a long time ago

a long time ago

fiction
edward w pritchard

Grandpa has a new car for our long drive down route 43 from Cleveland down to Cario, Ohio.  Grandpa works at the Ford plant number one out at Brook Park. It's a very good job for a negro without an education says my Mother. Grandpa has a new Cadillac, 1954 for our drive down to the cemetery down in Stark County about 60 miles from my Grandparents house in Brookpark, near the Ford plant. My Mom says her Dad, my Grandpa should have bought a Ford since he works for the company but Grandma says that if a man works as hard as her husband does he should be able to drive what he wants.

Grandpa is teasing at my Grandma, Velma. I like it when they tease like this,  I can tell they love each other. My Mother never has anything good to say about my Dad anymore since he took off for Chicago to play music. We live with Grandma and Grandpa now, but my Dad tells me him and me will get a nice house when he comes back. I am not sure on that cause I feel like my Mom needs me since he left.

Grandpa is teasing grandma about stopping at the antique store down in Cario. He always pretends like we shouldn't stop to shop when we come down to the Cemetery and today he says he hears they won't let colored people in stores anymore, like back in Alabama.  I thought my Mom was asleep next to me in the back seat but she says don't call us colored, we are Negroes. Grandpa starts to say something else but Grandma cuts him off, they don't want me to hear.

A little later Grandpa says " Velma we could use a new lamp for little Lisa's bedroom, she can use it to study while she stays with us". I know Grandpa is trying to make up with Grandma for teasing her and I feel good to hear them talk like that. I ask my Grandpa if we can stop at the ice cream stand in Streetsboro on the way down just to hear what he will say. " Heavens no girl, ice cream just makes a lady fat, we will get a proper breakfast. "

Later after we went to the cemetery and bought a few antiques, including a lamp for my room we had pancakes down there in Cario on route 43. I was still full when we got back up to Streetsboro so I just had a small ice cream cone.