Men!

Grandmother's never lie

   A poem or story by Daniel Bailey (aka) The Danman258

Men, was going over my mind as I got to the rehearsal hall. Music was not on my mind even though the guys were putting up with my so-so performance. My next upload for men was really important to me; I wanted to say something that counts. But the bigger thing on my mind was what my grandmother said, “The things men do.” And the way she said it had my mind on edge, I wanted to hear her story.

     As I rapped up the rehearsal and started down the stairs my friend yells out, “What was that, what kind of trip you on. When I told you I’d back you up on this show it was because of your ability to make people follow you into a world of music. So what was that?”

    It’s cool man just things on my mind ok. Is what I said but my friend let me know quickly that it wasn’t and yelled out for a group meeting.

    I guess I should introduce you to the band, I want use their real names just names that look like them. First up is our drummer Bryon. He has the look of Bryon Adams with the long bangs on his forehead. He’s 24 years old and has energy I want to step on.

    And then there’s Snake the bass player, I just want to walk up to him and start feeding him. He’s the oldest of the band at 27. He constantly tells me how he likes and loves my music. He’s too nice and that makes me nervous. On saxophone and backup keys for me is Eddy like Eddy Murphy. Remember I said the look not the name.

    Our guitar player who also backs me up on keys, I’ll call him Denis like Denis the menus, mainly because of his white hair. This group of guys can play their hearts out and keep me with a grin on my face.

     My friend, I’ll call him Quincy, yea he got that look and heart for music and wants to put a band back out on the road again. He smiles and lets out a breathe, “I’ve got these 20 shows book for you guys and it’s going to be hard for you because after the shows I’m going to have 20 more shows. Can yawl deal with that?

     It’s easy to say that now, because none of us have any loves or jobs or anything to hold us back, so we all yell out yea were in. Then Quincy yells out, “Then be the show and let the show be you!” Those are the words we used to say to each other years ago.

     Ok guys, the truth is I’m getting old 55+ and my feeling are, who wants to see an old man singing when they can see an young heart throb band. And Quincy always replies with, I do. You see Quincy doesn’t know he saved my life. I hadn’t seen Quincy since the early 90tys, and then early this year we bump into each other on a bridge. I won’t go into detail of why I was on that bridge.

     I finally get back to my grandmother’s house about 11 O’clock at night knowing I’m going to spend the night with her, knowing I want to hear the story and see the garment again. And as I ring the bell I hear her saying, “Is that you Daniel?” Wow, I really love to hear her voice and knowing she will be up till 1 or 2 in the morning.

     She will be working, on something like quilts, bed spreads, or dresses and sometimes men’s suits to supplement her earnings and just for extra cash. Her hats and caps are to die for and her demands were so great she had to stop making them. And as she opened the door I could see that she had pulled the Indian garments out from the small office and into the dining room.

    We started with our normal small talk and as usual asked me was I hungry. I don’t ever turn down my grandmother’s cooking; it is simply the best cooking anyone can get. My granny starts to warm me up some cabbage and greens with cornbread, and I see pound cake on the counter, so I start making coffee.

     And as we talked and smiled my granny said, “I can’t remember why I haven’t told the family about the garments, and I even wrote it down somewhere to remind myself of way not to tell. But for the life of me I can’t remember.” My granny never forgets anything, so I’m thinking maybe she’s losing it.       

    My grandmother starts to open one of the plastic bags and the beautiful smile on her face was showing me the warm memories she shared with them as she spoke, “You know Daniel I never met the people that wore these garments because they were the friends of my mother’s mother.

     As you know my mother lived to be 106 years old, and her mother lived to be 102 years old.” Every time I hear that it blows my mind, just think of it, my grandmother is history at 96 years old and history in the making. She goes on to say, “When I open them it’s like they come to life in my spirit, I hear them call out to me.”

     I interrupted my grandmother and asked, “What are they saying to you granny?” She paused and took in a smile holding one of the garments and it seemed she was staring into space and words started to come out of her mouth but I couldn’t understand them. I looked at my grandmother and seen she was in a thought.

     I said, “Granny!” And she didn’t respond and I stood up and started to walk towards her and again she started to speak words I couldn’t understand. She was scaring me so I reached down and shook her and she lifted up like she was waking up and that was really scaring me and then she said, “I’m sorry, did I fall asleep?”