The Sharp Top

 

Fifty years ago this house was occupied by Shine and Big Sis and several of Big Sis' adult daughters. Shine and Big Sis had a violent relationship which caused everyone to wonder why they stayed together. It is probable that liquor had something to do with their troubles.Shine was fairly tall and very black, hence his name. Big Sis was a huge woman as you might guess.
At that time the road in front of the house was dirt and graded regularily by the county. There was a huge supply of round rocks along and in the road. Big sis and Shine put these to use as ammunition against each other. Shine was as farmer and sometimes he took the gun to the field to protect himself against Big Sis. Occasionally, Big Sis' daughters would catch Shine and hold him down while Big Sis beat him. When they got after him hot and heavy, he would sneak off and hide til things cooled off a bit. But don't get the idea that Shine was innocent. He could and did let rocks fly with deadly accuracy.
The day I took this picture the door was open wide as you can see. I went in for a look around and found that it had been remodeled sometime recently. The walls were painted, there were cabinets in the kitchen, and there was bathroom, none of which Shine and Big Sis enjoyed. There was a well then, but no running water.
I don't know whatever became of Big Sis but the general consensus is that she died before Shine. Shine died in a nursing home which saddened me that a person I remembered so clearly as a strong distinctive man should have come to such a slow end. I saw him once there and his smile was still the same.