Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Uncles/Aunts (04/17/08)
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TITLE: Mr. Brownie Man | Previous Challenge Entry
By Nancy Welsh
04/19/08 -
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While his three brothers and one sister were off “doing their thing” Uncle Ted, as a young lad, decked out in one of those old-fashioned cobbler aprons, liked to help his Ma in the kitchen. A plate of cookies or warm brownies was often cooling on the window sill. His friend, Charlie Driscoll, was known to come around and make short work of them. At least that’s who he suspected the culprit was, though no one ever said anything.
After his brothers and sisters were off and married, Ted stayed home and took care of first, his pa, then his ma. Every summer, he rented two large houses right on the beach and everyone in the family was invited to come and spend as much time as they could there. Grammie (his ma) was in her glory, ensconced in a lawn chair with her family all around her. Ted worked up in Boston during the week, but on Friday night, he’d come down with bags of groceries for both houses. One of the first things he’d do was get a pan of warm water so Ma could soak her feet, in case that hadn’t been done all week.
Then he’d take loads of pictures, so she’d have albums to look at all through the winter. He was a truly devoted son.
After her passing, he took care of her two old maid sisters, and, after that, when any elderly person needed anything in the apartment complex where he lived, he was “Johnny on the spot.” Millie’s second cousin never had to worry about a ride home from the airport when she flew in. Everyone was always guaranteed they’d get to their doctors’, dentists’ appointments. He often took a car- full of neighbors out for lunch or dinner or a nice Sunday drive if there were no family events to attend. You could depend on Uncle Ted.
However, he tended to be late whenever there was a family dinner on Sunday, as he was making sure everyone who lived alone in his building was taken care of before he left.. (most of the folks were in their 80s or 90s). The first time he brought brownies to a family gathering, he was told, by way of encouragement, how delicious they were. Ted, being Ted, thought that was a mandate to bake brownies for every “get-together” thereafter. Oh, and a couple of dozen brownies for everyone to take home. After a while, he added marshmallow between ritz crackers, popped in the oven for just a few seconds, (so the gooey stuff would adhere to the crackers), to his repertoire. I remember one time after he left my Aunt Lou’s house where family usually came, she almost tripped over a big brown bag of you-know-what that he had left in the kitchen. “Oh no!” she groaned. Her freezer was still full of brownies from previous visits. To tell the truth, I think she just plain couldn’t abide the thought of looking at one more brownie.
Uncle Ted also was usually late for Sunday mass. But, he was a God-fearing man, and would sit in the back pew for twenty minutes after everyone had left, reading the Sunday paper to make up the time. I’m sure God took careful note.
Christmas was an especially hectic time for him. He had to be sure every family member, no matter how young or old, how distant the “relationship” or even if he’d ever met them or not, got an envelope with bills of what he thought was an appropriate denomination. Never mind the fact, that he had an old black and white TV that didn’t work very well for himself,, used shopping bags for place mats, and bought dented canned goods on sale and stacked them under the bed “for a rainy day.” By then, not only did he bring brownies to wherever he was invited, but groceries as well. When he’d arrive,
you’d ask him what he’d like for a cold drink, his reply was always: “whatever you’ve got open.” The man just couldn’t bring himself to state a personal preference for anything. “Others first, me last” must have been stamped indelibly on his personhood.
If there’s some kind of sitting arrangement in heaven, he’s somewhere in the front row; after all the good Lord did say clearly: “The last shall be first…” And, for Uncle Ted, no doubt ALL the cold drinks will be open and available..
Mr. Brownie Man
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