Document text
Project A613
Verner Lea
Columbia. S. C.
Wip/se
LIFE STOAIES
OUNNAWNY
2715 BILLWOoD AVENUE
COLUMBIA, S. C.
ecalIMINMOUSIOIMMIS
Nary Gunnamw. a Negro octogenarian.lives in a renovated outhouse an the
grounds of Mrs. F. C. Hoofer at 2725 MillwoodAimmme. ColuMbia, South Carolina.
Her little one -roam cabin nestles in the spaeious backyard of a big, 'hit, old-
fashioned home, and gives a pleasing rustics effect to the grounds.
A L;entle tap on the door brought the sound of a ',reeking °hair, then the
shuffling of footsteps inside. The door vas opened by a small, old Negro women.
She was dressed in a short checked sweater, bleak woolen skirt, and a white apron,
around her head was tied a white rag, and over this she more a small black felt
hat. She also more large gold earrings. Her face was careworn and wrinkled with
age, but, with a cherry "good morning," I was ushered into the has and presence
of my &natant hostess.
It was a Wanly November day, and the glowing ooals and steaming kettle gave
ne a feeling of warmth and veloone, and it pleased her vhen I told her that. I
was given a low chair by the hearth and she took a similar one.
"Aunt Merv. I've heard so muoh about you from qv friend. Mrs. Hoofer (Hafer).
For a long time I've vented to cone in and have a little chat with you." At the
mention of Mrs. Hoofer's name, her face became animated, and her small black eyes
sparkled, when suddenly she brushed a tear away with the beak of her gnarled and
bony old hand. "Theme good folks, praise God, theme good folks I"
"You see die house Its living in, Aim' Hoofer she dons it. After my husband
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died* and no ohillun or nobody to hop me, the white folks Bey I hatter go to Poor
House. When de ole haid die everthing go to rack. Bo I come here to Ble Hoofer,
and I ory and I beg her to take me, jest put me amywheres so's to hide me from de
Poor House. Die ems de chicken house, she tuk en boarded hit up* put in de fire-
place, de window, en de door, en give hit to me long as I live.
mv husband, had de chills en fever* en he Jest fell off to skin en bones.
When he died, I tuk down yid rheumatism, en couldn't work* and dat's when I oome
here to Nis' Hoofer. she knowed my Me and Pla, en I knowed the 'mould hope me.
"Praise di Lord deys good folksl I washed de clothes en I nussed her Billy
when he sue a baby. I never thought I'd live to see him git learning, but he sho'
is got learning, end keep learning more out here at dat new school."
I looked around the little one -room shack which constituted a happy home to
this old darker. In one carrier stood a pale blue iron bed, and in another an old-
fashioned dresser* the remaining furnishings oonsisted of four low chairs, a table,
a few dishes* a trunk and numerous boxes. She seemed to notice that I was taking
undue note of the surroundings, when she proudly said: "I use to have heap more
'en dis* but I give hit all away,' and she reached under the bed and pulled out a
flat giant-sise olothes basket, proudly boasting of many a beautiful lash she had
carried up and down the big road in that basket during her younger days.
"Its 80 old now I can't git about much. I cleans up my house en sweeps 'round
de door. I hate it I can't git 'round like I useto. Some ol den young gals don't
do nothin's day don't do like de old times. All de little Chill= out here know
me, day say: 'Hey Aunt Mary, wish you could git 'round like us.'
"I hope Mars. Billy dig sweet Itatoes, he out path wid hoe, so I kin git
through de weeds. He dig 'em, en I pick 'em up. He Bey, 'You can't git 'round
like me.' I say, 'Hush boy, when I's your age you oouldn't git 'bout like me.'
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En we jest laughs. Sometime I gits tired jest settint 'round en doin' nothint,
so I gits my rake en rakes up de yard en sings.
*Nara. Billy seed me comint 'cross de road de day I went to store for some
tbacco, en he saids 'You knowed I git your 'bum if you jest wait 'til I git
home, sposint a oar come 'long en knock you &rani° At which remark she ohuok,
led lustily.
"I don't know haw ole I is. Pa had all our age wrote down in de Book, but
after he die de Book burn up. When de old haid die everthing go to rack. All of
um dead en gone. I ain't jest got here. Sometime I feels right feeble, en I
can't see so good. Mist Ida give me somethint to rub slid, when I git dat tdsery
in my neck, en hit hopes it.
