marriage?”
“Believe me Nana there are worse things out
there.”
“Uhmm, you better keep on top of that child
or she’ll be running you. I have something for the both of you,
Connie would you get the red shopping bag out of my closet; it’s
sitting right up front.”
“Sure Auntie.” Connie quickly retrieved the
shopping back from the closet it was heavier than she expected. She
carried it to the kitchen and sat it next to her aunt.
“Thanks baby! Now I just
want to tell both of you how much I love you and I wanted to take
this opportunity to give you some things before I go home to
glory.” Mabel kept talking when she heard
the words of protest from Connie and Johana. “I’ve lived a great
life, and I want my two best girls to have some of the things I
treasure.”
She pulled two wooden boxes out the bag
giving one to Connie and the other to Johana. “Just some jewelry
I’ve collected over the years and some pieces that were given to me
as gifts.”
Connie opened the box she
looked at the precious and semi-precious stones in the necklaces
and bracelets. She saw a few items that Momma Lettie gave to
Aunt Mabel as birthday and Christmas gifts.
“Aunt Mabel I honestly can’t accept your
jewelry. I think all of it should go to Johana. She’s your real
family, and I just wouldn’t feel right about taking your
things.”
Mabel clasped Connie’s face
in her hands and gazed at her troubled eyes. “Honey, ain’t no use
in you telling me that you’re not my sister’s child! This makes you
my niece, and I want you to have these treasures. It’s vital that
the people I love receive a memorable gift from me while I’m still
alive. I don’t want to hear any more nonsense, you belong in this
family.”
Mabel pulled two large
family albums out of the bag giving one to Connie and the other to
Johana. “I had duplicates made from my family photos.”
Connie opened the book and the first picture
was of her and Momma Lettie at her six-grade graduation. She
flipped through the book at first she was overwhelmed with sadness,
and then sadness gave way to joy. There were shots of her at
various stages: recitals, high school graduation, college
graduation, and the formal dance.
“Remember that dress that Momma Lettie made
me for that awful formal dance. The snotty brats of Omaha’s elite
thought I was just a white hick from North Omaha. When they saw my
dress there were a lot of pissed off little debutantes.”
“Lettie was a talented seamstress; she could
whip up anything and make it look like it came off the runway. You
got your momma’s cooking skills, but baby you can’t sew worth a
lick.”
“Hey I just don’t have the patience for
pinning, cutting, and sewing. I’d rather play the drums, and Momma
Lettie let me lean to my own understanding.”
Johana turned to the last page of the photo
album and tears formed in her eyes. “Connie turn to the last
page.”
Connie flipped to the last page, it was the
last family photo that including Momma Lettie, Uncle Earl, and
Johana’s parents. “We were such a happy family.”
“Baby we still are! The problem with both of
you is that you focus too much on loss instead of being thankful
for what you have. We’re gonna lose our loved ones, that’s part of
life, but that doesn’t mean you give up on living.”
“Message received and understood Nana.”
Johana kissed her grandmother’s cheek.
“Aunt Mabel I will cherish my presents and thank you for
loving me.”
They spent the morning talking about old
times, and Connie felt as if a weight had been lifted from her
heart, it was good to be alive.
***
Chapter 5
It was the second Saturday after the New Year
holiday and Connie came into her office early to prepare for the
new year's tax rush. She already completed the year-end and tax
reports for her clients, which made for a busy December. She was in
the process of setting up for the workweek ahead when her phone
rang. It was odd for someone to
“Believe me Nana there are worse things out
there.”
“Uhmm, you better keep on top of that child
or she’ll be running you. I have something for the both of you,
Connie would you get the red shopping bag out of my closet; it’s
sitting right up front.”
“Sure Auntie.” Connie quickly retrieved the
shopping back from the closet it was heavier than she expected. She
carried it to the kitchen and sat it next to her aunt.
“Thanks baby! Now I just
want to tell both of you how much I love you and I wanted to take
this opportunity to give you some things before I go home to
glory.” Mabel kept talking when she heard
the words of protest from Connie and Johana. “I’ve lived a great
life, and I want my two best girls to have some of the things I
treasure.”
She pulled two wooden boxes out the bag
giving one to Connie and the other to Johana. “Just some jewelry
I’ve collected over the years and some pieces that were given to me
as gifts.”
Connie opened the box she
looked at the precious and semi-precious stones in the necklaces
and bracelets. She saw a few items that Momma Lettie gave to
Aunt Mabel as birthday and Christmas gifts.
“Aunt Mabel I honestly can’t accept your
jewelry. I think all of it should go to Johana. She’s your real
family, and I just wouldn’t feel right about taking your
things.”
Mabel clasped Connie’s face
in her hands and gazed at her troubled eyes. “Honey, ain’t no use
in you telling me that you’re not my sister’s child! This makes you
my niece, and I want you to have these treasures. It’s vital that
the people I love receive a memorable gift from me while I’m still
alive. I don’t want to hear any more nonsense, you belong in this
family.”
Mabel pulled two large
family albums out of the bag giving one to Connie and the other to
Johana. “I had duplicates made from my family photos.”
Connie opened the book and the first picture
was of her and Momma Lettie at her six-grade graduation. She
flipped through the book at first she was overwhelmed with sadness,
and then sadness gave way to joy. There were shots of her at
various stages: recitals, high school graduation, college
graduation, and the formal dance.
“Remember that dress that Momma Lettie made
me for that awful formal dance. The snotty brats of Omaha’s elite
thought I was just a white hick from North Omaha. When they saw my
dress there were a lot of pissed off little debutantes.”
“Lettie was a talented seamstress; she could
whip up anything and make it look like it came off the runway. You
got your momma’s cooking skills, but baby you can’t sew worth a
lick.”
“Hey I just don’t have the patience for
pinning, cutting, and sewing. I’d rather play the drums, and Momma
Lettie let me lean to my own understanding.”
Johana turned to the last page of the photo
album and tears formed in her eyes. “Connie turn to the last
page.”
Connie flipped to the last page, it was the
last family photo that including Momma Lettie, Uncle Earl, and
Johana’s parents. “We were such a happy family.”
“Baby we still are! The problem with both of
you is that you focus too much on loss instead of being thankful
for what you have. We’re gonna lose our loved ones, that’s part of
life, but that doesn’t mean you give up on living.”
“Message received and understood Nana.”
Johana kissed her grandmother’s cheek.
“Aunt Mabel I will cherish my presents and thank you for
loving me.”
They spent the morning talking about old
times, and Connie felt as if a weight had been lifted from her
heart, it was good to be alive.
***
Chapter 5
It was the second Saturday after the New Year
holiday and Connie came into her office early to prepare for the
new year's tax rush. She already completed the year-end and tax
reports for her clients, which made for a busy December. She was in
the process of setting up for the workweek ahead when her phone
rang. It was odd for someone to
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