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Tomás the Turkey By Rosalind V. Benner, R.D., L.D. H-E-B Nutrition Specialist  I can still remember the thrill and excitement among us kids when Daddy
told us that Mama had won a live turkey at Solo-Serve
(San Antonio's version of a discount store). The year was 1949, and we still
lived on Travis Street in the near-west-side of San Antonio, Texas.Back then, we lived on an unpaved street in a new, two-bedroom, one-bath home with all four kids sharing one bedroom. Daddy had his own advertising and printing business in the converted garage/apartment behind the house, while Mama was in charge of the home. It was truly a great standard of living for those days. The day was cool and overcast. Mama typically took the bus to go shopping and, in this instance, had traveled downtown because Solo-Serve had advertised on the radio that it was raffling off a live turkey every business hour. You had to be present to win, so she had been gone most of the day and must have filled out hundreds of entry forms. While Mama was out, Daddy and my mean sister, Marie, who was five years my senior, were the official babysitters. That afternoon, Marie, Margaret (7 years), Eddie (3 years) and I (6 years), all eagerly waited under the chinaberry tree for a glimpse of Mama coming down the street from the bus stop with her 25-pound prize turkey—known to us already as "Tomás the Turkey." Mama, who was a five-foot tall fireball of energy and fun, had left home earlier dressed in high heels, a nice dress, and a hat. Finally, we saw the distant figure of her getting off the bus and walking down the street. She was carrying Tomás upside down by the legs and was leaning to one side like a sailing yacht against a hard wind. We always wondered if the bus driver charged Mama extra for Tomás. Mama said all the bus passengers were as excited as she, and helped accommodate the bird in his bus seat. Tomás had apparently accepted his fate. He was very calm while his feathers fluffed out about his sides due to his upside-down position (or maybe it was just because all the blood was rushing to his neck and head). What a thrill! We were jumping and screaming with glee as Mama approached. Tomás would be our new pet. These were the days before TV, and we certainly had a repertoire of creative backyard games. What great fun we had planned—"Cowboys and Turkeys," "Cinderella and the Turkey," "Snow White's Turkey and the Seven Dwarves," and maybe "Ali Baba's Turkey and the Twenty Thieves." The next day brought bad news. Vlacita, Mama's household helper, babysitter, and official "chicken terminator," had been summoned to our house. We loved Vlacita, but we knew Tomás the turkey would soon be a memory with a swing of her sharp ax. We cried, moaned, and groaned our pleas to Daddy for Tomás's stay of execution. Daddy was very serious and thoughtful about the situation. He was a lover of animals and had great feelings for Tomás. Mama, Vlacita, and Daddy held a conference behind closed doors in the kitchen to discuss a possible reprieve. We waited anxiously to hear the verdict. When Daddy came out, he had a smile on his face. Tomás had been spared Vlacita's ax until Christmas. We all eagerly helped Mama with the Thanksgiving dinner preparations—mixing the flour and yeast for the rolls, weaving the lattice top for the cherry pie, and stuffing the unknown, ready-to-roast turkey purchased from the modern new H-E-B supermarket on Commerce Street. Mama made the picadillo stuffing, sweetened with raisins, prunes, and pecans, while we set the table with her best china and wedding silverware. Our grandmother, Abuelita, and two bachelor uncles, Alex and Raúl, were our special guests. The feast began with Daddy saying the blessing and carving the turkey. We heard wonderful family stories of long ago as we ate our Thanksgiving feast. It was truly 1949's version of a Hispanic American, Martha Stewart–style gathering. P.S. There was even better news for Tomás—we kept him for a year and then he flew away to a nearby farm. At least, that's what Daddy told us. Visit The Holiday Feast for great ideas for your special dinner and create new memories for your own family. |
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