GOT ME A PIECE OF GUM

1-4-09...GOT ME A PIECE OF GUM

Of all the people in my past I think I remember my Great Grandma Henry the best. She was a little lady. Her hair was silver grey and hung down her back. She twisted it up in a knot on the top of her head and secuered it with long wooden hair pins. It was beautiful I thought then and still do.
Grandma had a little black purse that was off limits to everyone and I mean everyone. I was always facinated with the unknown as to not knowing what she protected so fiercely in that little purse. I managed to get in it a couple of times with bad results. One was when Brenda and I stole her snuff which I have told here before. Grandma dipped that snuff with a teensy doll spoon and the spoon was a facination to me also.
Grandma was so neat with her snuff that a stranger would never know she had it. Never dripped down her chin and on to her bodice, and her teeth never showed the stains.
Grandma was out under the big Elm tree in our back yard one day and I saw her cut a little twig off a limb and proceed to cut on the end of that twig till it resembled a brush. "What'cha doin' Grandma" I asked. "Well Come over here Clydene and I'll show you" She said. Brenda, Norman, Paul and I all ran on over there and Grandma showed us how she always 'brushed' her teeth with that Elm twig." Now kids that is the way I keep my teeth white" she said. "But Grandma Mama says we have to use toothpaste". "Well Clydene, I didn't have toothpaste when I was a little girl, and I didn't like to have to use lye soap in my mouth. It tasted terrible. I discovered that the elm twig worked just as well without the soap. I use toothpaste now but I use this elm twig too". Well I know she did cause I have that little black purse in an old trunk now and there inside is an elm twig brush all wrapped up in plastic. There it will stay too.
Grandma Henry was special to me in so many ways. She was so gentle, never raised her voice that I ever heard, she loved everyone and everyone loved her. But she sure could get riled up in her gentle way if that little black purse was bothered. Something I found out the two times I dared to put my hands inside it.
Grandma always had chewing gum in that purse and I knew it. Now and then she would give us a piece (well one piece torn in to) but not very often. She never got it out and chewed it in front of us but boy howdy we knew it was there. Mama said don't ask Grandma Mattie for gum kids. She will give it to you if she wants to. Of course I did ask from time to time anyway but out of Mamas hearing.
One day I asked and Grandma said not now. Well I knew very well that not now meant NO! But I wanted a piece of that gum.
Very seldom was that little black purse out of Grandma's sight. Heck she even took that blamed thing to the toilet with her. But, One day I caught that Purse sittin' there on a table and Granny was no where in sight. No other people around but me. WHOOPPEE! I'm gonna' get me a whole durn piece of that gum! Yep!
I opened the purse got me a piece of gum, and off I went runnin' with it behind me. I cut through the kitchen and there was Mama and Grandma sittin' at the table. I kept my hands behind me mashing that gum in my grubby little paws and just walked right on by Mama and Grandma. They just looked up and smiled at me and boy howdy I had it made. I walked on by them and to the screen door. I used my shoulder to push the door open cause I didn't wanna' take the chance that I'd drop the gum and theyd' see it don't ya' know. Problem was, I walked on by them but I didn't bother to move my hands from hind' me to tha' front when I went by. Get the picture? There I was pushin' that door with my shoulder, thinkin' I was sooo! smart. My back was to them and of course so were my hands with the gum stickin' out. CLYDENE!!!! That was Grandma and she raised her voice just a tad that time. WHAT? I still hadn't figuered out that they could see that gum so I just stopped in my tracks and stood there. "What'cha' want Grandma. What is that in your hands, That was Mama this time. What hands? I replied very innocently. I turned around to face them and by golly I remembered to put my dad blamed hands in front of me this time. Right in plain sight again. Now wasn't I smart HUH? I stood there with my hands closed over the gum and thought I still had it hid. My hands were too small to hide it of course. Granny got to get the peach tree limb that time. She just tapped me a couple of times. Don't figure she really wanted to do that but knew it was what I needed. And of course I did need it. Only time My Grandma Mattie ever spanked me. It didn't hurt but it made a lasting impression on me. I still can't bring myself to mess with that purse. I've looked inside it but leave everything just the way it was when Granny carried it. YEP! Wouldn't want another spanking from my Grandma Mattie. NOPE!
I do wonder why I just didn't open that gum and put it in my mouth in the first place before I got caught. Guess I needed that lesson. HUH? YEP!!!