Granny J

In these here parts they call me Granny J. My name is really Jenny but ain’t nobody’s called me that in a long time. I ain’t able to tell you how old I am cause ain’t no one seems to know and I shore don’t. This story ain’t bout me though, it’s bout my grandbaby Johnny.

Course he ain’t no baby now. Johnny figured when he were bout twelve years old that he ain’t needing no more schoolin. He’s just wantin to work and git him some money. So Johnny wanders down to town to find him some work. He goes in and visits with Will at the general store and lets him know he be lookin to work. Will tells Johnny that he dun been lookin for a youngster to take care of some few things round the place. Next mornin Johnny heads down to start workin for Will. The furst thing Will tells Johnny to be doing is to sweep up a bit. In the meantime Will sits there at the counter and reads his book. Will is keeping Johnny a goin all day, stockin the shelves and takin stuff to all the folks round town. End of the day little Johnny is plumb wore down from all the work. Will now, he is still just sittin there reading that there book. He gives Johnny a dollar for the day and tells him not to be runnin late in the mornin.

Furst thing in the mornin Johnny, he be headin back down to the general store to go to work. Nothin is much different from the day before cept Will works Johnny a bit harder that he did the day before. While Johnny be workin his tail off, Will still be sittin there readin that book. Everthin kept up the same ay all that long week. On Sunday, Johnny pretty much stays in that bed all day. When he finally gits up for supper, he is seemin kind of unhappy bout somethin. I on’t ask what’s a botherin him cause I has a feelin I already knows.

Monday comes round and Johnny goes to work same as he did all week before. He goes up to Will and asks him how come it is Will don’t do no work. Will tells Johnny it’s cause he got him an education and can hire someone else to do the hard stuff. Well I be telling ya, that got Johnny thinkin. End of the day Johnny goes to Will and says he ain’t gonna work no more. He gonna go back to school so he can sit round and do nothin.

Shore nuff next day, Johnny be back in school learnin how to read and write and do his numbers. Miz Martha, that the teacher, she be real happy to see Johnny back at that desk. Johnny he works harder than ever in school. For long Johnny be talkin like one of those city folk. When he be fifteen, Miz Martha made rangements for Johnny to go to a big school in Virginy. So Johnny packs up his stuff in a old bag and heads off to school.

He write now and agin to tell us he be doin okay His mama, she be goin crazy worryin bout Johnny and a cryin all the time. Specially after Johnny’s daddy gits himself kilt in a cave in at the mine. I write to Johnny to let him know that big John be dead but Johnny don’t come home for the buryin.

Just when we startin to think Johnny ain’t never commin home, This big black motor car come bouncin up the road. We go out to see who could be visitin us in a motor car and this tall good lookin man gits out and runs up and picks me up off the ground and gives me a bear hug coulda kilt a small bear. I be ready to git the shotgun out and chase this city slicker off when his mama be yellin that it’s Johnny. I like to fall out in a faint about then. Our Johnny were all dressed up in these fancy city clothes and wearing this here mustache that curls up at the ends and carryin a little black bag. He says he shore is happy to be home after all these years.

Turns out Johnny be a doctor now and he be goin to set up a hospital right here in town. Furst thing Johnny goin to do is go see Will down at the general store to tell him thanky fer showin him what he could do if he got a education. As Johnny’s walkin in the store, Will’s wife come runnin out yellin that Will just fell down on the floor and ain’t movin. Johnny goes and gits his little black bag out of his motor car and goes to help Will. Turns out old Wills heart dun quit wantin to work.

Johnny picks Will up and puts him on the counter where he use to read his books. He gives Will a shot of somethin right in his heart and pretty soon Will wakes up. Johnny takes Will to his car and drives him to the hospital in Cedar Falls, bout fifty miles away. When Johnny gits back next mornin, he tells us old Will had a heart attack but is doin good now.

Ain’t nobody more thankin that Johnny went back to school cept Will. He gives Johnny a room off the general store so Johnny can open a office.

That were bout twenty years ago. Now everyone be callin Johnny old doc John cause he borned almost all the youngsters in town. Every time one of those youngsters figure they had nuff schoolin and want to go to work, old doc give them a job. He do the same way Will did when Johnny was a workin for him. Don’t take them youngsters long for they be back at school neither.

Story © by Marcia Hitchens