Playing at Jakey's 4-Way Grocery

When I was a kid, my great-aunt, Teenie (whose real name is Jakey), owned a gas station in Kilgore, TX. It was just down the road from my grandparents' house. When I was old enough to walk down there, it became the highlight of my visit. My cousins and I would trek through the sticky heat and enter the air-conditioned relief of her store with a dollar or two in our pockets. For me, it was always the same treats, a Chocolate Soldier (a lot like a YooHoo) and a cherry ring pop. Aunt Teenie sat behind the cash register counter and chatted with customers while we picked out our treasure. Sometimes, if I was alone and I could be talked into singing a song to her, she'd give me the drink and candy for free. She taught me songs like 'When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain' and 'Moon River' and I sang Journey's 'Open Arms' to her. It was quite the trading of pop culture between us.

Jakey's 4-Way Grocery has long since closed and time has claimed her wooden siding and roof. Vandals have given her windows a jack-o-lantern appearance and the insides are filled with family member's storage of forgotten belongings. But, she's still beautiful to me. For a girl who grew up in a more suburban setting, the store's rural decline is magical, if not bittersweet.

My parents moved back to Kilgore several years ago and live next door to my grandparents' house. I visited them this weekend and decided to take my two little ones on a walk down to the store to get some pictures.