at the comment, with more than a
few hushed whispers here and there. This was not what they were
expecting. And Granny hated giving people what they expected.
“What’s the fun in that?” she’d say. In any case, I continued. “She
loved getting in the middle of the crowd and lifting her arms up,
swaying them to the beat, on account of her hips didn’t work all
that well anymore.” Pearl snickered, which meant I was on the
right track. “See, in the crowd, Granny was just like everyone
else. Nobody was watching to see if she was saying or doing the
right thing. Nobody knew that she was a Jackson. Nobody knew
about the mansion or the plantation. Not that Granny didn’t love
the mansion, mind you; it’s just, it came with a price none of you
could see.”
I paused, trying to keep my voice in check and the floodgates
behind my eyes locked up good and tight. Granny hated when
people made a spectacle of themselves. And, if she was watching,
I didn’t want to disappoint. “See, she was Miss Jackson to you all.
But she was Granny to me. I got to see her for who she was.
And, yes, she was as ornery as you all thought, just as short-
tempered and irritable, but that’s because she had generations
and generations of Jacksons pressing down on her, forcing her
into a role too heavy for your average person.” Again I looked to
Pearl, her eyes shut good and tight, head bobbing up and down.
“And let me tell you all something right here and now, Granny
was anything but average.”
38 Rob Rosen
“Hallelujah,” shouted Pearl, a few uncertain amens following
suit.
“Now then, Granny wasn’t a God fearing Christian woman,
like many of you know. But that’s because she wasn’t fearing of
anything. In fact, she was the most fearless person I ever met
or ever hope to meet. Which is why she was able to get down
with it in the middle of a dance floor at her age.” Pearl had her
hands up in the air now, getting ready to feel it. “But Granny, well
now, she was a God loving woman. She loved God for all that he
gave her. Loved God for that mansion and her name. For her
peach crops and her rose bushes. Loved God for making her a
fine southern woman.” Well know, wouldn’t you know it, half
the crowd amened at that one. Probably all the women in the
audience, at any rate. “And, mostly, she loved God even though
he took her only child away from her and gave her me instead.
And that’s about as fearless a person as any of you would be
lucky enough to meet. And lucky for me as well, let me tell you.”
Pearl was on her feet now, “Hallelujah, praise Jesus!” I smiled,
knowing full well that this wasn’t that kind of Baptist church. Still,
a bunch of folks followed Pearl and a bunch more shouted their
praise up to the rafters. Meaning, if Gabriel was listening, I was
certain he was getting an earful. Probably from Granny right by
his side, I’d imagine.
“So for all of you out there, pretty much the whole town
it looks like from up here, for all of you who understand what
it’s like to show something on the outside but feel something
completely different on the inside, let me hear an amen!” There
was a murmur of it, a ripple across and down the pews. “And for
all of you who feel the crush sometimes and just wish you could
shake it off and get down with it, let me hear an amen!” And the
murmur went full-voice, rising like the tide. “And for those of
you who love the South and what it represents above what other
folks think about you, because let me tell you, Granny loved the
South and couldn’t give a damn what anybody thought about her,
let me hear an amen!” And, wouldn’t you know it, they were all
on their feet, every last one of them, even the ones that probably
southeRn FRied 39
couldn’t stand Granny. Because, above all else, they were her kin
just by being her neighbors, just by being born southern by the
grace of God. And Granny might have
few hushed whispers here and there. This was not what they were
expecting. And Granny hated giving people what they expected.
“What’s the fun in that?” she’d say. In any case, I continued. “She
loved getting in the middle of the crowd and lifting her arms up,
swaying them to the beat, on account of her hips didn’t work all
that well anymore.” Pearl snickered, which meant I was on the
right track. “See, in the crowd, Granny was just like everyone
else. Nobody was watching to see if she was saying or doing the
right thing. Nobody knew that she was a Jackson. Nobody knew
about the mansion or the plantation. Not that Granny didn’t love
the mansion, mind you; it’s just, it came with a price none of you
could see.”
I paused, trying to keep my voice in check and the floodgates
behind my eyes locked up good and tight. Granny hated when
people made a spectacle of themselves. And, if she was watching,
I didn’t want to disappoint. “See, she was Miss Jackson to you all.
But she was Granny to me. I got to see her for who she was.
And, yes, she was as ornery as you all thought, just as short-
tempered and irritable, but that’s because she had generations
and generations of Jacksons pressing down on her, forcing her
into a role too heavy for your average person.” Again I looked to
Pearl, her eyes shut good and tight, head bobbing up and down.
“And let me tell you all something right here and now, Granny
was anything but average.”
38 Rob Rosen
“Hallelujah,” shouted Pearl, a few uncertain amens following
suit.
“Now then, Granny wasn’t a God fearing Christian woman,
like many of you know. But that’s because she wasn’t fearing of
anything. In fact, she was the most fearless person I ever met
or ever hope to meet. Which is why she was able to get down
with it in the middle of a dance floor at her age.” Pearl had her
hands up in the air now, getting ready to feel it. “But Granny, well
now, she was a God loving woman. She loved God for all that he
gave her. Loved God for that mansion and her name. For her
peach crops and her rose bushes. Loved God for making her a
fine southern woman.” Well know, wouldn’t you know it, half
the crowd amened at that one. Probably all the women in the
audience, at any rate. “And, mostly, she loved God even though
he took her only child away from her and gave her me instead.
And that’s about as fearless a person as any of you would be
lucky enough to meet. And lucky for me as well, let me tell you.”
Pearl was on her feet now, “Hallelujah, praise Jesus!” I smiled,
knowing full well that this wasn’t that kind of Baptist church. Still,
a bunch of folks followed Pearl and a bunch more shouted their
praise up to the rafters. Meaning, if Gabriel was listening, I was
certain he was getting an earful. Probably from Granny right by
his side, I’d imagine.
“So for all of you out there, pretty much the whole town
it looks like from up here, for all of you who understand what
it’s like to show something on the outside but feel something
completely different on the inside, let me hear an amen!” There
was a murmur of it, a ripple across and down the pews. “And for
all of you who feel the crush sometimes and just wish you could
shake it off and get down with it, let me hear an amen!” And the
murmur went full-voice, rising like the tide. “And for those of
you who love the South and what it represents above what other
folks think about you, because let me tell you, Granny loved the
South and couldn’t give a damn what anybody thought about her,
let me hear an amen!” And, wouldn’t you know it, they were all
on their feet, every last one of them, even the ones that probably
southeRn FRied 39
couldn’t stand Granny. Because, above all else, they were her kin
just by being her neighbors, just by being born southern by the
grace of God. And Granny might have
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