In a field indistinguishable from the thousands that blanketed the North Carolina countryside, a bead of sweat dripped from O.C. Martin’s chin. It cut through the air, bumping the water particles collected in the dense August morning air, and, for a moment, rested on one of the green leaves gathering at his waist. Then, it burst. The pieces fell to the soil and were soon toppled and mashed by O.C.’s foot. The broken bead was followed by another, then another, until a continuous stream ran the long familiar path from his brow, down along his high cheek bones and just around the dimple that formed when he smiled, before gaining speed on his chin and cascading toward its final destination. The stream continued. The beads, shining from the water and the crystals of salt they were transporting, continued to pass along the brown skin in grooves that had been carved out years before, just as it had shaped the skin of his ancestors. At the time—we’ll call it … [Read more...] about A Family From High Plains