When I was in first grade, I went to Our Lady of Lourdes, and we were required to buy our books. Mom was very careful to put the money in an envelope and give it to us to bring to school on the second day of class: every child attending school did this. My older sister would accompany me to the classroom where she would hand the envelope to Miss Langon: a woman in her nineties and cranky as can be.
That year we handed the money in and the next day, my sister
was called to my classroom and handed a note. The note said we had not paid for
our books! Mom was angry and suffering a cold with flu like symptoms. The note
requested that Mom come down and pay for the books herself.
Being unable to get out of bed, she called my grandmother to
go down to the school in her behalf. Grandma was briefed as they say and off
she went with me in hand and my sister, ready to put the old bag away!
Mean old Miss Langon stood in front of her classroom, under
the crucifix, George Washington and Abe Lincoln, arms folded and sternly
looking at grandma who arrived with her broken English and fiery temper, her
red hair seemed redder than usual.
Without missing a heartbeat she immediately laced into the
old gal, who was so shocked she took a few steps back, as Grandma was now nose
to nose with her.
“Wadda you meana we no pay, we paya you, wadda you do with a
the money, eh?”
She was now talking in three languages all at once; Broken
English, Italian and her hands. “The little girla say she payer you the money,
she no lie!”
After careful examination of the amounts and counting the
number of children, Old Miss Langon conceded defeat to the little Italian lady
with the determination of an injured bull. Grandma was a hero!
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