The Soggy Suitcase

Enjoy this previously published post from PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST…

This story is as told to me by my father-in-law – Bill – who always has a fond memory to recall from days spent visiting his grandmother in southern Illinois.

When I was a boy, my grandmother lived in southern Illinois in a small town named Nokomis. I visited her there every summer. In fact, I didn’t spend any of my childhood summers in Chicago. Instead, my father drove us downstate in his 1938 Dodge to visit his mother at her modest home. It was an enjoyable way to spend the hot summers, away from the crowded city and, instead, enjoying the rural life.

Since I was the only grandchild, it was natural that my grandmother doted on me. She didn’t speak much English, and consequently, I quickly learned the Slovak language from her (her native tongue). While in Nokomis, I learned to catch and clean fish, raise chickens, and collect coal in the neighboring town for use in Grandma’s stove.

I hunted for squirrels and rabbits too. My love for the outdoors grew, and I had unique opportunities that I wouldn’t find back home in my own neighborhood.

When I grew older, my parents put me on a train by myself for the visits to my grandmother. I didn’t mind going alone. I expect I was about 11 years old at the time. It was a good experience for me and helped me to be independent.

My Travel Buddy…

It was a couple years later, when I had the company of my Uncle Steve along for the ride. I can recall it was the summer before he entered the U.S. Naval service in World War II. Together, we headed to Chicago’s Union Station, where Uncle Steve and I boarded a passenger train. Once we were downstate, rather than wasting a good amount of time back-trekking from the St. Louis stopover, my uncle asked the conductor if we could hop off earlier in Coalton, Illinois (an unscheduled stop).

Back then, such a request wasn’t unheard of (times were indeed simpler). The conductor notified the engineer of our request. When we approached the town of Coalton, we could hear the train’s engine slowing down just enough. That’s when Uncle Steve and I jumped off early with our bags and waved Thank-You to the train crew. From that spot, we could see my grandmother’s house in the distance.

And So, Another Summer Goes By…

We enjoyed that season together before my uncle was deployed — fishing and hunting were favorite past-times for both of us. As is typical, we made a good haul and had plenty of fresh meat and fish for our meals.

My grandmother stored our skinned rabbits on her back porch, ready for stewing and preserving. When it was time for us to return to Chicago, Grandma wrapped up a dozen or so rabbits in newspaper and packed them away in an old suitcase for us to enjoy at home.

It was much later that same afternoon when Uncle Steve and I were seated on the crowded train when we both noticed spots of water on our knees. We didn’t know what to make of those suspicious droplets. Finally, glancing up toward the overhead luggage rack, we realized our suitcase was leaking.

The rabbits were thawing out!

Uncle Steve immediately signaled the conductor to come over. In a nervous tone, he asked how much time we had before the train reached Chicago. I kept my 13-year-old mouth shut and willed the train to move faster.

It was warm on the train — I certainly don’t recall any air conditioning back then — and we had several more stops until we were home free.

We made it to Union Station without further incident. From there, we hurried out of the station into the humid summer evening and anxiously waited for a bus home.

All in all, we had a pleasant visit with my grandmother, but we were exhausted when we arrived home. Like most travelers, we just wanted to change out of our travel clothes and roll into bed.

But regrettably, we still had an exceptionally soggy suitcase to unpack before doing so.

Bill’s 95th Birthday Party – May 2025

Thank you for reading – PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST

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Author: Pizza For Breakfast

A writer sharing stories of life: its hope, humor and pitfalls. All blended beautifully together.

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