My momma used to meet her friend Annie outside the Bristol Y every mornin’ at 7:30. They didn’t open up til 8, but momma an’ Annie’d sit out there in the little garden and smoke Pall Malls until their aerobics class started. Sometimes, some of the other ladies would come by and join em. They’d all be out there hootin, hollerin, carryin on. It was momma’s favorite part of the day. She’d get to gossipin and she and Annie’d tell each other about all the things they heard from the other cashiers down at the Piggly Wiggly. It was really the only social time they had. Sept when they was at church. Mamma always said it wasn’t right to gossip when you was at church. She said God was listenin. “God hears everything, specially when yous at church” she’d say. It didn’t make too much sense to me. I guess the scope of God’s ears didn’t extend all the way to the YMCA.
unpublished
fact, fiction and in between
