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"I've worked hard, raised my children and took care of my husband through 55 years of marriage, the last 20 of them he was a real sick man," Says, Lielia from Indinaola, KS.  "After he died I was lonely, broke and down on my luck, just plain ole didn't feel like doing nothin'." "Well this man, the one I'm with now, asks me if I want to travel and since I ain't never been no where but the town I was raised and raised my children, I jumped right at the notion of seeing places."  "You think it's wrong living with someone and not being married?" She asked and continued without me answering. "Hell, the kids are doing it all the time and besides nothins'going on between Sherman and me."  "Sherman's an Indian you know and his kids keep saying I'm trying to take his money. I always been broke you know. And my kids worry something awful about Sherman taking advantage of me, but look here," She winks and smiles for the first time, showing me her wedding ring,  now loose on a finger that was once strong and hard-worked.  Showing me the ring makes me feel like she is sharing her secret, and I think I know just what that secret is.  She sort of looks sideways to see if anyone is listening, and says,  "I'm still wearing the wedding ring my husband gave me 55 years ago."  "Besides, I play those casino slot machines and win big. His kids don't need to do all that worrying that I'm using up all Sherman's money.  Why I've had those slot machine lights and bells ringing so loud and bright that half the place come to see what all the commotion was the time I won that $5,000 pot.  See those mountains over there, God made those, pretty ain't they.    "Yes sir, What you say your name was again? I can take care of myself, I was just lonely and Sherman was too, so we just sort of hooked up.  He's an Indian you know.  Don't think anythings wrong with that, do you?"

"Those pretty mountains in Marathon, TX. that God made."