Chasing Windmills

How My Paternal Grandparents Met

I wanted to write this at Valentine's, but work was very hectic.

My grandfather was working in a coal mine outside of Birmingham. My grandmother worked in the company store/payroll. One day she was going through the checks and came across a peculiar name, "Earwood".
She made a comment and her boss said, "Oh, have you not met Starling ?" My grandmother had not. Her boss informed her not to take money out of his check. You see, miners would have supplies and or items deducted from their checks before they were paid their wages. The boss informed my grandmother that she was to pay my grandfather his full salary and then let him pay his bill.
On payday, my grandfather waited in line. When it was his turn he placed his hand on my grandmother's and said, "If you'd stop shorting my check, I could afford to take you out." He asked her out for that Saturday. Minding that she had been taught not to say yes to the first request, she turned him down. So he went ahead and asked her to go out with him on the Saturday after that. Since it was the second request, she said yes.
And they were together from that day until the day he passed away.

posted by Michael @ 11:15 AM