya wuh we gine do”, Earline said. “ I gine get a pot a wata ready and jus when he coming I gine turn on the fire. We gine leh he sit deh an watch de pot. If he complain, I gine tell he a watched pot don’ bile.”
John agreed to the plan and they waited for Crumpsah. As usual, Crumpsah was on time. He called out, “John! Earline! I hey. Wheh me food?”. Earline spoke up first. “Son, we had dis pot on all afternoon watching it an it ain’ biling. I guess wha dey say, a watch pot don’ bile. You ga long home and when de food ready we will sen some fuh ya by de boy”. Crumpsah was disappointed but agreed to go. “Ok,” he said over the noise of his gritting teeth.
Earline, John and the children bust out laughing, while Earline turned off the stove and pulled the food she had previously cooked out of the larder. They were laughing so hard. They never saw Crumpsah ease back into the house, dished up a big helping of the food and said, “pass de hotsauce.”