Momma is still with me. I see her arm and hand coming out of my sleeve. I see her eyes watching me in the mirror. I even hear her voice in my head when I am faced with one of my dilemmas. (She would be proud that I spelled dilemmas correctly on the first pass!) My mother was very smart. She was also very pretty. When I went to live with the grandma's at the start of my freshman year, I was enrolled in Plevna High School. Mother enrolled me and at that time girl's were automatically enrolled in Home Economics. There were no such thing as electives, it just was what it was.
To get to the crux of the matter and set the background for this post, the Home Economics teacher was a lady named Ms. Crawford. Ms. Crawford had gone to school with Christine Haas, who just happened to be my mother, Christine Haas, at the time. Now my mother was not only very smart, she was also beautiful. She had the prettiest hazel eyes, trim figure and flawless skin that was to die for. I inherited my skin clarity and tone from her. All through puberty when the other kids were battling acne, my skin remained smooth as silk. To this day I do not recall ever having one of those things called a pimple. I was very lucky.
Back to the topic of Ms. Crawford. Home Economics in the Plevna High School encompassed all 4 years. As a Freshman in a class of 12 meant that the Home Ec class meant there were 7 of us girls in her class. The first day she picked me out as that little Bartholomew girl. Her nose sure looked long when she looked down it at me and announced to the class that she had gone to school with my mother. Something about the tone of her voice when she said "your mother" made my blood run cold. Her whole demeanor to me was different then with the other "farm kids". It was my first case of being disliked simply because of jealousy over which I had no control.
Needless to say, I flunked Home Economics with flying colors. There was no way in the world I could do anything to please that woman. My other grades were high, but there was no hope in that class. Suffice it to say, after that debacle I grew up to work as a cook, manage a restaurant, and own a restaurant, so I must have learned a lot after I left there!
I have often wondered just what caused the animosity between those two women. I guess it was not between them, just on Mrs. Crawfords side. Momma picked me up take me home to Nickerson one time and Mrs. Crawford passed us with her nose in the air. I told Momma that she did not like me and Momma said, "It has nothing to do with you. That is just how she is. She does not like me." That was all that was said about it.
And here I set 65 years later wondering what that was all about. I could never fathom what caused the animosity between those two and now there is not a soul left that could tell me. I just know this, my mother was the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful woman to ever grace God's green earth and it was Mrs. Crawfords loss.
And another thing momma told me was "You never know anyone. You know of them. You know the part they let you see." Momma was right. Over the years I have known many people, but I have not really known them. I have loved many times, but not known most of them. A leopard never changes its' spots. Momma said that. Momma was usually right.
I miss my Momma.
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