Mountain Woman

Betty was not at the Bell Boys Reunion yesterday. I think she would have loved it. Betty one a tall big boned fun-loving girl that went by several nick names. The only ones that come to mind is Mountain Gal, Mountain Girl, and Mountain Woman.

She was always in a party mood, whether she was walking down the hall at high school or cruising Varner’s Drive-In.

Usually after a football game there was a dance at either Larry Bell Gym, or Saint James’s Episcopalian Church. Betty loved to dance. She would dance every song and pouring with sweat before it was all over.

If there was party she was there, unless of course, she was at another party.

Once when I was on the Grand Jury I saw her in the halls of the court house, dressed loudly of course. We talked. She was there as a witness to some kind of violent event – I forgot what.

She married a guy named Larry. Larry and his brother were known for their fighting ability and the fact they fight often.

I read Larry’s obituary only about a few years after they married. I don’t know the reason Larry died at a young age. His body was put in one of those eternal shelves things. One time at the my parents are buried I rode by and saw an elderly man braced against Larry’s marker on the outside of the shelf – the man was holding flowers in one had and he was crying. It would have been a great picture if it wasn’t invading somebody’s personal moment.

A year or so ago I ran into Betty at Krogers on a Wednesday (Senior Citizen Day). She had gained weight and not too happy to see me… she talked to me but she covered her mouth as she talked.

One time, on another Wednesday I was at Kroger’s and ran into a co-worker Patrick. I told Patrick about running into Betty there just a week or two before. I was telling Patrick that two of Betty’s favorite expressions were “Don’t let your meat loaf” and “look at that rise in those Levis’”. And turned around and there stood Betty. She and her grocery cart rushed off.

I haven’t seen her since. She must have changed Krogers.

I need to learn to keep my big mouth shut.