Cousins 2

Mejol is my favorite cousin. She's also the only 'Mejol' I've ever met. Aunt Georgie (named after the Dr. that delivered her) found the name in a novel about Native Americans. Who knows about that?

Mejol's brother was named 'Bradley Perkins' after my father--and since my father's name was Virgil Hoyt Bradley, it was the best choice of the three--although my granddaughter Tegan's name is Tegan Hoyt Bradley. Not bad, all things considered.

Mejol was always there. Since I came late in my parent's life, they had semi-adopted Mejol and had her spend time with them. When I came along (big surprise that I was) Mejol was with us on vacations and overnights and lots of times.

Mejol got me drunk the first time ever, in New Orleans, how cool is that to get drunk for the first time ever in the drunk capitol of the country? I was 18 and getting ready to go to college, where I would get drunk lots more, but Mejol wanted to introduce me to drunkedness--the best guide since Beatrice guided Dante!

She has two wondrous children--Fletcher and Elizabeth. And they all live in Baltimore so I see them from time to time when we go to see Josh and Cathy.

But not nearly enough.

One day, when I was 15 or 16 or so, Mejol locked me in her room in Aunt Georgie's trailer and gave me Catcher in the Rye to read and put on Bob Dylan's album "Highway 61 Revisited" and wouldn't let me out until I'd listened to the whole album and read the whole J.D. Salinger book.

How much love is that? How could I ever repay that?

She is so much a part of me that I couldn't be who I am without having had her in my life.

You can't make stuff like this up....