Week 20:Potluck at Granny’s

There is something special, almost magical, about a granny. No matter what you call her: Mimi, Nana, Mamaw, G-Ma or something else, there is usually a special bond between these women and their grand babies. For Graham Carter, it was no exception. He had lived with his Nanny since he was three and his mom died in a drunk driving accident. Living with his dad Eddie wasn’t even an option, so little Graham had gone to stay with Eddie’s mom, Darlene. She doted on that boy, but made sure he knew right from wrong. Every Sunday morning, she made sure to take him to Black Grass Baptist for Sunday School. She never missed one of his games and always made sure to check over his homework before he turned it in. 

She was a petite woman in her early seventies now, with grey-blonde hair and deep wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. She’d been a looker in her day, but her face was now careworn. A beautician by trade, she retired only a few years ago, once the arthritis in her hands made it almost impossible to hold a pair of scissors any longer. Even in the heat of the Summer, Nanny Darlene always wore long sleeved shirts, with a few tissues hidden inside, just in case someone had the sniffles or needed something wiped off. In her purse, she kept hard candy wrapped that looked like strawberries. They were Graham’s favorite. 

Darlene was the widow of a coal miner, Ed Sr., who everyone said was one of the best football players in the mountains back in the 60’s. Big Ed was a mountain of a man who filled up any doorframe he walked through. But, when Darlene became pregnant during his senior year of high school. Big Ed dropped out and headed to the mines to provide for his new family, giving up a scholarship to play football in collage along the way. He worked underground for fifteen years, making good wages, and was eventually named foreman of his crew. A tragic accident trying to repair the continuous miner, a large piece of equipment used to rip earth and rock into pieces, left Ed Sr. dead. The miner grabbed hold of the large man’s arm and tore it clean from his shoulder. By the time he was brought to the surface, he’d already lost too much blood. He past away in transit to the Black Grass Community Healthcare Center. Big Ed never got to know his grandson, Graham. But the boy sure took after his grand-paw. And Darlene woke up every morning, expecting to roll over and see Ed.

Graham’s dad, Eddie, was half the man his father was, in almost every respect. To say Eddie was average is being kind to most of the population. He wasn’t tall. He wasn’t muscular. He wasn’t fast and he wasn’t smart. But to hear him tell it, he was All-Universe on the gridiron when he was a player, and truth be told, he wasn’t a bad player and even had his name in the paper a few times. He got tired of hearing about how great a player his father was and how Big Ed’s shoes were so hard to fill. When Senior was a superstar and Junior isn’t, it can be a bitter pill to swallow. So, Eddie took as many pills as he could find and washed them down with brown liquor. Graham’s mother was a random hookup at the honkey tonk over in Hazard that Eddie didn’t even remember when she showed up four months pregnant. 

Darlene had done her best with her son. In her heart, she knew what he was, and that is why she tried so hard with Graham to ensure that he had a bright future. Eddie never held a job more than a year, never kept a girl more than a few months and never committed to anything that wasn’t drinking.  She’d be lying if she said that her son wasn’t a disappointment. 

But, he was still her only son and she loved him, none the less. That is why she invited him every Sunday to come to her house for a big dinner after church. Eddie could always find an excuse to miss church, but he rarely missed the meal. Today was a special occasion. It was Graham’s birthday dinner and some of the family and his girlfriend, Brittany, would be joining them. Nanny Darlene had gotten up early to get the chicken pieces soaking in buttermilk. Fried chicken with sawmill gravy was Graham’s favorite and even though it was messy and time consuming, she was bound and determined to make it. 

The church service was nice, as usual. Brittany had met them there, She was a year older than her Graham and was driving already. The couple had been dating since he was a freshman, and Nanny Darlene liked the girl. She was kind and intelligent with a good head on her shoulders. The exact opposite kind of girl her Eddie used to bring home. They sat in the pew in front of Darlene and held hands during the sermon. It reminded her of the way she and Ed Sr. had looked fifty odd years ago. 

After church, Nanny Darlene sent the kids to the store to pick up some whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, orange sherbet, pineapple juice, fruit punch and lemon-lime soda. Teenagers need some time off to themselves, she thought, as she watched them pull out of the parking lot. On her way home, she saw the road leading up to the site where Ed Sr. had his accident and a shiver ran down her spine. Lord, how she missed that man. 

“What are we eatin’, Mama?” 

Eddie was sitting in the driveway when she pulled in. He looked like death warmed over; a dirty fishing hat covering his greasy hair and a a face that hadn’t been shaved in a week. His clothes were clean, at least, she thought. “I’m fixing to fry some chicken. we got schucky beans and mash taters. Winder pane salad, cornbread and deviled eggs. Think that’ll be enough?” 

He shrugged his shoulders? “Guess we’ll find out. Where’s the boy?” He rarely called his son Graham. His mother had picked that name and Granny Darlene knew that Eddie never took to it. 

“Him and Brittany ran up ta the store, gettin’ me a few things. Won’t be long.”  Granny’s voice had that rich and thick accent that has been disappearing from the region in recent times. 

It wasn’t long before Darlene’s niece, Jordyn Nelson and her son, Gryphon, pulled in in a small pickup. She knocked on the screen door and let herself into the kitchen, carrying a large dish of corn casserole. Young Gryphon carried a seven layered salad. 

“Jordyn! Baby, I didn’t know you was a comin’! And you brought your youngin’ with you!” Nanny Darlene dropped a wooden spoon next to the cast iron skillet and ran to hug her niece. She squeezed Gryphon’s head into her shoulder as well. “Where’s your maw and daddy?

