1850, Llano, Texas Jake, my time has come…I’ve got words for you and Matt… Remember this all your days… Life is a rub-board. It’s full of bumps and rough places. All of them can be for good or bad… If you’re strong and last through those bumps and rough places, you’ll come out clean and smellin’ good. But if you’re not…you’ll tear up and fall to pieces and you’ll be good for nothin’.” Squeezing the boy’s hands for the last time, Big Mama said to the fourteen-year-old, Be a man.”.