"NV pa was William Ounnaway, en he tblonged to de Preston/. Pa looked after
de yard en all de flowers. He use to bring Mist Idals mama flowers from do Preston
pities. Pa had three wives, en when he died his last wife's gal got de house en
everthing, hit In's on House Street. Fore he die, I says 'Pa, how come you don't
fix up your will? You'se gittint old en might drop off.' Pa laugh, en say he
feel good. Sat very day pa walk all 'round de place, jest keep velkint, an dat
very nite I hear somebody knock on my door, en say, 'You better oome see 'bout
your pa.' I say, 'Ph all right 'muse I seed him do a sight of walking today.
En he say, 'Your pa daid.' Shot tnough he drop off dat very night.
"Dat gal what didn't tblong to Pa sold de house, but de man what bought hit
name Mr. Monroe, en he rent hit to us right cheap, for seventy-five cents a month,
en I live there 'til ny husband die, 'bout five years.
"NV husband name Sam Oliver, on he cook for Nis' Richardson. Me and him work
on de Frank Sins Place, en he give us three acres ot land to farm. le make bale
ot cotton every year. We plant on de moon sign en make good crop all do time. On
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Saday we didn't never work, but go to town, en buy so nusth things I have to ride
back. Buy everthing& sugar, coffee& neat& en pretty dress goods. People cone to
see me en says IHOw cone you buy so much?' I ears 'I likes to have stuff to
pass 'round to my friends.' few* go to bank 0 ttatoes en gives um Itatoes.
"Country ain't like hit uselto be. Nobody *wet tell ne hit is, fez' I know
hit ain't. I'd git up day break, en cook& en drink coffee& en take more coffee
to de field to drink. When twelve o'clock ring for dinner, my bread done rise up
en I cooks agin. Times sus good then. I still gits out at day break, I ain't use
to leyin' in de bed. Mist Ida slays 'How cone you gits up so soon?' I elys 'I got
to clean up en sweep de yard,' en the laugh at as. Men name Bryan bought Frank
Sins place. lie usseto run a live), stable. I tho' miss do ole tines. But de Lord
shoo been good to we to send we here to mast Ida. Nis' Ida give no coffee in de
morning& night en all de tine. DOD I git de grounds en bile um over. People don't
make de ooffee like day uselto. I likes to bile de grounds agin.
"Es7s shoos good folks. When day go Ivey I jest miss um so, I goes out en
jest look up and down do road. Oil next door says Mho you lookin, for?' I saws
'Nobody.' lern't none of her business. If I see somebody pass, I goes right be...
hind em en says 'Who is you?' 'Cause days liable to break in or do some devil
went.
"Aunt Mary, somebody cane in my hone a few days ago, mad stole a nice chicken
I'd baked the night before."
"You ain't seri People do dirty tricks dee, day.. Day knowed when you 'sus
000kin' hit. I don't see how de Lord let hit go down de throat so easy. I ain't
bet nothie I knows people do's lowdown tricks dese days. You look up your house&
honey, or de lowlife devils will /teal all your clothes. I ain't live Inmost den
kind of people& but days a heap 0' 0E4 always live wid good honest folks. When
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Mr. libeler go to Atlanta dat time, he leave ms plenty coffee to drink. When he
cone back I 'member he et a big breakfast en he jeet sing dat morning*
I don't
'member name of hymn he sing. I say to Nisi Ida, 'What dat he sing?' Hit vas
she pretty hymn. Hi had two pretty bird dogs, en when he left to go to town
dat morning* dey ran up to him en day jest bark an bark, en I say to NIst Ida,
'What make dm dogs bark so strange like' En he die dat morning. Hem dogs
bowed "bout hit* en give us de sign* I hefted heap 0 signs. In de olden times
dey btlieve in um. I hefted heap ot old grannies say if you confined, don't let
nobody came in your house en take out any uv your fire* hits bad luck. En don't
never pay beak saltosoause hits bed lack. If your dish cloth fall an de floor* a
drunkard oomint to your house. I heartd all de ole tine people say dat.
