The Things We Learn

My grandmother came to visit this weekend. She brought with her: her husband and my cousin Al. I think it was the first time that Grandma had actually spent a night with me and the first time she had been around my husband for a long period of time (read: overnight). I was quite nervous. So nervous that the twins were put on wall washing duty. My husband was amazed and almost reported me to the authorities for abuse of the child labor laws. I promptly explained that my younger years were spent washing walls in Grandma's house. The twins are experienced at such a task havinh spent time with me and my mother doing the same chore.

The point was the house needed to be cleaned from top to bottom. From the garage to the closets. Grandma would look.

It amazed me that Grandma finally married Granpa. After 30 years of him being around. They dated for about 4 years and then became platonic friends. It was said that they broke up because of her becoming saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost. This may be true, but not too long later Grandpa joined the church too. I grew up with him always in my life. At every graduation, family dinner, family outing, church event; he drove me and my best friend on our personal down south college tour. Granpa was always there.

I remember at least 5 other occasions wherein Grandpa got down on one knee and proposed to Grandma. Each ring progressively bigger...each no given resoundingly louder. Grandma becoming richer and richer with each real estate purchase. She dated occasionally, one of her choices was an elder who was crazy about the color red. I remember being around 10 or 11 and watching Grandma get dressed for a church event. She had on red from head to toe. She was about 50 but had on sheer red stockings, red underwear, a flowing red dress and she topped it off with a red fox stole. I thought she was beautiful and red swiftly became my signature color. He broke her heart. I'm sure that when she found out that he was after her money, it devastated her and made her swear off men. Listening to her stinging diatribes against the intelligence of men, unstableness and uncouthness of their nature, affected me and all of my cousins. Seeing her alone for so many years, coupled with the unmarried nature of all of my 5 aunts, undoubtley left a lasting impression on my many female and male cousins growing up under their care.

Granpa was always there. Grandma raised her 6 children and 13 of her grandchildren. He was there to drive the little ones to school, drive the big ones to appointments and drive her to work. He worked as a jaintor for the Police Department