Smoky
Our small town post office is a hub with a full parking lot midday during the week. I’m quickly learning its role in spreading news, either through neighborly conversations or notices posted in the window. Collecting my mail today, I was saddened to find the death notice and funeral arrangements of our friend Smoky. One day a couple of years ago as we were cleaning up my grandmother’s property, Smoky stopped his journey down the street to ask if we needed help. As we worked together that day and a couple more times in the coming months, we learned a little about the man who worked diligently and quietly, occasionally breaking the silence to offer his opinion on the best way to accomplish the task at hand. But if you know me at all, you know I’ll pull a story out of the most introverted person!
Last Spring I saw Smoky one day, and as we chatted he shared with me that he was battling cancer. He made light of the news, making me believe it was being treated and the outlook was good. I didn’t see him again until a couple of months ago just after Mike and I moved into the Bungalow full time. I was sitting on the porch when I saw a couple of figures coming down the road. As they got nearer, one who looked familiar to me said, “Ms. Holly?” “Smoky?!” I exclaimed as I flew out of my chair. I ran down the steps and sidewalk to meet this man who was nearly wasted away. He gave me a big hug, and I told him we had permanently moved to Woodville. He offered little information about his health, evading the topic with questions about me and Mike.
“Don’t trust nooooooobody, Ms. Holly. You call me if you need to know anything about anybody. You don’t trust NOBODY!” And he gave me his phone number. I meant to call, but I got busy with the holidays and forgot about my friend. Until today.
One of the first things Smoky told us about himself was that his grandfather was a well-known blues artist in this area. He was quite proud of that, so I’ll close with this clip of his grandfather, Scott Dunbar, singing “That’s Alright Mama.”
