Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A TRUE TEXAS LOVE STORY


A True Texas Love Story

My daddy’s oldest brother became blind as a very young man. The event happened many years before my birth, so of course, I only remember him as my blind uncle. He had married and had become a proud father. Something happened between his wife and him, and he found himself alone with no way to work because he could not see.
The only recourse open was to move back to the family home, a small farm in North Texas. As a child, I clearly remember driving there with my family to visit Granny and Papa and our uncle.
The house never had running water, but it did have electricity for the Kelvinator “icebox” and one bulb on a cord from the ceiling in each room. My uncle knew his way around every inch of the house, the yard, the garden, the orchard, and the outhouse. He used a cane to wave in front of him as he walked. He milked the cows, drew water from the well, and fed the calves.
Everyone loved our uncle, including my family and me. My little sister and I enticed him to play with us, hold us, and tell us stories. He had one glass eye, and he’d remove it and let us hold it and wash it with soap and water. We’d ask him the color of our dresses, and he’d finger the fabric and guess pink, blue, or yellow and say the correct one much of the time. Magic!
One day, the Lions Club in town approached him about the possibility of attending a school in Pennsylvania in order to learn Braille and get a seeing-eye dog. If he could accomplish this, the organization intended to give him a small newsstand in town.
My uncle accomplished all this and more. While he attended the boarding school for the blind in Pennsylvania, he not only mastered Braille, he received a wonderful German shepherd named Sam. And now…for the rest of the story…
He met a lovely woman at the school. I believe she attended classes to train with a new dog. Blind from birth, she had never seen the world as our uncle had. With his way of telling a story, he described, oh, a cow, for example, or a field of corn. She became enthralled with the tales, and yes, she fell in love with him. In return, she played the piano and sang to him.
My uncle returned to Texas to take up his new profession. Someone took him to town every day to work in his newsstand. I have no idea how long he did this. Back home at night, he wrote letters to his ladylove—in Braille. On one visit to our grandparents’ home, I leaned on my uncle’s worktable while he punched holes in the strips of paper. Knowing he was writing to his girlfriend, I asked, “What did you tell her then?” Patiently, he told me something, probably to appease me. And he showed me how to use the apparatus to write a few words.
Eventually, Uncle moved to Pennsylvania, married his sweetheart, and set up a home with her and her German shepherd seeing-eye dog, Lady. The Lion’s Club in Dubois, PA helped him obtain a newsstand in the neighborhood, close enough so he could walk to work. His sweet wife walked there at noon to take his lunch and eat with him.
Now, if that’s not a love story, I don’t know what is!
Celia

24 comments:

  1. This was a lovely story, Celia. A true love story. I am still amazed at how much of your childhood could be my childhood. Do you have a missing sister??? Thanks for inviting me to share this story. Linda

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  2. That was a great story. I loved it. Full of hope.

    Patsy
    P. L. Parker

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  3. What a beautiful story, Celia! Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Touching story, Celia. Well done.

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  5. Wonderful story, Celia! I love reading these. :-)

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  6. Glorious story, Celia! Thanks for sharing it.

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  7. Oh yes, that's a love story, Celia.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  8. oh my goodness, that is so beautiful. i'm all choked up. :)

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  9. Linda--I believe you are my missing sister! yes, we have similar backgrounds, but we differe in one major way--you are a nomad and I am a homebody. Even while traveling all over for many years, I longed for home the entire time. thanks for reading my love story! Celia

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  10. Thank you for reading--P.L., Judy, Pat,Loraine, Lindsay, Sandy,Danielle--I do so appreciate it. Celia

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  11. How lovely, Celia. I'm touched by all that your uncle accomplished. Many today would just give up and expect Welfare to take care of them. He lived, and dreamed, and loved. It doesn't get any better than that. Thanks for sharing such an inspirational story with us.

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  12. Thanks for stopping by, Maggie. Sometimes, the best love stories are right under our nose. Celia

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  13. Celia that was the sweet moment of my day. I love a good true love story. What a lucky man to have found love and happiness.

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  14. This may be the sweetest love story I've ever read! My goodness, Celia, but the tears are in my eyes now...

    Thanks so much for sharing this! I'm going to post the URL on Twitter and Facebook too!

    You are an amazing writer, my dear...

    Smiles,

    Chiron O'Keefe
    The Write Soul: www.chironokeefe.blogspot.com

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  15. What a wonderful and amazing story!

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  16. MARY--I'm glad it provided a sweet moment for you. We all need that!

    CHIRON--You are so sweet. I appreciate the compliments, coming from you! And thank you--yes, do post the URL.

    DEBRA--thanks! don't you love TRUE romance?
    Celia

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  17. CELIA!!!!
    YOU MADE ME CRY!!!!! (See what a great writer you are?) What a beautiful love story this is! And how wonderful that the Lions' Club did that for him, and encouraged him. This is just a wonderful story. I must go get the Kleenex box now...
    Cheryl

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  18. Cheryl--bless your heart! Thanks for the kind words--Celia

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  19. Celia, it is a lovely, inspirational story. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  20. Beautiful, inspiring story, Celia. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  21. Hi Celia,
    What a wonderful inspiring love story. A true tear jerker with a happily ever after ending. Love it.
    Regards
    Margaret

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  22. Thanks, Tracey--I love to write tear jerkers. I cry when I read my own writing. Celia

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  23. What a lovely story, Celia. And beautifully told.

    It does warm the heart on a Saturday morning.

    I love tear-jerkers too!

    Hugs

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  24. That is a wonderful tale of romance and even better because it's true to life.

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