Y’all, I am really enjoying opening up the old Cascilla Store! I am getting to see people that I haven’t had a chance to talk to in years and meeting people that know more about Cascilla than I ever imagined. I love talking about my heritage and hearing about the way that people used to live out here in these hills.
My first surprise visit came from Ms. Linda Lee (Trusty) and Mrs. Caroline Drott. I don’t know why Mrs. Caroline was surprised that I knew who she was. Her children and I grew up together. James, Dan and Ginger have always been my friends! Once you meet Mrs. Caroline, you’ll never forget her. Mrs. Linda and she told me stories about their days at East Tallahatchie schools and talked about all the fun that they used to have. Anyone that ever had Mrs. Mussellwhite for a teacher had to learn the “Preposition” song and Mrs. Caroline was so surprised that I knew it. It just so happens that my dad and mom also had to learn that song and taught it to me when I was in school. We sat and drank coffee and talked about the past for hours and I really enjoyed the history lesson.
Later on in the week, a man named Palmer Smith dropped by and was full of stories of my Cascilla family. Mr. Smith now lives in Brandon, but he got his start right out here in these hills. He was out here doing a little hunting. His home place is just a couple of miles from mine. He reminisced about coming into Whitten’s store when he was just a kid and even told me where all of the items were located and what all was sold in the store. Sometimes I think that it would be wonderful to go back to the times when we didn’t have to lock our doors and we could depend on our things being left alone. Mr. Palmer ended up eating a little and drinking some coffee and telling me a lot of things that I never knew. Oh, how I enjoyed it!
Mr. Ike and Mrs. Elaine Sayle also stopped by to try out our fish plates and to see how I am doing with the store. I rent the store from the Sayle family and I can tell that it holds a special place in their hearts. If I am not mistaken, Mr. Sayle’s grandmother was a Whitten before she married into the Sayle family.
When I was wanting to rent the building, Mr. Ike and Mrs. Elaine came out and looked at it with me and I could see the memories and the love that he has for the store in his face. I hope I make them proud, because I am fond of the memories that I have of the store also.
When I was little, kids didn’t have a daycare to go to. We stayed with our grandparents and got to play in the woods and climb gullies.
Every day my Big Daddy and I would load up and ride to Whitten’s. As a child, I really didn’t know why we had to go every day, but as long as I knew that Big Daddy was going to buy me a popsicle, I was going! We would go by and I would get a Coke in a bottle and a popsicle and sit quietly while Big Daddy and Mr. Claude would talk about stuff that I wasn’t interested in. When we left there, we rode on up to Bloodworth’s Grocery. When we got there, Big Daddy and Mr. Bloodworth would do their daily bragging about who grew the biggest watermelon or tomato! Oh, to be a child again!
We also had a visitor at the store on Saturday that wore a red suit! Santa showed up to take pictures and hand out toys for the kids in Cascilla. Before he left for the night, I made sure that he had a nice hot meal. We sure want him to have the strength to deliver all the toys for the good boys and girls!
By the time the paper comes out, it will be just a day or two before we all celebrate the greatest gift that any of us has ever been given. Take time to celebrate the real reason for Christmas. Love one another and be kind. Thank God for the sacrifice that he made so that we may have an everlasting life!
