Patience
Hi, Y’all! I’m Patience! Cool name, right? Momma named me after one of the seven heavenly virtues. Momma says I grew into my name ‘cause I’ve got the patience of Job even though I’m only seven-years-old.
I live near Bluestone River in Appalachia with Momma, Nana, and my dog, Precious. My Paw Paw built our two-story house a long time ago from barn wood, even carved his last name - DENHAM - into the wooden beam above the front door. “Paw Paw loved having people over. You can tell by all the open space in the living room,” Nana says.
Even though we don’t have horses or cows, our house kinda looks like a farmhouse 'cause its shaped like a rectangle and we live in the country. Nana planted a vegetable garden, and Momma’s friend, Mr. Gibson, built us a porch out front where Nana knits and watches me play.
You’ll love my room when you see it! Momma painted the walls peach to make it feel cozy and Nana got me a white fuzzy carpet, shaped like a heart. I have a bunk bed too that Mr. Gibson made for me that has a staircase ‘cause Momma thought its too easy to fall off a ladder. I think Momma did when she was a kid ‘cause she’s got a big scar on her knee, but she never admits it. I let my friend Sally who lives across the street take the top bunk whenever she sleeps over. Last time we stayed up super late playing dolls and soccer in my room. People say I'm good at soccer, and gave me some trophies I keep on my shelf.
Sally’s ‘posed to come over on Friday. Momma promised we could ride bikes into town if the weather’s nice. If it rains, we’ll play dress up with Nana’s closet. My favorite's getting dressed up in Nana’s sweaters and jewelry to have supper, like we’re eating at a fancy restaurant.
Nana
Nana’s my best friend and the best cook in the whole wide world. She can make any pie you can think of - blueberry, apple, peach, grape, apple, coconut, rhubarb, chocolate, banana, custard, sweet potato, mud, turtle and grasshopper - but it's not really mud, turtle or grasshopper. We do everything together. Groceries, post office, laundry, chores, she’s even teaching me to bake. My favorite's cornbread! As you can tell, Nana always wears comfy slippers around the house. Slippers are her thing. She even collects glass slippers and glass boots. People always chat up Nana. She knows everybody and everybody knows her. She’s part of the knitting club, bingo club, tea-time club, collectors club, pie club, trail club, grandparents club, and volunteers at my school.
Momma
"Momma’s an angel,” Nana says because she helps a lot of sick people. You see, Momma’s a nurse but you wouldn’t know it ‘cause she doesn’t wear a uniform. She dresses like you and me. She's gone a lot, driving around in this big bus to bring medicine to people in the nearby towns. People around here love Momma. Wherever we go, they say ’thank you’, bring us pies, even maple syrup and pepperoni rolls. Momma’s usually really tired when she gets home. “I want to relax,” she says before she calls Sally’s mom to come over for tea and pie. They work together and talk about stuff I don’t understand.
Precious
I got Precious when I was a little kid. She’s an Irish Setter that loves Nana’s food almost as much as me. Don’t leave your plate alone ‘cause she’ll lick it up faster than a sneeze. Precious hates when we walk her with a leash. She loves to run around, until she falls asleep on my bunk bed, exhausted. Momma was worried I didn't put a leash on her, so Mr. Gibson made Precious a dog collar with her name, phone number, and cupcake beside it.