Jordyn’s mother, Sharlene, was a sister to Darlene. “They ain’t gonna make it. Daddy’s down in his back again. He didn’t make it to church even, this mornin’. And mommy don’t want to leave him alone. I told ‘em I’d bring ‘em both a plate. She said she’d call you this evening and that she was sorry.” 

Granny Darlene shook her head. “I sure hate to hear about your daddy.” Soon, a few more cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles and other various family members bounded through the door, each carrying some sort of dish. They filled every corner of the house: no couch, chair, bench or stool was left open as they found somewhere to gather and chat. 

“Where’s the superstar?” one of the older uncles said from across the house.

Eddie piped up. “Right’chere!” he said, laughing at his own joke. 

Granny Darlene hollered “On his way!” before anything else could be said. She knew that it wouldn’t take much to get Eddie riled up and it was best to just move on. He had a brown paper bag in his back pocket, taking swigs every now and then.

As the last of the chicken was coming out of the fry oil, Brittany and Graham came into the house. “It’s not a pot luck without punch!” Granny said as she poured the ingredients they had brought into a giant bowl and gave it a stir. A quick taste let her know it needed a few grinds of nutmeg and more ice. 

Granny Darlene called for the family to join together in the kitchen. They crowded around the serving table and held hands. With bowed heads and closed eyes, they prayed in unison. “Thank you God, for this food. Thank you God, for this day. Watch us. Love us. Guide us. Protect us. All to you in which we pray.” Followed by a chorus of “Amen’s” 

What followed was an intricate dance of reaching across the table and scooping delicious casseroles and salads onto sturdy paper plates. There were more than a dozen different dishes on the table, each more appetizing that the next. Brittany had been to enough of these family get togethers that she was well aware that getting a full plate of food was a combat sport. After the initial blitz had ended, everyone found a seat. Granny always made it a point to eat last. She wanted to make sure everyone, especially the little ones, got enough to eat before she filled her plate. “Gryphon, you didn’t get any Winder pane salad. You’ll like it, now, I promise.”

Unfortunately for Graham, Eddie had found a seat just across from him and Brittany. “How’s liftin’ goin’? Simpson gettin’ you boys in shape?” 

Graham nodded through a bite of chicken. “Really good. Got my squat up to over 450 now. Doin’ routes with the receivers ever day afterwards. Jus’ doin’ the work.”

Eddie nodded and took a swig from the brown paper bag. “Back in my day, we had two-a-days all spring long and then camp week was three-a-days. That’s what it took to make it then. Not like today. Y’all kids is soft.” He was slurring his words slightly. 

“We still do two and three-a-days, dad. Just not in the spring. That’s summer ball,” Graham said, trying to find some common ground with his father. 

Eddie’s face turned dark. “You back talkin’ me, boy?” 

Graham shook his head, confused. “What? No. What are you talkin’ about?”

“I a’int gonna abide with no sass. Y’hear!” He got to his feet, uneasily. 

The teen held up his hands. “Dad, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did.”

Brittany leaned in front of Graham to get in between them slightly. “Mr. Carter, please. He didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Who asked you, you prissy little bitch!” The whole house had now fallen silent. Brittany sat there, slack jawed. She looked over at Graham. He was seething. 

“Take that back,” Graham said.

Eddie turned his gaze from Brittany to his son. “Or what, pussy?” 

“Take that back, or I’ll make you!” Graham shot up, spilling fried chicken and deviled eggs onto the floor. His father quickly slapped him, open handed across the face. Blood immediately began to trickle from his left nostril. He fell back down onto the couch, holding his face. 

“First you gonna sass me, and then you gonna buck on me. You might think you a man. But you just a pup yet. More like a little pussy.” He turned toward the rest of the room, all eyes starting at him.

Nanny Darlene had finally made her way from the kitchen into the living room where the commotion was coming from. “Edward George Carter, get out of my house right now. You can’t act no better than this, then you ain’t welcome here!” 

Eddie reached down to his plate and picked up a chicken leg. He took a big bite and then tossed the leg back down. “Good chicken, mama,” he said as he started walking toward the door. 

The family watched as he walked out of house. Everyone could hear the engine of his old Dodge roar as his tires threw gravel into the ditch and spun out of the driveway. Nanny Darlene pulled a tissue from her sleeve and wiped the blood from Graham’s nose. She scanned his face. Maybe a black eye, she thought, but nothing broken. 

“You ok, baby,” she asked, knowing that he wasn’t.

“Why he gotta be that way, Nanny?” 

Granny Darlene shook her head and patted Graham on the side of his face. “Ya daddy’s always been marchin’ to his own drummer. He’s been mad at the world since ya Papaw died and he ain’t afraid to show it.” She reached down and picked up the mess on the floor. 

Brittany grabbed Graham by the hand. “Go for a walk?” she asked. 

He nodded.

Nanny Darlene and Jordyn followed them out to the porch. They watched as the teens made their way to the creek that ran by the house and out the holler. Granny had played in that same creek as a girl. 

“He ok?” Jordyn asked her aunt.

Nanny shrugged her shoulders. “He’s got a fool for a daddy. But besides that, he’s fine.”

Down at the creek, Brittany took her boyfriends hand. He was staring off into the distance. “You gotta get outa here,” he said with a shaky voice. 

She looked up at him, confused. “What are you talking about. I’m not going anywhere.”

“No, I mean this town. You gotta get outta here, so I can come too. I don’t wanna be anywhere near where that asshole is.”

Brittany leaned over and placed her head on Graham’s shoulder. “You got it, babe. You got it.”