DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Ain't I A Woman? newspapers, June 1970-July 1971

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Ain't I A Woman? newspapers, June 1970-July 1971

1970-12-11 "Ain't I a Woman" Page 6

Mae

Mae is eighty-six and
The sole surviving sister of three brothers and three sisters. 
Of all of them
only my Grandmother married.
Nellie and Mae chose not to
living at home, instead, to take care of their mother.
When she dies, 
they took care of their two alcoholic brother
and each other.
Mae worked and Nellie kept house.

I don't remember Willie
who used to work two weeks and drink two weeks, Mom said.
He was a card shark
and once when Mom was tired of losing at poker
he dealt her four queens, 
but gave himself a straight flush.

Archie was the blacksheep.
He drank too much and he didn't work
which must have been hard on Nellie and Mae
who never touched the stuff - 
except for Nellie who used to have two glasses of port a day.
It's good for your blood, said Mae.

For fifty years 
Mae was a switchboard operator
and supported all four of them. 
She talks about the office alot
and how the company would almost fall apart
when she went on vacation
because she knew all the numbers by heart, 
and non of the executives had to look them up.

She still has all the presents
they gave her over the years
safely wrapped in their boxes,
and gives them to us one by one
as Christmases pass.

Archie died along time ago.
Grandma two summers ago.
and Nellie this Spring.
While before Nellie and Mae's life was lonely
they at least had each other.
Now Mae misses Nellie deeply.
Nora, our cousin in Scotland, wrote: 
"Nellie must have been all-in-one to you."

Mae lives alone in New York City
in a two room apartment
that is made darker 
by the eight year old paint
than by her age.

My Mother and brother and I
are all she had, but we live in Iowa
and aren't much daily good. 
She says, without the television
she wouldn't know what to do
"I wish my mother had had it
during the day when Nellie and I went to work."

One Christmas we came to visit
and the TV was broken;
Mae couldn't bring herself to spend the money
to fix it.
So we brought them one
Mom said that the money was nothing
compared to what a T.V. would mean to Nellie and Mae.

[photo of an older woman sitting in a chair]

This Thanksgiving when I came
it was working
and we watched it while I mended my coat.
It was a good time.
I like to get her talking about
what our family was like when she was young.

My Grandmother used to ask me if i had a boyfriend
and I would lie.
I knew Mae would get around to it
but in thinking of her life, 
I told her, when she asked, 
that I didn't intend to marry.
She said she and Nellie would always talk
abut how I was probably going to take after them, 
and be an independent woman.
"Men, who needs them," she said.

But you should have seen her eyes
when the waiter talked to us later
in the little restaurant across the street 
or when my brother walks into the room.
And she often talks of all the boyfriends Nellie had
and how this or that one wanted to marry her.
Mom told me long ago why Mae didn't have boyfriends:
She had acne.
"Men," she says, "who needs them."
But she doesn't mean it. 

