Sometimes I think maybe he shouldn’t have spoiled her so much when she was a young girl, because she just didn’t take this punishment well at all.
We didn’t know it, but your daddy started coming here to our house to visit her, and she’d sneak out at night with him, and then one day they just up and eloped! Went all the way to Arkansas where they could get married, because your momma was only sixteen. They were gone for three days. I was frantic, I tell you! Your grandfather had every lawman in the parish out searching for her. When she finally came back, she told me they’d gone up to Texarkana and got married by a justice of the peace there.
Your grandfather was furious! He turned her out of the house, though I begged him not to. Your daddy said it didn’t matter, and that he’d find work and take care of them. For a while he was working here in Lafayette, but later that year, you know, the big crash happened, and there was no work for anyone anymore. So your daddy took your momma – my precious baby girl – back to those swamps he came from!”
At this, grandmother started crying a little. I put my hand up on her cheek, and she kissed it, and then wiping her eyes, she continued,
“Well, I got letters from her from time to time. She tried to be cheerful in those letters, but I knew that it was hard for her. She wasn’t used to working so hard. He had her doing the cooking the cleaning, you name it. They didn’t have two pennies to rub together, and sometimes I’d send her a little money when I could. She kept having baby after baby too. I don’t know how she managed it. And they were all boys. All boys! She wanted a little girl so badly. And when she knew she was going to have you she wrote to me. I still have that letter. Do you want to see it?”
A wave of excitement came over me. A letter from my momma! I could barely contain myself. Grandmother saw the delight on my face and grinned.
“Alright then, I’ll just get it for you.”
She went back to the closet in my room, reached up on the top shelf again and carefully pulled down an old hat box. She set it down on my bed and opened it gingerly. With trembling hands, she picked up an envelope from the top of a pile of letters, pictures, dried flowers, and other small treasures in the box. She pulled the letter from the envelope and handed it over to me. I took a deep breath and read it:
Dearest Mother,
I am writing to tell you some good news. I am going to have another baby, but this time, I am sure it will be a little girl! I want to name her Amy Lee. Don’t you think that’s a good name? I want to dress her all in pink and put pretty ribbons in her hair, just like I used to wear. Won’t she just be a little doll?
I hope that you and daddy are doing well. I wish that daddy would let me come and visit. Maybe he’ll change his mind when he knows he’s going to have a granddaughter! I so want to see everyone. I miss you and Daddy and Gladys so much. . .
The letter continued on, but Grandmother took it out of my hands. She smoothed the worn paper lovingly, and then put it back in the envelope.
“That was the last letter I ever got from your momma,” she whispered. “I didn’t know she had died until months after you were born. Can you imagine! I wanted to go and get you myself, but your grandfather was still too bitter and angry to hear of it. But, a little while after he died, I did come and find you, and so, here you are, child!” She gave me a hug and kissed my cheek.
“And now, young lady, it is very late and you have school tomorrow and need to go to sleep!” I nodded and sank down beneath the covers, so happy to know that my momma had wanted me! Grandmother tucked me into bed and then turned off the light.
I lived with my grandmother for five wonderful years. It was the summer after I turned ten,
We didn’t know it, but your daddy started coming here to our house to visit her, and she’d sneak out at night with him, and then one day they just up and eloped! Went all the way to Arkansas where they could get married, because your momma was only sixteen. They were gone for three days. I was frantic, I tell you! Your grandfather had every lawman in the parish out searching for her. When she finally came back, she told me they’d gone up to Texarkana and got married by a justice of the peace there.
Your grandfather was furious! He turned her out of the house, though I begged him not to. Your daddy said it didn’t matter, and that he’d find work and take care of them. For a while he was working here in Lafayette, but later that year, you know, the big crash happened, and there was no work for anyone anymore. So your daddy took your momma – my precious baby girl – back to those swamps he came from!”
At this, grandmother started crying a little. I put my hand up on her cheek, and she kissed it, and then wiping her eyes, she continued,
“Well, I got letters from her from time to time. She tried to be cheerful in those letters, but I knew that it was hard for her. She wasn’t used to working so hard. He had her doing the cooking the cleaning, you name it. They didn’t have two pennies to rub together, and sometimes I’d send her a little money when I could. She kept having baby after baby too. I don’t know how she managed it. And they were all boys. All boys! She wanted a little girl so badly. And when she knew she was going to have you she wrote to me. I still have that letter. Do you want to see it?”
A wave of excitement came over me. A letter from my momma! I could barely contain myself. Grandmother saw the delight on my face and grinned.
“Alright then, I’ll just get it for you.”
She went back to the closet in my room, reached up on the top shelf again and carefully pulled down an old hat box. She set it down on my bed and opened it gingerly. With trembling hands, she picked up an envelope from the top of a pile of letters, pictures, dried flowers, and other small treasures in the box. She pulled the letter from the envelope and handed it over to me. I took a deep breath and read it:
Dearest Mother,
I am writing to tell you some good news. I am going to have another baby, but this time, I am sure it will be a little girl! I want to name her Amy Lee. Don’t you think that’s a good name? I want to dress her all in pink and put pretty ribbons in her hair, just like I used to wear. Won’t she just be a little doll?
I hope that you and daddy are doing well. I wish that daddy would let me come and visit. Maybe he’ll change his mind when he knows he’s going to have a granddaughter! I so want to see everyone. I miss you and Daddy and Gladys so much. . .
The letter continued on, but Grandmother took it out of my hands. She smoothed the worn paper lovingly, and then put it back in the envelope.
“That was the last letter I ever got from your momma,” she whispered. “I didn’t know she had died until months after you were born. Can you imagine! I wanted to go and get you myself, but your grandfather was still too bitter and angry to hear of it. But, a little while after he died, I did come and find you, and so, here you are, child!” She gave me a hug and kissed my cheek.
“And now, young lady, it is very late and you have school tomorrow and need to go to sleep!” I nodded and sank down beneath the covers, so happy to know that my momma had wanted me! Grandmother tucked me into bed and then turned off the light.
I lived with my grandmother for five wonderful years. It was the summer after I turned ten,
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