Just down the road from my house growing up, there lived two widowed sisters, Kate and Mary. Their house was at the end of a long, wooded road that passed by a small cemetery. I remember pedaling as fast as I could to get by it. But on a rare occasion, I got the nerve to actually stop and read the names on the tombstones. It was an old cemetery, and it had been years since anyone had been buried there.
Kate and Mary's house was beside a cove, but there was no longer any dock out to the water. The sisters loved to tell the story of how their great grandfather refused to take down the Confederate flag when a Union schooner had sailed into the cove. The Union captain was furious, and a cannon ball was fired into the side of the house. The grandfather went out on the porch, shook his fist towards the schooner and yelled "I'm still not taking it down!" Evidently, someone on the ship convinced the captain that this was not worth his time or effort, so the schooner left the cove and the flag remained flying.
I can still remember walking into their house, or really, I should say their huge kitchen, One end was for cooking, while the other had chairs to sit and talk. I can still smell the room: that old, smoky, cook stove smell that is still in the walls today, I am sure. Kate was a large woman, who mostly sat in her chair and led all the discussions. Her cheeks shook when she talked, and old folks back home would say she had "jowls". I remember that every time I came to visit, she had to give me a big hug and a kiss. Mary was a tiny woman, and hardly ever sat down. She was constantly cooking, cleaning, sweeping, doing something active. She joined in the conversations as well, but she always kept moving while she talked.
We would talk about church, about the weather, my father's garden, the health of everyone in the neighborhood, and much more. I was sometimes there for two or three hours at a time. I am convinced that those conversations years ago are a great part of the reason that I have always been able to talk with older people.
Kate and Mary have been gone for many years now. I often wonder what became of their house, and that little cemetery that gave me goosebumps years ago. I also wonder if they ever realized the lasting impact they had upon so many young people in our neighborhood.
Have you had a Kate or a Mary in your life? PLEASE share your memories here.
Have a blessed weekend!
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i do I do.. i have "The Ladies" which by no coincidence at all were named Mary and Kate who lived down a dark lane that had a spooky little cemetery on the way down. the baby grave scared me the worst. The little grave yard was still there the last time I looked and for years that is where my mother wanted to be buried. (she now wants to be cremated but lets not talk about that) I loved to visit "the ladies" as a child and remember being so incredibly sad when they were gone. The house sat for years just gathering dust then one day they had an estate sale I was old enough to go down and see it all but unfortunately was not old enough to realize that I should purchase a little something to hold on to. The low and behold someone started fixing the house up and putting in some pieces that I think the ladies would have appreciated and leaving some of the other items that just belonged there. a little dock was built out over the water. It was simply a weekend home for some body but I always imagined when it was left during the week or the winter that "the Ladies" were in that kitchen with Kate sitting and Mary flitting about doing this and that just enjoying another moment or two in the house they called home.
ReplyDeleteHere here to all "The Ladies" of the world who taught us not to be scared of old people.
Hugs sent to heaven to both of you lovely Ladies.
Great story -- I assume they did not have a still in their home like the Baldwin sisters.
ReplyDeleteI immediately thought of the Baldwin sisters, too. :) If they did, they probably didn't share it with the kids.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. If they had a still, they never showed it to us LOL!
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