Little Egypt Heritage Articles Stories of Southern Illinois © Bill Oliver 01 October 2006 Vol 5 Issue: #31 ISBN: pending Osiyo, Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt "Family's Bonding" You all know the "Mona Lisa" and Nat King Cole's song where he wonders if she was smiling to "tempt a lover" or "to hide a broken heart"? Not to answer those questions, a most close [re]inspection of the painting with modern "high tech" equipment has given up a potentially different picture of her "smile". Beside revealing that Leonardo's brush strokes still hide his genius, it was revealed that she was not wearing a shawl, but rather a fine, gauzy veil which was worn by ladies "expecting". Now scholars speculate that her folded hands over her stomach de-emphasize that fact. The author, Edward P Jones, of All Aunt Hagar's Children, has described his book as a crowded Sunday dinner where the past sits elbow-to-elbow with the present, the God-fearin' pass the gravy to the devil-ridden, and the lyrical spars with the mundane. Do you know an author named Walter Mosley? He wrote Devil in a Blue Dress. I've not read this book, but I know it is a mystery with the main character named "Easy", Ezikeal Rawlings, who accepts an offer to help find a missing woman and becomes embroiled in murder, crooked cops, ruthless politicians, and other brutalizing characters. However, that is not what interested me in this author but rather a statement or two that he made at an Authors! Authors! series sponsored by a local County Public Library. Mr Mosley said that his 'literary life' began as he heard his parents and other relatives spin tales. He further stated that everyone in his family has a story to tell and that they liked to laugh. My Grandma Lester family, the Ames', were like that. There always was a story and there was always much laughter at all family gatherings. Sometimes I think how absolutely marvelous, because my Grandma Lester was faced with many hardships. First, she should have been Grandma Gable, but that was one of the hardships. Grandpa and some of his siblings contracted tuberculosis in the late 1910s and early 1920s. Grandma's and Grandpa's life together must have begun with great excitement, for they traveled across state lines to get married. Grandpa Gable was not practicing his family's religious doctrines by doing this, but then there apparently was a family precedence for not having a church wedding. This might be explained by the fact that his father and mother didn't have their marriage vows in the family church either. Great Grandma Gable was disinherited for that little act of independence. However, it has to be said that neither marriage turned out to be dishonorable. Both couples' marriages did last until "death" did them part. Grandpa and Grandma only had time for four daughters to be born before Grandpa succumbed to the effects of tuberculosis. When Grandpa Gable did pass on, the couple were expecting their fifth child. While Grandpa still lived there must have been a mixed atmosphere in the home. The pictures that I have seen indicate this. Grandma and Grandpa Gable must have enjoyed life. When the family was together there seemed always to be an air of carnival, while when just the children were displayed there was some apparent melancholy. This seemed to prevail whenever the children got together in my presence, for there was then much laughing and telling of stories of "Papa" and "Mama". The house would become alive with the chatter. Backing up for just a moment, it should be noted that all the children were girls - a total of five of them. And, as we all know girls chatter much more then boys. Grandma Lester's siblings were mostly girls also, and she had several more of them. Grandma Lester had only one brother and nine sisters. And, boy, when the aunts got together there was so much chatter it was hard to keep up with it all. Stories going in all directions. All of this reminds me that two of my Mother's sisters still live. They are the oldest and the youngest of the five sisters and one of them is now in an assisted living home. These are the two remaining folks of my parents generation, and of course, their older generation have also passed on to their "rewards". I hope to still glean some stories of our family when I visit with Mom's oldest sister. She has age disabilities - she has hearing and sight problems. She was, like my entire family, an avid reader. I can just imagine her loneliness sitting or lying in her room, maybe listening to a too loud TV. I have on my agenda for this evening to visit with her awhile. e-la-Di-e-das-Di ha-wi nv-wa-do-hi-ya nv-wa-to-hi-ya-da. (May you walk in peace and harmony) and Wado, Bill -=- 769 PostScript: Other sites worth visiting: PostScript: = = = = http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SOIL http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ILMASSAC http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/state/BillsArticles/LittleEgypt/intro.html