Page 6 - Discover WINTER 2022

Editor’s Note

By Tim Ernandes

Her name is Peggy, but most of us called her “Ma” adopted several of us, but Dave and I
“Ma”. became her favorites. It seemed like whatever we
did, it was always Norma, Dave, and I together,
When I was a senior in high school, my steady
along with a few others who came and went. “Pa”
girlfriend’s best friend was a girl named Norma.
was around a lot, because of the nature of his job,
Norma is Peggy’s daughter. Norma turned 16 that
so we bonded with both of them. They had an
year, and I was among the invited guests at her
uncanny knack for relating well to us kids, while
birthday party in their home, which was just a few
still maintaining a level of respect in us.
blocks from my own.
When the day came for Norma to leave home
Almost immediately, I noticed the firm hand
for college, amid tearful goodbyes, Ma and Pa
with which her parents ruled the roost. “Yes, Sir,”
made it clear that they wanted us to continue
and “Yes, Ma’am,” Norma said frequently. I wasn’t
to come by in the evenings, and we did. By this
used to that, but it was a very nice home and they
time, we had also bonded with Norma’s younger
were extremely hospitable. So much so, that when
brother, Charles. Dave had joined the Army, so
my best friend Dave decided to crash the party
for quite a while it was just Charles and I who
along with another friend, they were welcomed
were the “kids” in that house. We did a lot of
politely.
things together, including rebuilding the engine in
Not long after that, I was invited to spend an Ma’s Mercury.
afternoon with Norma at her house. We had a
One year, right after Christmas, Charles and
nice visit, and again I felt the warmth of Peggy’s
I took a trip down to North Carolina to visit
southern hospitality. Having lived nearly all of my
with Ma’s parents. “Me-Momma” had obviously
life on Long Island, this was something new to
taught Ma how to cook, and we ate like kings. We
me. It wasn’t long before both Dave and I became
had a great time with them, with entertainment
frequent visitors.
supplied by “Granddaddy”’s very dry sense of
“Ma” had grown up on a tobacco farm in humor. We then went on to visit other relatives,
North Carolina. Her husband, Maurice, an and then headed over to Tennessee to visit Dave,
airline pilot, who naturally soon became “Pa”, was who was stationed at Fort Campbell, KY at the
from Long Island. It was not unusual for us to time.
be invited to stay for supper, during which time
Dave eventually came home from the Army,
we were introduced to southern cuisine. I drool
and Norma left school, and we three were once
at the thought of her chicken and pastry, fried
again united. Charles then left to join the Navy,
chicken, collard greens, country ham, dry sausage,
but through it all, we remained part of the family.
and buttermilk biscuits that were so light that I
thought they might float right up off the platter. Ma was an incredible woman. Strikingly

4 Discover Smith Mountain Lake WINTER 2021