Saturday, June 05, 2010

Old man Wilsey, Myra and Henry

Last night we got together with our friends Brian and Carolyn, who are masters of the art of Maritime storytelling.

We talked well into the night. Well, we listened while they regaled us with fantastic stories of their South Shore families.

One story had to do with Brian's grandfather Wilsey and his aunt Myra. I will share this one vignette, which was told with such perfect delivery I still can't stop laughing.

Basically, the old man had told Myra that when he passed on she would get his farm and would be responsible for taking care of her brother Henry.

"Henry was retarded," Brian said. "Back then you could call it retarded."

As it turned out, Henry died before old Wilsey did.

"He was hit by a car," said Brian, deadpanning.

"That didn't kill him, but it certainly didn't help."

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