[gardeners] DeDe gives Belle Ringer a job
Cousin DeDe/dede (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 7 Jul 1998 11:32:43 +0000
Dear Cousin Belle,
Preacher's praying for you in your time of trouble and the rest of us is
wringing our hands and exercising our mouths fretting about how you is
bearing up while you is waiting for Justice to come and make things right
and proper and end your time of confinement. (Belle, we ain't gonna tell
anybody outside the family that you is incarcerated; we just saying that
you enrolled yourself in the Beauty College and had a bit of trouble with
the paraffin but you'll be on home just as soon as your mustache grows
back in so as the scars don't show too bad.)
Anyhow, seeing as how you has got time on your hand and no chores to tend
in the garden at present, I thought I'd set you to a bit of work to help
you pass the time. Belle, we may just have found us a couple of
new members of the family. One of 'em lives in Texas a ways down the road
from Preacher. Christian name of Allen; says his wife goes by the
name of Judy. I'm enclosing a letter from Allen so you got all the
particulars. Thing that makes me think Allen may be kin is his Granny's
pickle recipe. Sounds just like the one Cousin Sadie's mama used that
summer when she was trying to grow raspberries in Houston and waiting for
Sadie to come into this world.
Then there's this woman calls herself Penny. I got me some doubts. First
off, the woman's living up there in the North (close to New York City, so
you know she's most likely fallen on real hard times) and don't eat no
fatback nor collards, but she claims her mama's people came from
Charleston and Columbia. So, it's possible I suppose, though I shudder to
think what terrible depredations forced her people to go up North. We all
know that folks from Charleston would rather pawn their mama's silver than
leave. Secondly, she's doesn't say anything about how she cleans up the
house *'afore* her cleaning lady comes. Only a Yankee would let the help
see her mess right off.
On the other hand, Penny's got herself a notion about how to fix the water
shortages them folks out West is suffering that sounds like something
Cousin Martin down in Houston would be proud to call his own. You
remember Cousin Martin. Well, he's never been the same since that trashy
New York writer feller done found that letter Cousin Martin left laying
around never dreaming it would end up in the newspaper. Ever since that
letter got itself printed, all Martin does is sit around the bus station
spitting watermelon seeds and waiting for a chance to get a ticket
offshore.
Well, I think I've told you enough news for now. You keep your
spirits up and don't forget to powder your nose in the morning. You may be
incarcerated, but you is still a lady and a lady is always ready to receive
callers.
Cousin DeDe