The summer I met my dad for the first time, my brother and I spent the summer at my Grandpa Floyds! Jimmy and I had an incredible adventure on the airplane together!
Grandpa Floyd smoked camel cigarettes with no filter. Grandpa Floyd smoked cigars and had two partial fingers missing. His index and middle finger the fingers he would grasp the cigarette or cigar tightly and tell these incredibly tall tales of how he had lost those fingers.
My Aunt Terry was nearly my age and was more like a sister to me. Her hair was straight and a much deeper auburn than my tightly coiled curls (who am I kidding). It was a vibrant red afro! The trouble we would encounter on our adventures! We stole cigarettes from Grandpa Floyd to “try” smoking out in the back of the house! Note to anyone listening, I wholeheartedly advise against drinking perfume! The taste was wretched! I cannot believe I drank perfume to try to make sure no one knew I smoked a cigarette, Grandpa Floyd still knew!
Aunt Terry and I would go to the Alstead General Store and buy penny candy. On special rare occasion we would by Vanilla, Chocolate or Strawberry Charleston Chews! Chocolate was and is by far my favorite! I remember wearing my favorite soft pink sweatshirt with Shawn Cassidy’s image on it! I don’t remember where I got the sweatshirt because I rarely had brand new store-bought clothing! I would typically get a new dress or outfit for Christmas. And I just knew someday I would marry Shawn Cassidy or Parker Stevenson!! Parker was my favorite, and I watched each week anxiously for the Hardy Boys to see my favorite. I wanted desperately to be Barbara Streisand and would belt out her songs from the “Main Event!” My mother would remind me, and anyone who would listen! “Lynn cannot sing and is tone-deaf!” This rarely sways me from the concert that always occurs when I am in the vehicle!
Aunt Terry and I would go for walks up the winding road from Grandpa’s house. There was this little cottage we never saw anyone come in or go out of, but we terrified each other with the spooky tales of a magnificent witch who lived in that house, and she was waiting for the opportunity to gobble little children up who strayed from home. Too far! Gleefully we would shriek and run away as quickly as we could.
That summer was also the summer that another boy other than Shawn Cassidy and Parker Stevenson caught my eye. He had braces, and I think his name might have been David. The boy had full headgear wrapped around his head, and I thought he was glorious! The boy with the headgear and stolen glances and fiercely red cheeks blazoned my face! He was a dream! I was way too young for his kisses!
Of course Grandpa Floyd had rules. One in particular was during dinner if you complained about something you didn’t like then you got a second helping. I tried to convince Grandpa I was not at all fond of Kentucky Fried Chicken! Sadly, Grandpa was a quick study and became aware of my ruse! I don’t remember eating out Kentucky Fried Chicken any other time as a child, but that dinner was deep-fried heaven!
Mornings were a ritual. I can still remember being horrified walking into Grandpa’s bedroom. In a glass on his nightstand were his teeth! What monster had come into the house and taken his teeth out of his head! My horror quickly replaced with the smells of breakfast drifting upstairs! I could smell the salt pork cooking downstairs with the heavenly aroma wafting up the stairs! I die a little death each time I remember I ate pork fat for breakfast!
Forest of Words 