Nana and PopPop

My Nana, what can I say about her? She was an extraordinary woman. She was born on September 19, 1911 in Georgia. She was one of 9 children. Her family was a farming family, growing cotton in the Georgia clay. She only had a 3rd grade education, but she was a smart cookie.
Growing up she had no dolls to play with; only the rag dolls she fashioned out of sticks, rags and corn-silk for hair. She had to leave school in order to help on the farm. She helped her mother with the cooking, the cleaning and the washing.
Nana only had one pair of shoes, and those were for church. The rest of the time, the children went barefoot.
When she was 17, she packed all her belongings into a cardboard suitcase and came to Philadelphia. Her older sister was already there, and she helped her get a job as a maid. She was a live in maid for a white family. She did all the cooking, cleaning and watched the family's children. She made $5 a week. Nana did this for a couple of years and saved up some her money. The rest, she sent back home to Georgia.
One day as she was waiting for a trolley, a man came up next to her to see if she wanted a ride. Although, he looked like a nice man, the seat in his car was worn down to the springs. But she accepted the ride anyway. She didn't know his name or where he lived. But then she started seeing him around the neighborhood with 2 little girls following close behind. When she inquired about the man, the neighbor said they called him "Cuckoo."
Whenever he walked by her house, if she was sitting on the porch, he would tip his hat and say hello.
He was always cleanly dressed, and wore a shirt and tie on Sundays. The rest of the week he wore his work clothes, for he was a custodian at the local hospital. Gradually, she got to know him. He was a widower, 15 years her elder. She was 19. When he asked her for her hand she said yes. At first, they moved in with his sister and her husband. So, it was six of them in a tiny 3 bedroom house. Nana cooked and clean and took care of the finances, and did the shopping for the household. Back in those days, milk was delivered, there was a bread man, a vegetable and fruit stand and a local butcher. Everything you needed it one local neighborhood.
Eventually, they had two sons. One of which was my father. As he grew he called her Mother and his father. Daddy. They had saved up enough money to by a small house not far from her sister's house.
Although, they were poor, my Nana kept the house and the children clean and well-fed. My PopPop, as I called him was always working and so kept food on the table, even during the Depression. He had started his own business as a handy-man, and he always had enough business.
The neighborhood they lived in was integrated, so my uncle and father grew up with the Irish, Jews, Negroes, Italians, and all different kind of ethnic backgrounds. There was no fighting, because the all had one thing in common; they were poor. So they played together, went to the local elementary school together. and worked together gathering newspapers, bottles, rags and whatever else they could find to sell for candy money.
My Nana and PopPop were a loving couple. You could rarely find one without the other close by. Nana was afraid to drive, so she never learned. She either took the bus, or PopPop drove her there.
He would go shopping with here for gifts for the grandchildren, or to the market. My PopPop was a quiet man. He didn't say much, but when he did say something, you had better listen.
As I got older, I adored my PopPop, I always used to climb in the chair with him and rub his head. He had fringes of hair on the sides. I would grease his hair up with Dixie Peach pomade and come his hair down until it stuck to his head. My parents would tell me to stop, but he said "Leave Babygirl alone."
That's what he called me , Babygirl. It fit, because I am the youngest of his 4 grandchildren. I have to admit they spoiled me. I remember playing in the basement. Playing with Nana's jewelry was especially thrilling because it was so sparkly. I was so young, I thought they were real diamonds and pearls and precious gems. I asked her one day if I could have them when she died, and she told me of course I could. She even wrote it down in her book.
Before he got married, PopPop was a porter on the B & O railroad. He loved trains, and got to travel a lot. He was born on April 15, 1896 or 1898. The records were hard to verify because the courthouse in Culpepper, Virginia burned down. Plus, his father was a slave on a plantation so a lot of the records were lost.
One day, I'm going to look them up if I can and figure out who I am. I loved my grandparents with there southern ways and southern manners. The respected people, and got respect in return. There was no " Sho' nuff" or "Yass suh" with them they were dignified people. Sometimes when my moods got out of hand, I would got to their house and just relax. They let me take naps on the couch, or just watch TV. They didn't understand my illness, hell, neither did I then. My Nana called the spells, and she would just hold my hand and tell me not to worry. Trouble doesn't last always. And my favorite saying " If the Lord can feed the tiny birds in the sky, then He can make a way for you."
I'm pretty sure it's from a hymn, but I don't remember which one.
My PopPop died in the fall of 1991, he was 96. My Nana followed him at the age of 95 in 2008. I miss them terribly still. I miss our talks, our hugs, sitting on the front porch eating Breyer's ice cream; vanilla bean.
I wish they had visiting hours in Heaven, I'd visit all the time.