Knowledge of the Past Continued...

...

My Mom later told me about another incident, one that finally explained to me why my Aunt Norcie and Uncle Ernie were closer with my grandparents than with most of the other people in the family, or at least explain why they always stayed at their house when they came to town.

"It was not too long after they had been married there was a family get-together in one of the legion halls in town," she explained. "I don't know what it was for, maybe a birthday or Forth of July. Anyway, Norcie and Ernie were there, and because of the big deal Aunt Sophie made about the whole thing, nobody said more than a few words to them."

Her tone changed slightly as she continued, signaling the important part of the story, "Everyone was sitting at tables and made no effort to make room for them."

Everyone acted as if the giant elephant in the room wasn't there, my Mom explained. It reminded me of middle school, during quiet time in the cafeteria after we had finished eating. Everyone wanted to talk, strained not too, only able to shoot odd stares and anxious glances at one another under the carful watch of the faculty. Everybody had something to say, but nobody dare speak up.

"Grandma was the only one in the family that went up to them and told them to sit at their table," my Mom nodded her head slightly as she spoke. "She was the only one. Everyone else in the family was weird like that."

The story made me feel good, it's what anybody should do in a situation like that. Besides, who wouldn't want to converse with Norcie? She was the nicest person I ever met, smiled all the time, and never possessed anything resembling a bad mood for as long as I have known her. Ernie too, he was the type of guy people admired. Intelligent, serving in the air force, well-cultured and down to earth. He traveled the world. He had integrity. They weren't--or shouldn't have been--outcasts, they were jewels in the family.

"I'll never forget that story, " she said. "Grandma was the only one who did the right thing. I don't really have a memory of the whole thing, but that's what Grandma told me."