ASAFETIDA
by Donald L. Haynie, as related by his mother, Cloe Haynie
"Children, obey your parents in all things:
for this is pleasing unto the Lord."
Colossians 3:20
Once upon a time, in the
early part of the Twentieth Century, there was a quarantine in the little Mormon
town of Manassa, Colorado, the result of an outbreak of some communicable
disease, like measles, chicken pox, or mumps.
Little red flags were posted at the gates of
those homes in which lived family members who were afflicted with the disease.
The burden was on others, therefore, to avoid
contact with the afflicted and, thereby, delay their own affliction.
Two boys, cousins Bill Holmes
and Heber Rogers (my uncle), were not so much concerned with the quarantine as
they were with seeing a particular movie in which their favorite cowboy movie
actor starred.
Each had the ten cents required for admission
but, having been trained to be respectful sons, they sought permission from
their parents to go to the movie.
Respectful or not, they had
learned early, as all children do, that the best way to seek permission is to
work on one parent at a time.
So, they went to Heber’s mother first.
In response to their plea, she reminded them
of the quarantine, but they assured her that they would not become exposed to
any dread disease.
This assurance was convincing, but Heber’s
mother (my grandmother) was not ready to give unqualified permission.
Wanting to be the good, loving mother that she
was, she “passed the buck”.
She said the boys had her permission to go to
the movie, if Bill’s mother also gave her approval.
Now, we all know what two boys can do with a
decision like that, and they did!
Bill’s mother was Aunt Pearl,
and she respected the decision of Heber’s mother, Aunt Necie.
She went through the routine of questioning
and warning and she, too, gave her permission, but there was a provision, or
conditional stipulation.
Each of the boys would have to wear a piece of
“asafetida” attached to a string tied around his neck.
Now, asafetida is the fetid gum resin of
various oriental plants, and was used in those days in such frontier towns as
Manassa as protection to ward off disease.
The boys were agreeable to
the stipulation and permitted Aunt Pearl to tie pieces of asafetida around their
necks, and they headed off to the movie house.
It was winter-time and their heavy coats were
buttoned up high around their necks.
It was not long before the odor of asafetida
got to them, and they knew they had to do something to counteract it.
Heber had a few extra cents with him, so they
went in to Doctor Van’s drug store and bought a bottle of cheap perfume with
which they doused themselves liberally.
They arrived at the movie house, paid their money,
and were admitted.
The movie was
already in progress, and they noticed
two
empty
seats
by
the
big
stove
at
one
side
of
the
theater.
Climbing
over
people
already
seated,
they
reached
the
two
seats
by
the
stove.
Their
favorite
cowboy
was
on
the
screen
and
they
became
so
absorbed
in
the
movie
that
they
didn't
notice
that,
one
by
one,
the
other
movie
patrons
were
moving
away
from
them,
as
far
away
as
they
could.
At
the
end
of
the
movie,
when
the
lights
were
turned
on,
Bill
and
Heber
were
sitting
all
alone
by
the
big,
hot
stove,
and
everybody
else
had
moved
as
far
away
from
the
odor
of
asafetida
and
cheap
perfume
as
they
could.
When
Heber
got
home,
his
mother
told
him
to
go
outside
to
undress,
and
to
leave
his
clothes
away
from
the
house
and
to
take
a
bath.
She
would
wash
his
clothes
the
next
day
and,
somehow,
get
the
stench
out
of
them.
The
moral
to
this
story
is
demonstrated
by
two
boys
who, although
they had some
pretty definite ideas about attending
a
movie,
honored
their
parents
by
requesting
permission
too
and
wore
asafetida
around
their
necks,
even
though
the
odor
of
the
asafetida
offended
others
around
them.