Cousin Mellie from Reach | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Cousin Mellie from Reach | Previous Challenge Entry
By Marlene MCPherson
11/09/23
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In the rural farming community of Reach lived mistress Alma Webster. She was commonly known as “Cousin Mellie” because of the many nieces and nephews that she had. However, her name was always mentioned with some amount of disgust because of her disposition.

She was hard-working, strong, and outspoken. She tilled, planted, fertilized, weeded reaped, and harvested her produce. She was always at loggerheads with a member of her working team; either they were too slow or not following instructions. To ensure that she gained full profit she climbed the truck and went to the market to seek sales, and boy, was she a success!

Her nieces and nephews would come and spend time with her from time to time but there was always a problem.
“Cherry, Cherry, get up you must get up now. Come and help, put the coconut into the bag” Cousin Melli called.

“Cousin Mellie, I am on holiday, it is too early, let me sleep a little longer.”

“No. In my house you do what I say,” said Cousin Mellie.

This would be repeated throughout the week.

Eventually, the visits became less as the children got older and it was rumored that “she was too strict and had too many rules’’. Only Tom Bell would visit, and both understood each other but he migrated to the city to study. Yet he would visit from time to time.

Tom’s visits could not mitigate the gossip within the community, and it was accepted because different members heard her say her divorce came as a result of her husband’s habit:

“I cannot stand his wayward life of drunkenness”. Then she would quote Proverbs 20:1

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

As she aged, she became ill and later bedridden. Many family members had to grapple with their grudges and past grievances, so it became difficult to help her, and she was deteriorating.

Tom’s visits to help were becoming burdensome so he creatively hatched a plan. He gave a written invitation to family members to his mother's house for an evening dinner.

All came. At the end of the dinner, he stood.

“This evening we are all here to share and give thanks to God for his mercies and grace. I want to thank you for helping me to be the professional I am today. Thanks to you all. But I would like you all to extend yourself to Cousin Mellie.”

There were grumblings. Tim raised his hand.

“What is it, Tim?”

“She had too many rules,” Tim said.

“Were you ever hungry or beaten?” asked Tom.

“No, Uncle Tom”

“Listen, let’s all help her.

Tom continued “I know she has faults but let us help. This is how we show love. You all go to church so let’s do what Christ would do. Now let us pray”. They bowed.

For several months the mood of the family was changed. Food was brought daily by different members, and a caregiver was paid to care for her, and her doctor’s appointment was carried through.

On one of Tom’s visits, Cousin Mellie told him:
“Look in the Cabinet’s bottom drawer, take out that big envelope, and keep it. Do not open it until I have passed.”

He laughed and did as she requested.

Within a few days, she passed.

After the funeral, he sat at home and took out the envelope. To his amazement, he saw:

“I Alma Webster leave all my assets to Tom Bell.”

His hands fell, tears swelled up and he realized that she made amends to the will. Ten years ago, he was the witness to the Will drawn up for her sister.

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