12/17/2018
Greetings Cousin Martha,
I hope these Holidays are finding you, ..., and all your loved ones happy and healthy. I am enclosing a letter from Nancy Romans Osborn to my mother dated Jan 3, 1961. I thought you might like to have a copy because in it she briefly mentions your parents, you, Tommy, and other family members. The baby referred to would be Carl Osborn, son of Ellis Osborn and Elizabeth Peden Osborn. The last time I saw Carl he was very young and still very red-headed. Just like Columbus Allen was I suppose, although I have no memory of him.
I am enclosing copies of the letter and the newspaper article Nancy refers to in the letter. I am also enclosing a typed version that is easier to read. In the typed version I did not edit the original letter, just printed it as it was, spelling mistakes and all. I love it just the way it is. I found the part about the moonshine stills in Aunt Agatha's house both amusing and enlightening. Here's why:
"Granny", as I called Nancy Osborn when I was a boy, always impressed me. Mom respected her a lot, as did Ellis, Elizabeth, and the children in their household. So naturally, I respected her too. I was even maybe a wee bit scared of her. She moved slowly and didn't say much to me but when she did she was kind and even laughed, which helped set me at ease. She admonished me to read two books in life if I read no others. They were the Holy Bible, which she presented me a copy of, and another book that she explained would help me better understand Alabama and its people. That book was "Stars Fell on Alabama" by Carl Carmer. I promised her I would read the Bible during the coming year and if I could find a copy of Mr. Carmer's book I would read it too.
As soon as we returned home to Oak Ridge I set about reading the Bible that Granny had given me. At first, it went pretty well with the Book of Genesis. As I recall, I even made it through the Book of Exodus. After that, the going got tougher and more bewildering until finally I caved in and gave up altogether. I had failed. Furthermore, our library in Oak Ridge did not have a copy of "Stars Fell on Alabama" so I couldn't read that book either. I was a double failure.
The next year as we drove back down to Alabama, I sat in the back seat of our car praying the whole way that Granny would not remember my promise to read the two books, especially my promise to read the really important one, the Holy Bible. When we arrived at uncle Ellis' house we were welcomed with lots of hugs and kisses and "law, law, how little Davy has grown" etc., from everybody. As we all sat down in the living room I tried to hide behind Wallace hoping Granny would not notice me. However, destiny, bad luck, punishment for all my sins, or whatever you want to call it, ruled the moment. The first words out of Granny's lips were "Davy boy ... did you read the Bible I gave you?" and as she spoke every head in the room turned towards me and waited in silence for my answer. We had been in the house less than five minutes.
I wanted the earth to open and swallow me up. I knew it was pointless to pray for the angels to swoop down and carry me up to Heaven because there was no place there for little boys who break promises to their Grannys. There was no place to run. Everybody was waiting for my answer. I did the only thing I could think of. I lied. "Yes Granny," I said looking down at my sneakers. "Did you read all of it?" she asked. Clearly, I realized, Granny was not born yesterday. She wanted details. "Uh, not all of it yet Granny," I said with a gulp, hoping that our conversation would stop right there. I could feel my face getting redder and redder. "How much did you read Davy?" she asked.
(Years later when reading about the Spanish Inquisition I would think back to that day with Granny Osborn and sympathize with those poor, wretched heretics, about to face the inquisitors of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.)
"The first part Granny. The part about the creation of the world and the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve and the serpent and the snake ... ". Granny smiled and stopped me right there. "It's a hard book for a little boy to read all by himself." she said. "You done good so far. It's ok to skip around and read the parts you like. God loves you and likes that you are trying." That's when I fell in love with Granny and knew that she truly was wise and why everyone respected her so. It was going to be a good trip to Alabama after all.
It was. I bought it at once not even looking at the price. "It's a first edition," the store owner told me as if justifying the price. "Great" I replied, "That's great." (It was $20.00 bucks) I've never been happier with a book purchase. It was all Granny said it would be and more. The chapters in the section entitled "Part II. In the Red Hills" painted a picture of life in the North Alabama hill country in the 1930s that I would learn later was the life of my Mom's people. I still have the book. It is one of my most valued treasures. At least I kept that part of my promise to Granny Osborn. Redemption at last!
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment