Gertrude Lora Rollins was my grandmother.
What a fierce intellect she had.
She always had a hard time with people.
I often heard her say, how does that person
walk and chew gum at the same time?
My grandmother loved games of strategy.
Chinese checkers was a favorite.
You would think she would go for chess.
But, she said everyone was too slow.
I don't remember them having a television.
She read books like me, fast and furious.
At the age of eight I read whatever momma and she read.
Mickey Spillane, Nero Wolfe, Erle Stanley Gardner, and loved them.
When we played games she played to win.
I asked her why she never helped me?
She said, that would teach you to be dependant.
Everyone should know how to take care of themselves.
She loved puzzles of all kinds, the more mind numbing the better.
One birthday she sent me an all white puzzle.
I hated her. I did it. I felt powerful. I thanked her.
I am like her and my mom. With a head full of smarts.
I look up to Gertrude. She insisted we call her that.
She said that is who she is, Not Grandmother.
We never called her anything but Gertrude.
She was special and unique.
When she got Alzheimer's , she did it her way,
She became a race car driver who was a spy.
She told me a few stories when I visited her.
As I left the race car driver/spy let me kiss her cheek,
and thanked me for the interview.
