Princess Pinto Bean
Once upon a time, in the south, there lived a prominent man and his three young daughters. This man was Leroy Montgomery, a successful agricultural tycoon, who had been dubbed “Prince of the Pinto” due to his reputation for growing the most delicious pinto beans in Fayette County, Georgia. He loved his three daughters dearly and depended on them after the death of his wife. His two eldest daughters, Maribelle and Henrietta, loved engaging in the traditions of pageants and galas. They were true southern belles who loved getting dolled up and partaking in Fayette County Society events with their father. Their sister, Susie May, couldn’t have been more different. She was an absolute tomboy. She loved to roll around in the mud, wrestle, and spit, attributes her family weren’t to keen to accept. Every July, it came time for the annual Fayette County Daddy-Daughter Pageant and Leroy asked his daughters to enter with him in memory of their mother who loved pageants and seeing her girls dressed up. He insisted that his girls be dressed in their most beautiful gowns. Maribelle and Henrietta were ecstatic; Susie May wasn’t so thrilled but decided to submit to her father's wishes regardless of how she felt about pageants.
The day for the pageant finally arrived and it had come to the portion of the contest where each daughter had to answer how much they loved their daddies. Maribelle strutted confidently up to the microphone with her beautifully curled hair and scintillatingly bright yellow dress and said, “ I love my daddy more than sitting under the cool proud branches of a magnolia on a warm summer’s day.” The audience and judges all gave a big grin of approval, impressed with her charm. Next, Henrietta sashayed over to the mic, grinning from ear to ear in her deep red princess dress, and said, “I love my daddy more than bees love fresh sweet honey from the honeycomb”. Everyone giggled at the cliche but cute comparison of love for her father. It was now Susie May’s turn. She clumped her way over to the mic, wearing a simple black dress and pigtails, and said, “I love my daddy more than dirt.” The audience gasped in shock at such a meaningless and insulting answer. Leroy, so embarrassed and hurt by his daughter’s words he plucked his daughters from the stage and dashed out. Once back home, he stomped and yelled at Susie May for being a disappointment and an embarrassment to their family. She tried to explain herself but her father turned a deaf ear to her.
After the pageant, things got tough for Susie May. She wasn’t allowed to go outside and play with any of the kids in the community. She was ostracised by her sisters and father. One day, feeling alone and ashamed, she found the brief opportunity to call her mother’s sister, Faye. She began to tell her Aunt Faye everything that happened and the reason why she said what said. Her Aunt Faye gave her specific instructions on what to do next. That night, Susie May snuck outside and gathered a box of dirt and a couple of bean sprouts. The next Morning her father woke up to a pile of dirt in the shape of a heart in a box next to his bed. The pile had beans starting to grow out of it. Leroy’s first instinct was to be enraged but then he took a good look at the humble pile of dirt and looked back up at Susie May, who had dirt all over her face and hands. She said, “Daddy, I said I loved you more than dirt because it is your dirt that makes you grow the best pintos in this county. You need dirt to make your pintos grow strong and healthy besides you also know how much I love to play in it”. As Leroy’s clouded judgement was cleared he began to shed a tear as he realized the error of his ways. He had wanted his daughter to be and respond in a way that was not her. He pulled his daughter in his arms and hugged her, apologizing for being embarrassed and ashamed of who she was. Even though he wanted to honor his late wife’s wishes he had to let his daughter be true to herself. From that day forward, Leroy understood the value of his daughter’s love and Susie May played in the mud, wore overalls and loved life.
