It Makes Me Wish

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Reading the discussion by @TheHorse regarding the San Francisco Cable Cars makes me wish I had asked more questions of my grandmother. And it makes me wish that I had recorded things she did say to ponder on now, in my old age. She would at times talk about when grandpa was courting her, about him riding the trolley from McAlester. At the time I pictured her living in the place I was familiar with, but that is inaccurate. She probably lived somewhat close to McAlester. After people would work most of the day they would get together for "play parties" with fiddles and cold watermelon and dancing, etc. I wish I had asked more about her growing up, and gotten it clear in my mind. She was orphaned quite young. Her dad died of malaria, and her mother died of grief, sitting out and exposing herself to the elements until she became sick and died. . . possibly of pneumonia or tuberculosis. She was raised by a grandmother--not sure if it was her dad's mother or her mom's mother. When her grandfather passed, grandma provided board (hot meals) for the men working on the railroad to provide for my grandma, her sister and anyone else in the household. Oh, how I wish I knew more. She was young, maybe as old as six when her dad died. She remembers him looking jaundiced and using his last strength to hook up the team to drive his wife and the two little girls to the grandparents. That was the last thing he did. I do wish I had paid more attention.