Mama's Brand

A Story by Have Tales

A short short on remembering a mother's love and uncanny knowing of what ailed you and the remedies to boot!

Mama’s Brand

Mama knocked on the door to the bathroom. I knew she’d come by sooner or later to check on me. But I had wanted this to be over with by the time she did. By her maternal clock, I had spent way too much time in here. “When the last time you had a bowel movement,” Mama asked. I didn’t want to answer her right away. I wanted to prolong the answer to her question for as long as I could. “Not long, Mama,” I said.

I screwed my face up tight, partially from the pain of constipation and knowing that soon, she’d offer me a teaspoon of Castor Oil or Black Draught Syrup. I didn’t want it to come to that. The thought of having to swallow either one of her remedies, had my ten-year old self, straining and squeezing my buttocks; and praying to the good Lord that my bowels would soon break loose! I sat there, on the toilet, thinking about my Mama and her remedies. She had several for whatever ailed you.

Mama’s remedies consisted of… well, let me see. There were those sweet little orangey pills that my sister and brothers and I loved. We would just eat them right out of the bottle if we got our hands on them. They were by far the only remedy of My Mama’s arsenal that we liked. Besides Castor Oil and Black Draught Syrup, there was Sal Hepatica for a tummy ache; baking soda for heartburn; and good old Boric Acid. My Mama would give us the Boric Acid as a laxative and eyewash and would you believe; she’d use it as a bug repellent too!

As the seasons changed, so did her remedies. Mutton Tallow, in the little green and white tin, sheep’s oil that stunk to high heaven; and Vick’s Vapor Rub, for chest congestion to loosen up the phlegm in your chest. At night, she’d spread the Mutton Tallow across your chest, followed by a little Vick’s under your nose, so you could breathe and sleep through the night. And it worked!

There was the orange tin with black lettering that read, Rawleigh “Man” Salve. We added the “man” because the tin had a picture in the middle of it that reminded you of George Washington on the one-dollar bill. She would use that salve for every cut, bruise or sore we had. There were other standards, the kind you’d find in most households�"peroxide, alcohol, Epsom Salt and A & D Ointment, just to name a few.

Later, in our teenage years, my mother added witch hazel to the arsenal to rid us of acne. We’d wash our faces, using only Ivory soap and then take a cotton ball and put a little witch hazel on it to wipe our faces-clean of the oils that clogged your pores.

Yeah, I remember all my Mama’s remedies and I bet you can too.

My Mama is long gone and I’m a mother now. I have three children of my own. And although I may be better educated and can afford what my doctor prescribes, I still lean towards my Mama’s remedies.

“Open your mouth child and take this Castor Oil.” Lord, I am my mother’s child. Have Mercy!

Note from the Author: Mama’s Brand is a work of fiction. Although the names of products mentioned in this short story are accurate to the best of the author’s knowledge; it is not an endorsement for the product’s medicinal qualities or use. Thus, this work is the product of the author’s life experiences, used in conjunction with the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Copyright @ 2009 by Shelly Coles. Permission to use the names of products in this short story, were requested by the author.