8/14/2019 GOIN DOWN TO GRANDADDY'S FOR THE FALL

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/goin-down-to-grandaddys-for-the-fall 1/2

GOIN DOWN TO GRANDADDY’S FOR THE FALL

I realised I was deranged when I found myself staring constantly at mysister’s legs - I had sawn them off the previous night and they fitted me justfine. I planned a stagger round the garden on them later.

Mother swished out onto the veranda. “If those are your sister’s legs you’llneed this,” she drawled and tossed me a jar of depilation cream. I caught it andwatched as she then removed a cigarette from her silver case, elegantly fitted itinto her slim ebony holder and he smoked it for her. “Damn this heat !” shemuttered and daintily dabbed some perspiration from the air.

It was high summer in North Carolina and low summer in South Carolina. Theheavy scent of begonias hung in the air and in the lush grass under the veranda,green lizards mated, argued, then became friends again.

An open-top sports car pulled into our drive and parked. The chauffeurimmediately jumped out the front, then jumped into the back, then jumped into thefront of a Southern gal who claimed her name was…perfect.

Mother eyed the chauffeur. “He reminds me of a servant I once had,” she

drawled huskily. “I had him on the lawn, I had him in the pool, I had him on theveranda.” Mother was still a fine looking woman and her clothes clung to her likethey were afraid she’d leave them.

In the back of the sports car, the couple coupled.

“Lawdy Lawd !” intoned a bass voice from the rocking chair. “Tings dem witefolks gets up to !”

I glanced at the fat sweating body on the rocker - the frizzy black hair, thethick blubber lips, the cheap floral dress. It was Father.

“Sho is hot,” he muttered, fanning herself. “Minds me o’ when I’s a picaninny

on Mamma’s back, when she pickin cotton down Alybamy way.”

When our fortunes declined, Mother had sacked the old housekeeper and thegarbage men had taken her away. Father had adopted her role. With relish. Now heshuffled round the house in floral dress and cheap wig, unconvincingly blacked-upand making endless blueberry pies nobody wanted.

In the driveway, quick coupling completed, coupé couple departed.

“Lawdy Lawd !” intoned Father. “Tings dem wite folks gets up to !”

Mother shot him a look of contempt. She tossed her hair disdainfully, caughtit and put it back on.

Effortlessly, the heat turned itself up a degree. Oh how I longed for theseasons to change and to be down at Grandaddy’s for the Fall - those cool autumnalbreezes wafting in from the coast and the leaves turning brown and drifting downfrom the trees.

“Mother, can I go down to Grandaddy’s for the Fall ?” I asked.

Mother glanced at me sharply…and suddenly I remembered the plan.

Rich ole Grandaddy in his rich ole house. Just me an him. Lurking around the

8/14/2019 GOIN DOWN TO GRANDADDY'S FOR THE FALL

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/goin-down-to-grandaddys-for-the-fall 2/2