Green Beans

Not long ago, during a week in Nebraska, on a sunny back porch, sat a mother, her son, and his caffeinated wife. A huge cottonwood let off little downy specs. A cat swatted for a fly, first trying to draw it near with its paw, then shooing it with the tail. Clay pots dotted the property, some with sturdy plants, others with tropical ones. Nebraskans are hard workers and tropical plants are hard work. It's a religious experience when they survive.

The mother and son pulled fresh green beans from a bag and started to rip the ends off. The caffeinated wife followed suit even though she was thinking about her kitchen shears. Every once in a while one of them would take a break and crunch down on a bean.

"I remember sitting out here as a kid, snapping beans and drinking pop," the son said.
"We didn't do it too often because snapping beans is kind of a pain," the mother responded.
The wife looked up. "Wait. Did the two of you just say snapping beans?"
The mother and son nodded.
"Snapping beans?"
More nodding.
"Shouln't we move to the front porch?"
"Isn't that what it's called?" asked the son.
"No way. Not really. I'm mean it's probably slang or something." The caffeinated wife tittered and shook her head. "Snapping. Beans."
The three continued to rip the ends and any brown spots from the green beans.
The wife was only quiet for four seconds, and then, "Is this going be written up in the Village Gazette? Right next the pinochle scores and the article about what they served for lunch after Lewis funeral?"
"We should get started on the corn," the mother urged.
The wife stuck another bean in her mouth and grabbed a few ears. She carefully tugged the husks away from the yellow kernels, starting with the silks and working down to the stock, which she broke off with great might. She sighed.
"I remember gathering around the table as a kid, and making corn husk dolls after dinner."



Tonight I left the shears aside and snapped each bean. I looked it up. What can I say? Snapping beans is a real thing. And they taste way better than sheared.