vintage memories
J A Penny for the Scotch By Quinn White Illustration by Glenn Shipps
metaphors, become transcendent, when a memory is so tightly bound to it. And it seems that summer is especially designed to make way for and honor these metaphors. The humid air seems to embrace moments a bit longer, impress their significance upon us. It is a time for memory, for family, for tradi- tion. And as I listened to Jody recount her summers, and simultaneously her grandpar- ents’ lives, it was impossible not to recall my own salient memories, and to long for the dense, warm air that seems to encapsulate those moments.
In the evenings, they sat on the screened in porch and talked. Once or twice each week, she walked with her grandmother to see “the show,” where they would enjoy air condition- ing and a film. Afterward they would stop at the cafeteria and have pie. She felt a certain kinship with her grand- father. “Perhaps because my grandmother was the disciplinarian,” Jody offers as pos- sible explanation. She reminisces about his garden—how he al- lowed them one tomato each Sunday, how they would pick onions, cut them into unique shapes, and eat them raw. She speaks with empathy about his exodus from the Catholic Church. Jody remembers how he would greet the rest of the family with homemade rolls and lunch when they arrived home fromMass. She basked in his pet name for her: Sugarlump. She recalls his reserved manners, his sweetness, his goodness. “He used to give me 11 cents to spend at the general store and say, ‘Here’s a dime for the work, and a penny for the scotch.’ I never knew what that meant, but I still think about it every time I pick up a penny.” It’s funny how everyday objects become
ody Gyulay, born in 1941, grace- fully describes her mother and father as having struggled as parents. Her father traveled a great amount, and her mother had a short temper. The summers pre- sented a particular problem for her parents, as she and her siblings were out of school and in need of care and attention that they found difficult to give. Thus, Jody spent every summer she can remember in Indiana with her grandparents. The joys that Jody experienced in the small town life with her grandparents, it seems, is what has left an indelible mark on her. These summers were a gift. “They were good, good people,” she con- firms as she reflects on the ease and grace in which her grandparents conducted them- selves, though she now recognizes that they were “put upon” in many ways. “They raised a cousin of ours and helped raise us in the summer,” Jody sympathizes. She was particularly close to her grand- father, but cannot articulate why or in what way they were close. In fact, she says that she spoke with her grandmother much more.
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Quinn White is a writer, knitter and teacher from Olathe, KS. She chronicles the memories and reflections of those around her because she believes hearing and sharing stories and life lessons can be consoling, galvanizing and transformative.
Do you know someone with particularly wonderful vintage memories? Tell us about it at erin@vintagekcmag.com.
VintageKC / Summer 2012 46
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