Remembering Aunt Carrie

Does anyone from Larkinsville remember Aunt Carrie?  She lived down the railroad tracks from Memma and Granddaddy.  I remember her wearing a sun bonnet and an apron over her dress.  She wore black old timey shoes like my Aunt Nellie.  Most of been hard walking down the tracks to Memma and Granddaddy's in those shoes.  But walk she did.  She would come to see us every now and then.  I remember her sometimes bringing a chocolate cake that was simply delicious.  Sometimes, Aunt Carrie would visit on wash day.  Memma would have that old wringer washing machine in the middle of the kitchen floor and a chair would be pushed up against the washer.  The cane backed chair held a big old wash tub filled with hot water for rinsing.  After the clothes washed, Memma would "run" the clothes through the wringer and into the "rinsing" water.  Then back through to wring them out again.  Then, she had to hang them on the clothesline. 

But, back to Aunt Carrie.  Her face was small and dark, almost the color of dark chocolate.  Thinking back, she might remind you of a walking Hershey's bar.  She was the kindest, sweetest lady.  I am not sure why everyone called her Aunt Carrie, but that is just who she was...Aunt Carrie.  She lived alone as her husband had been dead for along time and her children were grown.  I loved her visits and her chocolate cake.  Yummy.  Well, one day her sons decided that she shouldn't live alone and they moved her to town (Scottsboro) with them.  I was so sad.

One Sunday, I was at Latham's Grocery with Granddaddy and a big, shiny car pulled up to the gas pump.  Aunt Carrie's son got out, all decked out in his Sunday best, and Aunt Carrie was sitting in the back seat.  She looked so frail.  She got out of the car and gave me and Granddaddy a big old hug.  I never saw her again.  But, I remember her kindness to this day. 

Yawl come back now, ya hear!