Gram's Lilac's

As hot make-up filled tears run down her flushed pale face, she remembers a time when it was just as hard, but she knew who she could count on.
"Mornin sugar," her grandmother greeted her. A large gray haired woman whose laughter could fill up a room. "Do you want some pancakes before we get ready for church?"
"Yes please" she replied with a huge grin. Grandma always made pancakes on Sundays, and sometimes if she got up early enough, Grandma would let her help.
"While your waiting why dont you go wake up your mama and see if she wants any, then go out and get some flowers to take to church."
"okay!"
As she skipped from the kitchen to the dinning room her cotton night gown swayed.
Mama slept on the couch, she didnt really like bedrooms for some reason. The young girl crouched down to wake mama up.
"mama, get up, grandma is getting pancakes ready, do you want some?"
"mmm" mama responded with sleep in her voice, "two please," was her answer. Always was, then she would go back to sleep until the pancakes were done.
As she went to get the flowers, she headed towards the back porch. It smelled of must and dirt. But the air outside was a sweet delight. It smelled of spring. Grandma had lots of flowers planted and the fragrant aroma was pleasing. So many flowers to choose from, but her favorites were always the lilacs. They shared a lilac bush with their neighbors, the Pace's. The color was always a vibrant shade of purple and the smell was undescribable.
As she was heading back into the house she stopped to say hello to her new puppy, Lady. Marge had given her the puppy, which was hard to do. Marge loved her dogs. So the young girl promised to take care of that puppy. And she did, she loved that dog more than anything in the world.
"ok, since you helped me make the mess, you can help me clean up!" Grandma said all too willingly.
The young girl hated dishes, it was the chore she dispised the most. She would much rather do laundry-at least you didnt get your hands all wrinkly!
Grandma was always so quick to get around, perhaps it was because the young girl loved to chatter her ear off.
Grandma was wearing a blue dress with a floral print. Grandma always wore dresses, unless it was cold out then she put pants on underneath.
The young girl wanted to wear blue too, so she put on her favorite blue velvet dress, one mama had gotten her for Easter one year.
As they drove to church Grandma would always sing. This particualar Sunday Grandma decided to sing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," in German, it was the weirdst thing the young girl had ever heard!
They pulled up to the Manor House to see the Grandmothers friend Willa, a fragile old woman who had no eyesight. Altough she couldnt see them, you could always tell that Willa was glad to have them visit.
They got to church and Pastor Shawn greeted them at the door. He had a distinictive southern twang to his voice, that always made his listeners want to hear more. A tall man with dark hair, who was always exicited about God.
"Well good morin!" "How are ya all doin?!" He exclaimed, "real good," Grandma responded with a smile. The young girl just smiled as she clutched onto Gram, she was always too shy to talk to him;)
As Saundra sat down at the piano and beguan playing, the most beautiful sounds came out of that piano. Saundra was a talented lady when it came to music.
Grandma always sat in the front row, and usually Ione would sit behind her. A skinny grey haired lady with alot of spunk. The young girl would always snicker to herself, becuase it would always seem that Ione and Gram would try to out sing each other every Sunday. Ione with a fluent soprano voice and Gram with a deeper stronger voice. The young girl liked sitting next to Gram and sing, she felt safe enough to sing herself.
Next was the sermon, Pastor was always talking about hell fire and brimstone and how everyone needed to get out and evangelize. And every so often you would hear him belt out, "Amen brothers and sisters?!" The young girl liked that best.
On the Sundays mama didnt go to church, she would have dinner waiting for them when they walked in the door. That was nice, it was one of the few times they were all together as a family.
As she comes back to reality, she realizes they are just words on a page.