"I ahot alas Nis' Idats ma. When she die I jest holler* One morninl I see
de house all tore up, en I says 'Wonder is Nis' Hoofer daid?' I went in de
house en everthing seem estrange like* en Nast Ida say* 'Names daid. En I jest
holler, I couldn't hop hit." After this remark* Aunt Nary pulled an old box from
a corner in the room, and began displaying most reverently, one garment after
another that belonged to lase Idais mother. She had fallen heir to numerous old
dresses, sweaters* etc., all several sises too large for her.
"I puts on dis suit when I rides mid Nis' Ida. She give me pair ot brand
new shoes, too. Brand new, ain't never been wore. Shot good folks.
"I got a brother Efrain living down die same road. He an de Frank Sins place.
Sister Emma* she daid. I got 'mother sister* the gone off. I don't know if she
daid or live. She vas in Charleston, last time I heard she gone way off down
yonder to Georgetown. I knowed all mats folks, but none of my pats. Pa come from
Virginia.
"Pa died an a Saday, en buried an a Suliday,
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"I never did vent to school in my life, them was slavery times. I never
did went.
en ma on Grandma Philis lived on do Hampton place, name Millwood. MV
grandma cook, ma wash on iron. Dey had big fine math house, en a big dhimley
where weld hang pot en co*. Ma tell me 'mike some fire ground despots.'
"Del had a round well, call hit system. One for oolored people, one for
white, had a house over hit. Had loom house for colored people on overthings
Had big place for colored people to play. Had a mill to grind de earn. Iv=
little, but I uselto go grind, too.
"I was jest so high when de ear oome. I 'member de song ghat we sing bout
do Yankees.' At this remark she sang the followingwith utter abandon, patting
her knees and keeping time with her feet,
"Yankee gun what oominl tomorrow
Little gal I'm gwine ewer,
Yankee gun that cominl tomorrow
Little gal I'm gwine away.
Come on Undid) Cone on Cindi
Little gal, I'm min. away.
"Yankees burned up everthing. I 'member when day set all Merse Hampton's
cotton on fire. I 'member when Yankee throw bonito, en a little boy pick hit up,
hit 'vent off on blow little boy up. Yankees burned up everthing, ain't nothing
left but de brick at Millwood now, but de same big ole tree I always swing in is
still standing.
"Dem days won't all sad though. No, man4 Dey ems plenty ol big doints,
too." bhe slapped her knee and laughed gleefully at former recollections.
"Dey had heap ol parties, en day danoe and have fins rashions. De ladies
had fine dresses. I use to stand en peep through a crack in de door, en when
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Mare Hampton see ma, he says '(it 'way from dat door.'
"I 'ambers when (ley brought Nerve Hampton home, en I seed him when he die.'
*Was that General liaMpionit Aunt Merv?" "NO, massi at wasn't General Hemp..
ton, dat was Marge Wade Hampton, Governor Hampton. Denims sad times.
"1 'members when heap ot colored pcople come on de train from Mississippi.
"I don't do no cookie in mv house. Lord, Child, MisfEbefer say I too olo
to cook, say I burn myself up. Ale feed na from her kitdhen, jest give ae all I
wants to eat. Sonatina the let me balm sweet 'to:Wee in de pot," and she pointed
at a dutch oven in a corner of the room. "1 bakes tnough for dm, too.
"1 use to go to church in de country, gall hit Uothodists Dat House of
Prayer over on Cherry Street ain't nudh church. Nee man, dot house ain't much
dhurah, hit jest want de money. I ain't never stop at dat place.
"1 &set g0 no place now, widout his' Ida take me. If de Moon ain't Shining
I recant I goes to bed riCht soon, but when de moon shine, I puts out my lamp en
sets in de door and smokes qv pipe. I kin see better in de moonlight den de sun.
light. Aben de noon shine, I don't know how long I sets up. iiut when I hears dat
ale rooster crow, I knows its 'bout tin* ter to co to bedl
"1 smokes George Washington lbaceoo, all I kin cit. I takes a little dram,
too, when I kin cit it."
"Well, Ilia eominc, back to see you and brine you aonu George "iashingtoll tobacco,
and a little dram, too, if I can get it."
Cho sought me by the arm and walked with me as far as Mrs. Hoofer's kitchen.
When on partint; she was heard to says 'Ake' Hoofer.- I eot to co clean up year house
now, the lady say she coraint back."