1. I don't know these people, I'll bet they were kind and wonderful.
2. I make it all up, no ill will is intended.
Below is a recent picture snapped of Francine.
She has a comfy, quaint little cottage by the sea that is always receiving guests and casual visitors alike. Only last week she entertained the Mayor and his wife. I hear talk that the owner of the new, big, department store coming to town will come to tea tomorrow or the next day.
Francine is the perfect hostess, wife and mother of a darling little boy, Gerard... maybe you've seen him along the beach playing amid the sea grass and sand castles?
Francine believes that social standing is as important as education. She does, however, intend to send Gerard to the best private schools money can buy.
Francine has a deep, dark secret that she lives with- fearing she will be found out. You see, her husband, Royce, is a good provider and is in good social standing in the community---but he comes from a family of scallywags and cheats. Francine and Royce have moved 4 times since Gerard was born. They are afraid some unsavory members of the family will surface and reveal the family's skeleton's in the proverbial closet and make a shambles of their elite socialite lifestyle.
This is little Gerard, son of Francine and Royce.
He has tried so very hard to be polite and good and obedient.
He just can't hold out much longer though. He has decided that next Sunday, when the school's headmaster is coming for afternoon dinner he is going to let his snake collection loose in the dining room.
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One lazy humid summer day I was held captive at my Granny's house in the country. Boring, boring, boring.
To her a good day was picking wild blackerries, hoeing weeds in Poppa's victory garden and the endless snapping green beans! To escape the heat, I snuck up the stairs to Granny's attic. I used to love to go poking through the boxes, crates and boxes. This day, I came across a hatbox that I had never noticed before. Lifting the lid, there was a red wool cap sitting with a pert pheasant feather. I took it out of the box and put it on my head, Beneath it was a white straw boater hat. Oh, there was something in the bottom of the hatbox; envelopes written in the oddly curious handwriting of long ago and ooohhhhh, pictures! I was drawn to this picture. Turning it over it was inscribed:
To Addison with all my love forever - Lo
Holding that picture in my lap, I dug through some other pictures. Just as I picked out the picture of this feisty looking boy,
Granny walked in. She didn't say anything, just stared at me holding the old hatbox in my lap, pictures in my hands and a red wool cap on my wild hair. She sat on the old stool that was next to me. Drawing the picture of the young girl from my hand, she looked at it. Her face transformed and she spoke softly.
Loretta was a country girl. Born in the country, died in the country.But there was a whole lot of living
to do in between those years - and this here picture is proof of it She was raised right here on this land! That's right, this here gal is your Great Great Grandmother Loretta. . . .
Back when this was taken, Loretta was full of herself. Obedient, demure and innocent, she was itching to
go buck wild. Her Aunt Teensy swooped her away from the farm for a summer at the shore in far off Yankee land. Teensy vowed it was time for Loretta to get away the hard life of farming. They left before the end of May with Teensy promising to have Loretta back before school started back up again.
Loretta and Teensy arrived in Cape May and stayed at the Chalfonte Hotel, of course. Anyone who was somebody stayed there. Teensy had a beau who had been taken captive during the War of Northern Aggression. He died in a POW camp close by the Chalfonte. Teensy would come and keep vigil over him every summer - but that's another story!
Teensy let Loretta walk all around the town. Back then folks didn't worry about anything other than one's own reputation. So as long as Loretta acted like a lady she would be treated like one. Loretta had never been to the shore before! The pungent smell of the salt water, sea air and decaying sea weed was intoxicating. Each day she would walk along the main street, heading toward the water. On one such day, she met Addison. Ad was a spunky lad. Took a shine to Loretta right quick, and I'm telling you this as a warning, young lady, Loretta took that to mean hearts, flowers and wedding bells. Even back then men never thought the same way women did. But Addison was smitten with her nonetheless and soon they were sneaking out at all times while Teensy mourned her lost lover.
The summer went way too quickly for the young lovers. Just before she returned home she kept a rendevous with Addison. Teensy was waiting for her when she walked through the door. Teensy took one look and said, Oh my. However will I tell your sweet Daddy that his little girl is now a woman for sure.
Vowing to love each other forever and to be reunited soon, they exchanged letters often. Addison wrote and told Loretta that he was joining up with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders to free the Cubans! he would return a hero and marry her! Loretta kept his letters under her feather down mattress. weeping into her pillow. Addison was a hero. But he nevered returned from Cuba. He lost his life on Kettle Hill. He was only 21.
Granny looked so far away and to distract her from such sad thoughts, I held up the picture of the little boy with the flags. Who is this, Granny?
At a glimpse, she replied, Why honey that there is your Great Grand daddy, Addison,Jr. His mother was Loretta.
Royce was really the son of a famous circus performer who charmed snakes but a very rich audience member was struck by one of the snakes and killed. The act was banished from the circus. Thus, Gerard's inherited fascination with snakes.
After Royce left the circus because of the problems with the snakes he became a fisherman on an old ship. One day at port he saw a charming women who looked like some one he knew. He got closer and realized he did not know her, but wanted to. After many weeks they became friends and the love grew. That is how the two people in the pictures became your G. grandparents. It was so warm in the attic that they went down stairs. Then the story went on to tell how their children fell in love. It was a wonderful story that grandmother was telling but he thought that a glass of cold milk and a cookie or two would make the story much better. So they.....................
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