Miss Kitty

Where I'm from in Louisiana, there was a bar called Miss Kitty's. It was a popular place and big with the younger set. Lot's of beer, country music, and the occasional fist fight in the parking lot...your basic redneck attraction. Miss Kitty's was owned by a very large, woman with big hair and lots of makeup and jewelry who believe it or not, was called Miss Kitty. And Miss Kitty was a character straight out of a work of fiction.

One afternoon, I was at a jewelry store with a friend who was having her engagement ring adjusted. Miss Kitty was there picking up a piece of custom jewelry she'd had made. We got to talking about jewelry and engagement rings, etc. while we were waiting and Miss Kitty told us this story. She said her daughter had been married once before but it didn't last very long...one of those high school sweetheart things. So the daughter was remarrying but she still had her engagement ring from her first marriage and it contained a really nice diamond. So the daughter suggested that she could have the diamond removed and set into another piece of jewelry for herself. Her new husband-to-be balked at the thought of his wife wearing the "tainted" diamond and forbid her to wear it in any form.

Well, Miss Kitty thought that was bullshit and so did the daughter, but rather than cause a ruckus the daughter just gave the ring to Miss Kitty and told her to make something for herself. About that time the jeweler came out from the back with Miss Kitty's package. I asked, "So did you make it into something nice for yourself?"

Miss Kitty smiled and winked, then said, "No, I had it made into a tie tack for him."

My friend and I were still rolling laughing when she pulled out of the parking lot in her big yellow Cadillac. If there's ever a Steel Magnolia's II, I think Miss Kitty should have a role.

Deadly DeLeon