Miss Taffy

Nana's Heirloom

Nana's hand slowly rose to her mouth as her long, wrinkly fingers covered the hoarse cough. The smell of Bengay and a newly used bed pad compete to take over the room. They all knew for a long time she was sick, but lately it was worse. Through all the pain and coughing, she still managed to smile and tell jokes acting as normal as she could.

"Baby, hand me that pencil and paper over there. I need to make a grocery list before your mama go to the store." She said to Shell, pointing at the lime green pencil and yellow notepad sitting atop of the antique chifforobe.

"Mom, you not in any shape to cook. You rest and let somebody else handle that." Shell's mother protested.

"Like who? Can't none of yowl make dressing like Talmus likes it."

"Don't worry about Uncle Talmus, alright? He'll be just fine. Lets just focus on you getting better."

But they knew she wasn't getting better. At the hospital the doctor shook his head and said there was nothing else he could do. It was either hospice or as he put it, "Take her home and make her comfortable". Shell always wondered how can dying be comfortable.

One-by-one the family took watch over her throughout the night, even the kids. Shell's turn rolled around about three in the morning. She dragged herself out of bed and staggering down the pitch-black hallway that seemed endless. When she entered the room Nana was still up. Her eyes scanned the room in a way that seemed like she was surveying it one last time.

"Baby, go back to bed. I'll take this watch." Her mother's hand firmly touched her shoulder turning Shell in the direction of her bedroom. Her mother's eyes looked tired and sad. She began to protest, but then she realized her mother was trying to wait for my father to come home or at least call.

"Let her come here, Brenda." Nana's shaky voice called out.

Her mother's hand released her shoulder. Shell stepped onto the burgundy, oriental rug she and her cousins would make pallets on during their summer visits. Nana's cold hand reached out, gently touching Shell's pulling her closer. Nana's eyes were serious.

"It's a box got blue flowers on it at the bottom of the chifforobe. Get it. Be sure to take good care of what's inside. She likes gram crackers." She whispered.

"Yes ma'am."

Shell was confused. Who was... She? And why does she like gram crackers? Nana must have been getting worse. A dying person will say strange things. She went to bed thinking of Nana's words and wondering what was in the box.

Her curiosity about the box was soon forgotten once she heard the front door open and shut. Her father's heavy feet creaked across the living room.

"Where the hell have you been?" Her mother demanded.

"Woman, what I done told you about being in my business?" He responded.

"Your business? We married ain't we? Ain't it suppose to be our business? Huh?" She whisper yelled.

"At least that's what I was taught. But you don't recognize that because you too occupied out in the streets while I'm here watching my mama laid up dying!"

"So it's my fault, Brenda? You always blaming me for everything. I guess it's my fault your mama is dying too. You always blame me for shit. I'm getting tired of it."

"You dirty bastard." Mama breathe before storming out of the dining room.

"Yeah, I ain't gonna be too many more of those either!" her dad called behind her.

Early the next morning She heard crying from Nana's room. The morning light peeked in through the curtains that were slightly flapping from the cool breeze. The sun cast a warm, golden glow on Nana's face as she lay, appearing to be sleeping peacefully. However, this sleep was eternal. Her mother was sitting in the cherry wooden rocker next to the bed. Her eyes were puffy and blood shot. Her aunt Shelby, whom she was named after, stood over her mother rubbing her shoulders and fighting tears of her own.

"Your Nana has passed." Her mother said through tears.

"Brenda, should we should call everyone now?" Aunt Shelby asked.

"Just give me a few minutes to get it together."

"Good idea. I don't know how Uncle Talmus is gonna take it. He act a fool when Big Mama died. This will be worse."

"Yeah, we need to be careful." Her mother instructed.

Almost an hour later the corner arrived along with Uncle Roger, Aunt Janice and Uncle Mike. Her mother made sure Uncle Roger and Uncle Mike got there before they told Uncle Talmus. Good thing too, after finding out he went back to his room and locked the door. Uncle Mike had to break it open to stop him from hanging himself. After about an hour of restraining him, they finally got him to calm down. The family still made sure he wasn't alone for the next few days.

Nana's funeral was typical of any funeral in the South; a lot of crying, putting on and a lot of people claiming to have been close to her. One lady's wig came off after she fell out crying during the viewing of the body. It was much needed comic relief that Shell and her cousins took advantage of. After everything was over there was a big box with teal blue flowers on it sitting on my bed.

"She wanted you to have it."

Shell whirled around to see her mother standing in the door way.

"What's inside?" She asked.

"Don't know, baby. She said it was for your eyes only."

Shell waited until she was gone before inspecting the box. It was light. When she removed the lid she was greeted by an old, musty smell like it hadn't been opened for years. Inside was a little brown cloth doll about fifteen inches long. Her black yarn hair was in two pigtails that fell to her waist. Her eyes were painted pecan brown. The nose was two dots side-by-side and her cherry lips wore a slight smile. Hiding behind the skirt of her floral printed dress was a white card with the words Miss Taffy written in faded black ink on it. On the back was 1943.

By now Shell was twelve and too big for dolls, but there was a nostalgic charm about Miss Taffy. She felt special to have something that use to belong to Nana. Something she once held at great value and made memories with. She took Miss Taffy out of the box and place her in front of the other stuffed animals that decorated her bed.

*End of Chapter One - Tell me what you all think so far. Thanks for reading!