Celebrating 100 Years of the Texas Folklore Society, 1909-2009 Page: 47
xi, 420 p. : col. ill.View a full description of this book.
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DOBIE'S DISCIPLES AND THE CHOCTAW FIVE 47
brief introduction, Charley and I walked without speaking for at
least a mile. As I now write, I am realizing this mile to be the most
important mile of my life. With no pretense or purpose, I offered
to Mister Jones the understanding that I was in his presence to lis-
ten to him. Not to question. Not to evoke. Not to manipulate the
conversation to fulfill a design of my making. I was there, walking
with him in the 110 degree heat, simply to listen.
He sighed before he spoke, and I like to think his sigh was a
way of saying, "Well, you took your time getting here." Charley
spoke first about the Trail and what the old people had to endure
just to stay alive. His voice soon took on a melodious monotony, a
lulling quality of almost sound tracking the scenes he laid out
before us, scenes more experienced than heard. We crossed a creek
bridge and he eased into a story of the Choctaw law or custom of
executing anyone who had taken the life of another. He talked of
an old man who made the choice to face his death rather than vio-
late this most sacred of Choctaw promises.
For the remainder of his life, Charley Jones was my Choctaw
father, my teacher and friend. When I received the call that he had
died and I made plans to attend the service, I noted that I already
had plans for the day. My first book, which included the story of
the old man's execution-dedicated to Charley-was nominated
for the Oklahoma Book Award, and I had accepted the invitation
to attend the awards banquet in Oklahoma City, several hours'
drive from Idabel, Charley's hometown.
Of course, I attended Charley's funeral service, and I only
mention the day for what happened following the service. As a
newcomer to awards banquets, I feared walking in late, and imme-
diately after the closing of the coffin, I hit the road at a sweet
eighty miles an hour, sobbing and shaking at the remembered sight
of Charley in his grey suit with the choir singing old Choctaw
hymns he had taught me, singing right over his skinny body. My
mind recrossed the creek and I heard his voice tell the story, jump-
ing again when the shot rang out through the woods and pierced
the heart of a good Choctaw grandpa.
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Texas Folklore Society. Celebrating 100 Years of the Texas Folklore Society, 1909-2009, book, December 15, 2009; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc271470/m1/60/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.