The Lives Of My Kin

Howdy, y'all, I'm back!

It's Ms. Gertie King here, and the year be nineteen hundred and seventy-eight. I can hardly believe it, but I've now reached the ripe ol' age of ninety, and thanks be to the Lord; he's showered me with many blessings in my long life. For the most part, I still have my mind fully intact, my boomin' voice has not left me, and I can still chase after the young'uns if'n they don't run too fast! My grandbabies be keepin' me young, that's for sure.

For those of you who don't know it, just before the Great Depression hit America, I moved on over to England from Alabama, and that's where I've been livin' ever since. Things are real different here without a doubt, which took some gettin' used to, but a whole lot of wonderful things happened to me here that I'll be tellin' y'all about in this here story!

I'm sittin' in my favorite rockin' chair on my front porch, enjoyin' a cool spring day here on my farm. My sweet, great-grand-baby lil Ms. Gertie Bentley, my namesake, is nine years old now, and she is sittin' right by my side. Lil Ms. Gertie and me are like two peas in a pod, and when we are apart, I start feelin' real sad. I've been teachin' her a great many things since I am still able, and she has me smilin' at how fast she be learnin' to cook ol' secret family recipes, play the tambourine, and singin' like an angel just like her great-granny. The child makes me feel mighty proud, mighty proud indeed!

My grandbaby is pleading with me somethin' fierce to tell her stories bout when I wuz a little girl back in Alabama. So, with the years flyin' by real fast, it seems, and before my mind ain't so sharp anymore, I'm thinkin' it's high time that she be knowin' the stories of her kin from back in America. Stories I pray she'll pass on for many generations to come.

So, I invite you to grab yerself a cup of coffee, lemonade, or sweet tea if'n that's what you prefer, and spend some time with lil Gert and me while I'm tellin' her all bout my life. I welcome y'all to sit on down and help yerself to a piece of my freshly baked, double-layer chocolate cake sittin' right here on the table beside me. Don't be shy, ya hear! I know that nobody can resist Ms. Gertie's cakes!

We'll start off this here story by talkin' bout what's happening in my life right now. Presently, I'm going through a truly heartbreaking time, so you might want to grab a box of tissues before you start reading cuz I reckon the story will surely have you feelin' emotional a time or two before we are done. Even though we know many blessings throughout our stay here on earth, life can still send us trials that bring us to our knees. But I've always believed that if you stand firm with the Lord like I has since I wuz a child, he will surely see you through any troubles you may be facing. Ain't that the truth, y'all'?

I'm ready to do me some storytellin'; let's begin...