Maw Maw

Maw-Maw looked out the window. She watched as the young ones ran around the field and the older ones sipped on their tea under the tree.

“Maw-Maw, let them kids be.” A soft voice came from behind. Maw-Maw turned around to see her daughter, Jezzie standing by the kitchen walkway.

“I am not bothering them, just looking is all. “

“Maw- Maw, you coming out with the snacks.” A young boy with wavy black hair and bright green eyes looked through the window. His lopsided grin made her laugh.

“Hold on just a minute, Blackstone; I will bring them out. Tell your cousins to stop horseplaying; they will get their good clothes dirty.

“Yes, ma’am, I will tell them.”

“Pitter-patter kids. Maw-Maw said to stop the horseplay. She is coming out with the snacks, so you better cut it out.”

“Boy Blackstone, not too long ago, you used to run through the mud in your Sunday clothes, and here you go nagging us.” A dark hair girl loled her head to the side as she spoke, basking in the sun.

“Good point Mary-Lou, I am just sharing Maw-Maw’s message. You wanna get a hollering, so be it. “

“Ms. Mary-Lou, you cut that backtalking out,” Jezzie yelled as she helped Maw-Maw set the outside table.

“I wasn’t backtalking, mama. Just teasing is all.”

“Where did the little ones run off to?” Maw-Maw put her hands on her hips. She frowned a little before looking down at the stables.

“Yall, get on back here. I brought out the snacks.”

The kids ran back to the yard. Maw-Maw felt a tug at her heart, and she watched the little dark skin girl with her curly hair bounce up to her. She had just lost a daughter-in-law. But her son moved back home along with her grandbaby. It was not long rumors spread through the small town. Everyone wanted to know how Reese came home with a little dark skin girl, especially a tiny dark skin girl calling him daddy.

“Nicky and Tyler, you two go in the house and wash your hands before you eat your snacks.

“Yes, ma’am!” they yelled as they ran into the house.

Reese’s car pulled up to the front of the house. He got out and walked around to the backyard.

“Hey, mama! How was your day? He asked, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

“Busy. These kids keep me on my feet.”

“You gotta try and relax, mama, don’t let these kids wear you out. We need you around for a long time. How was Nicky?”

“She was good. She got along with the other kids just fine. She went in to wash her hands. She should be back out soon.”

“Boy Reese, she is one helluva baby girl. You lucked out. She is such an angel,” Jezzie said, walking up behind her brother.

“I wish we could have met her momma. “Jezzie flipped her hair.

“I wish you could have met her momma too” Reese stared off into the distance.

“Sorry big brother did not mean to stir up any sadness,” Jezzie said as she put her hand on his shoulder.

He may have been feeling sad, but the thoughts were washed away by the excited scream of a little girl. He watched as his daughter ran over to him with a big smile on her face. He knew he had to be strong for her.