Valentines Day- Grandmas Revenge

With Valentines Day straight ahead of us I decided that this was the perfect story to share with everyone. It's true, it's funny and it'll tug at your heart strings.

My grandparents both lived in Jellico Tennessee for most of their lives. Granny was a homemaker and papaw worked in the coal mines. One of our main rules here at JMC is to never point people out directly by using their names. (it's just rude and bad business) However I am willing to bet that most of the folks in Jellico knew my grandpa. I feel safe in saying that there was not a coal business in the area that he didn't work at during his life. He absolutely loved working outdoors and when he wasn't working he could be found sitting on the creek bank fishing.

My granny was an old fashioned and classy little lady. She always wore an apron to protect her nice clothes. I can't recall ever seeing her without her makeup on and her hair perfectly fixed. I can remember her scent as if she's sitting right next to me. Her perfume was a musky, sandalwood scent and it was the most comforting smell that I have ever known. She was always smiling and cooking something. No matter the time or day there was always something fresh and warm sitting on the table and a jug of homemade sun tea. And there was also Old Tom, the fat, orange cat that had been a part of our family for as long as I could remember. Grandpa always jokingly told people that granny loved her cat more than she loved him.

Every time that I went to town with my granny people was always stopping to chat with her. It seemed like everyone in town knew her and adored her. She was the kindest and most friendly lady I had ever known. She always had a bright smile and almost always a hug for everyone that she met, "except for my grandpa".

The love that they shared was evident, there was no doubt that they had a strong and amazing relationship. Once in a while I'd catch her flash a small grin toward him but let me tell you, she kept ol' grandpa walking a straight line.

My father use to say that granny would deliberately look for things to scold grandpa over. According to her, she had to keep a heavy hand on him or he'd just strut around like an old chicken, careless and causing trouble all of the place. (her exact words). No matter though, grandpa loved her dearly, she was the apple of his eye. Once in a while he'd sneak up behind her and slap her behind. She'd grab her dish towel and chase him all around the kitchen. But if you listened closely you'd hear them giggling like young school kids. Grandpa loved doing this even if it was just to get a rouse out of her. But granny had a little secret and none of us knew what that secret was until the very day that grandpa passed away.

On Valentines Day, every year granny would prepare a special dinner. Grandpas favorite steak, baked potatoes and a simple salad. On the table there would always be a bouquet of red roses which he made sure that she received every single year. But something else always arrived on Valentines Day, a secret love letter addressed to grandpa. It was always laying on the table next to his favorite chair where he'd be sure to find it. Addressed to my grandfather and stamped from a different town. The envelope was always heavily scented with a floral perfume and so pristine and perfect. Grandpa would always sit quietly and read his secret love letter and then tuck it away never to be seen again. The entire time granny would be sitting across the room giving him the evil eye and asking him "which one of your lady friends sent this one!". He always shook his head and grumbled back at her "heck if I know, I don't even know any ladies". It seemed as if hours passed in silence as we all avoided mentioning the letter and tried to preoccupy ourselves. But that letter was always the elephant in the room and we was all curious. As the day ended granny would be in the kitchen jabbering up a storm about that letter. She never seemed happy about it yet never completely upset either. Secretly poor ol' grandpa would be asking everyone he knew about the letter trying to figure out where it had came from.

Sometimes the letter would even include a photograph of my grandpa from his young days or a hand made heart carefully made with lace and bead work. It's safe to say that on Valentines Day, each year grandpas nerves would be riddled because he knew that another letter was surely coming. One year he was even on the porch waiting for the mailman to arrive. "Boy you have to stop bringing this things, they're gonna get me killed one day." Granny was sitting quietly in her chair preparing her worst glare as he walked back into the house hopelessly holding his letter. "Got another one didn't you!"

These letters arrived without fail every single year for more than 50 years. It was a big thing in our family, each wondering where those letters was coming from and who was sending them. They had to be from a lost love who never really forgot about him. But who? Grandpa repeatedly swore that our granny was the only woman he had ever loved. In fact, every single year he pleaded this case to her explaining how she had always been the only woman for him and the only one that he had ever loved. Granny always sit quietly and soaked in every single word that he said.

In 1993 grandpas health began to decline and we lost him on January, 30th 1994. Before he passed, we all gathered one last time for an early Valentine dinner. On this particular year for the first time ever the secret letter did not arrive. Instead granny came carrying a bundle of letters from the bedroom closet perfectly secured with various ribbons. She sit them down on grandpas table and we all seen the tears swelling up in her eyes.

"I wrote you a letter every single year on Valentines Day. It wasn't always easy getting them sent to you from a different town so that you didn't know who they was from, but I managed with the help of family and friends. Each of these letters hold a different memory of you, times when you didn't even know that I was paying attention, but I was. You have been the love of my life since the day I met you, that was the first time that I knew what love really meant. It was special for me watching you fidget and squirm each year as they arrived. What was even more special to me was how you confessed your undying love for me each and every time. I loved you then, I love you now and I will love you for all of eternity."

Grandpa passed soon after but that was the first Valentines Day in over 50 years that he wasn't confused and jittery from anticipation of the secret love letter. However, on that very upcoming Valentines Day the mailman arrived with a letter addressed to granny.

"I knew it was you the entire time. You loved watching me nearly wet my pants every year so I played along just so that I could explain to you how much that I loved you and only you. But darling, you could never deny that chicken scratch of a hand writing that only you have."

I still have the stack of over 50 love letters. Each year I take them out and read a few of them. Someday I will pass them on to my son and I hope that he too will take the time to read on each year. Such a rare and true love is hard to find and if we are lucky enough to find it, we should cherish it and protect it with all of our heart.