The Story of Nell

    

     On October 21st, 2021, Nellie Robbins Short will be 103 years old. She’s an important figure not only in the city of Canyon, but for me, Adam Jiwa, too. She was my mothers', Dr. Theresa Da Costa, 65, best friend before she passed away in December of 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic that was ravaging the world, they had not seen each other in the months before her passing. Even so, they had arranged to talk at least once a week. For me personally, she is a key person in remembering my mother.

    

    Ms. Short was born in Arkansas, and moved back and forth from the Panhandle multiple times before she settled in Canyon.

    

    “The first Robbins’ came from Georgia to Arkansas back in the early 1800, said Short. “The land that daddy had is still in the Robbins’ name. Dad kept buying land and he would tell us, ‘You can’t lose money on land.’”

    

    Nell and her husband Lloyd Short, were married in 1935. They moved to the top of Texas just before World War II started. At the time, Lloyd was working for a water well drilling company in Cactus when they first moved to White Deer. After working three months, her husband was called back to Little Rock, Ark. to serve in the WWII. Lloyd had his training in Alexandra, La., and then was station around the Gulf of Mexico to protect the coast from invasions.

    “And next thing you know, he was then sent to Europe,” said Short. “He stayed over there a little over three years. He went in ’43 and got out early ’46. But when he got home, we came back to Texas.” 

    The way the Short’s and Dr. Da Costa met is also an interesting story on its own.

    “It was a miracle,” said Nell.

    One afternoon, Dr. Da Costa, who was also a high school teacher, was at the Canyon High School (now Junior High School) outdoor track. Somehow, she had lost her wedding ring along the fence. And it was Lloyd who had gone out to the schools track for his daily walk and found the ring ‘glittering’ by the fence the next day and brought it home. He came home and said,

     “Look what I found,” said Nell. When their granddaughter, Allison came home from school, Lloyd showed her the ring and it was then that Allison said there was a teacher who had lost her ring and was offering a reward. Lloyd told his granddaughter to tell Da Costa, to come over and describe it. When Dr. Da Costa arrived at the Shorts’ house, she had written a $100 check to give to Lloyd.

    “Then Lloyd said, ‘I’m not taking your money,” Nell said. “I’m (Lloyd) just glad I found the owner of it. Since then we been friends ever since 2001. The friendship was well worth it.”

    In the 20 years leading up to the March 2020 pandemic, Dr. Da Costa came to the Short’s once a week.

    “She was always bringing something every time she came over,” said Nell.

    “Even after Lloyd passed away, we never had a week where we did not talk to each other.”

    For me, Nell is an important part in my life because of that friendship that she and my mother shared. Her company, as well as the story’s she remembers of my mother provide a look into the past that I can not find anywhere in written history.