Chocolate Cake With Caramel Icing

Washing the dishes with a white liquid soap one day, I get a whiff of the soap and immediately I think of her. On certain occasions, I will put a stick of spearmint gum in my mouth and instantly the smell and taste of the gum will bring her to my mind. The musky scent of my bath soap will trigger that certain part in my brain full of memories and again I think of her. She is my grandmother, my mother's mother. Whenever I watch Paula Deen on the food network, even though they don't live in the same state, she brings to mind my grandma's strong West Virginia twang. She is still there in those hills full of trees so thick it's hard to see your neighbor's house sometimes. She is a God-fearing woman who takes her faith very seriously. As a child, I would listen raptly to her many "miracle stories" as I call them. My favorite place to visit with her was the bathroom. She had a vanity with a mirror in there and a walk-in closet full of her clothes. She would often let me brush her hair and maybe put curlers in it. She always wears house slippers. It's her trademark. The one thing that I find hilarious about her is that she burps in public. Loud. Whenever she does it, she immediately follows it with, "Oh! Excuse me!" and then goes on about her business. It's kind of a running joke in our family. Even my husband was introduced to this quirk of hers very early on in our marriage. Me? I am not a burper. Well, not usually. Occasionally, a little peep will come out, but being me, I just can't bring myself to do it really loud. Except one night, I couldn't help it. Soda pop will do that, I guess. My husband was sitting on the floor watching TV and I was on the couch sipping my pop. Yes, that's right ya'll. I say pop. Soda is baking soda. Well, all of a sudden, the loudest burp you ever heard came out of me. My husband slowly turns his head and looks at me incredulously. He said, "Good one, Ethel!" I was surprised at myself, too. Someday, I will be able to cross her threshold again and have some of her famous chocolate cake with caramel icing. I will sit with her on her couch and talk about everything or just sit on her porch and look at her lovely garden. Then, we'll make more memories.