Page 6    Volume I Number 10   Ain't I

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Mae Mae is eighty-six and The sole surviving sister of three brothers and three sisters. Of all of them only my Grandmother married. Nellie and Mae chose not to living at home, instead, to take care of their mother. When she dies, they took care of their two alcoholic brother and each other. Mae worked and Nellie kept house. I don't remember Willie who used to work two weeks and drink two weeks, Mom said. He was a card shark and once when Mom was tired of losing at poker he dealt her four queens, but gave himself a straight flush. Archie was the blacksheep. He drank too much and he didn't work which must have been hard on Nellie and Mae who never touched the stuff - except for Nellie who used to have two glasses of port a day. It's good for your blood, said Mae. For fifty years Mae was a switchboard operator and supported all four of them. She talks about the office alot and how the company would almost fall apart when she went on vacation because she knew all the numbers by heart, and non of the executives had to look them up. She still has all the presents they gave her over the years safely wrapped in their boxes, and gives them to us one by one as Christmases pass. Archie died along time ago. Grandma two summers ago. and Nellie this Spring. While before Nellie and Mae's life was lonely they at least had each other. Now Mae misses Nellie deeply. Nora, our cousin in Scotland, wrote: "Nellie must have been all-in-one to you." Mae lives alone in New York City in a two room apartment that is made darker by the eight year old paint than by her age. My Mother and brother and I are all she had, but we live in Iowa and aren't much daily good. She says, without the television she wouldn't know what to do "I wish my mother had had it during the day when Nellie and I went to work." One Christmas we came to visit and the TV was broken; Mae couldn't bring herself to spend the money to fix it. So we brought them one Mom said that the money was nothing compared to what a T.V. would mean to Nellie and Mae. [photo of an older woman sitting in a chair] This Thanksgiving when I came it was working and we watched it while I mended my coat. It was a good time. I like to get her talking about what our family was like when she was young. My Grandmother used to ask me if i had a boyfriend and I would lie. I knew Mae would get around to it but in thinking of her life, I told her, when she asked, that I didn't intend to marry. She said she and Nellie would always talk abut how I was probably going to take after them, and be an independent woman. "Men, who needs them," she said. But you should have seen her eyes when the waiter talked to us later in the little restaurant across the street or when my brother walks into the room. And she often talks of all the boyfriends Nellie had and how this or that one wanted to marry her. Mom told me long ago why Mae didn't have boyfriends: She had acne. "Men," she says, "who needs them." But she doesn't mean it. Page 6 Volume I Number 10 Ain't I

Mae Mae is eighty-six and The sole surviving sister of three brothers and three sisters.  Of all of them only my Grandmother married. Nellie and Mae chose not to living at home, instead, to take care of their mother. When she dies, 
they took care of their two alcoholic
brother and each other. Mae worked and Nellie kept house. I don't remember Willie who used to work two weeks and drink two weeks, Mom said. He was a card shark and once when Mom was tired of losing at poker he dealt her four queens, but gave himself a straight flush.
Archie was the blacksheep. He drank too much and he didn't work which must have been hard on Nellie and Mae
who never touched the stuff - except for Nellie who used to have two glasses of port a day. It's good for your blood, said Mae. For fifty years Mae was a switchboard operator and supported all four of them. She talks about the office alot and how the company would almost fall apart when she went on vacation
because she knew all the numbers by heart, and non of the executives had to look them up. She still has all the presents they gave her over the years
safely wrapped in their boxes, and gives them to us one by one as Christmases pass. Archie died along time ago.
Grandma two summers ago. and Nellie this Spring. While before Nellie and Mae's life was lonely they at least had each other. Now Mae misses Nellie deeply. Nora, our cousin in Scotland, wrote:  "Nellie must have been all-in-one to you." Mae lives alone in New York City
in a two room apartment that is made darker  by the eight year old paint than by her age. My Mother and brother and I
are all she had, but we live in Iowa and aren't much daily good. She says, without the television she wouldn't know what to do "I wish my mother had had it
during the day when Nellie and I went to work." One Christmas we came to visit
and the TV was broken; Mae couldn't bring herself to spend the money to fix it.So we brought them one Mom said that the money was nothing compared to what a T.V. would mean to Nellie and Mae. [photograph of an older woman sitting in a chair] This Thanksgiving when I came it was working and we watched it while I mended my coat. It was a good time. I like to get her talking about what our family was like when she was young.
My Grandmother used to ask me if i had a boyfriend and I would lie. I knew Mae would get around to it but in thinking of her life, I told her, when she asked, 
that I didn't intend to marry. She said she and Nellie would always talk abut how I was probably going to take after them, 
and be an independent woman. "Men, who needs them," she said. But you should have seen her eyes when the waiter talked to us later in the little restaurant across the street  or when my brother walks into the room. And she often talks of all the boyfriends Nellie had
and how this or that one wanted to marry her. Mom told me long ago why Mae didn't have boyfriends: She had acne.
"Men," she says, "who needs them."
But she doesn't mean it. Page 6    Volume I Number 10   AIN'T I