Wednesday, December 26, 2012

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

BJ is celebrating with her family and friends for the Holiday and wishes all her readers the best!

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (31)

Ever since she could remember, her father was cold and cruel.  If she was sitting in the living room listening to the ratio, her father would ask her abruptly, "Don't you have work to do?"  And she always was working. She cleaned all three of the upstairs bedrooms, the bathroom, and down to the living room, dining room, den, kitchen and the basement.  Furthermore she also cleaned the front and back porches every Saturday.  All of this for a quarter. Through the week she helped her mother with the laundry (wring washer style) and hung the clothes on the line.  Helped with the meals, the clean up, etc.etc. and her father had the nerve to ask "Don't you have work to do?"  Edie ground her teeth at the thought. 

She had to sneak behind his back and say she was going to the library and in reality she was going ice-skating.  On one of these nights some boys were playing a joke and threw Edie's shoes up into a tree.  It took a long time to find them and retrieve them so she got home after the library had closed.  As she opened the door her father hit her in nose so hard it bled for four hours.  Every time they took the cotton out of her nose it bled.  They had no insurance and her mother didn't have any money at the time.  Edie was seventeen then, and she met Jim.  He had his own nose broken three times.

He was 25 years old and a boxer in the army and had been living on the street since he was nine years old when his mother had died.  Edie felt sorry for him.  Even though she had the father she had, she lived pretty good.  Even during the depression there were three cars with money for gas. And a big house with all the all the trimmings.  Her father was a big shot contractor and the head contractor over at the college.  They never did without during the whole depression.  Edie had a brass bed that had posts with nobs that came off.  That is where Frank stashed his hundred-dollar bills.

He didn't trust banks like he did before the stock market crash.  He did say that he thought something was going to happen in this country.  Something  big!  Wonder what he would think now if he were still alive?  When Edie spoke of her father she would say how mean he was, but she gave him credit for being a very smart man and taking good care of his family.


Monday, December 17, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (30)

    Hotels in the 40's had one full bed, a small closet, a small sink, dresser, night stand, table and chair, no air conditioning, the toilet was in a small room between two bedrooms with doors that locked on the inside (sinks in bedrooms), bathing room at the end of hall on each floor with tub and shower (A person had to sign for when they wanted to take a shower or bath) (this was the average hotels, not the very expensive ones). One more thing, the heating was a radiator in each room (steam heat?) I think.
    Frank left them at the door after giving Edie a twenty dollar bill. She thanked him. And after weak hugs were passed between the three of them, they said goodbye.
    As soon as the door was closed, Susan said, "Mommy, I don't like him."
   "Well, Susan, he's your grandfather, you're supposed to like him, so try." I hate him, Edie thought to herself. All the years growing up and all the misery he caused my mother and me. I'll never forget how he treated us. Susan was sound asleep while Edie's thoughts went back to her childhood.

Friday, December 14, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (29)

    They pulled up in front of the hotel. Susan had never seen a hotel. It was nighttime so it was all lit up. 
    "How beautiful. I wan to live here forever," Susan said out loud. 
   Frank told her, "It's too expensive to live here more than a few nights."
   Edie and Susan lived there for a month, at the expense of Edie's dad. He went to Florida for the winter as he did every winter.
   They had to walk around to the back entrance because of the steps out front and go through the kitchen to the lobby. Susan's head was moving all around as she was walking looking at everything. So much to see. Look at all the food in the kitchen! I am hungry, she thought. Oh, look at the lobby. (She heard a man call the room they were standing in.) It was the most beautiful thing she ever saw. They went up to a big desk and talked to some people and then a black man took them to an elevator. Susan was afraid and said she was not going to get in that thing. It took some persuading but finally she got in the elevator. The room was on the tenth floor.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (28)

"Dad, how about a cup of coffee?"  Edie asked as she lit up a cigarette.  That must have been a shocker for Frank.  He didn't know she smoked.

Frank paid Betty and Edie said she would call her when she got to the hotel. Hugs and good-byes were in order and doubled from Susan because of the doll.

On the way to the hotel, Frank had to remind Edie how foolish she was for leaving the farm.  At least she'd had a home for Susan and herself.  What was she thinking?  What is she going to do now?

"Its going to be hard living on the child-support from Jim of $44.00 a month for Susan. You should have asked for alimony."  Frank lamented.  "You know, he's living with that 'woman' now.  I hear she's got some dough...got it from a nice divorce settlement and has a good job." Frank continued. "What do you have?  I am telling ya. You should have asked for alimony."

"I don't want anything from Jim."  Edie was getting annoyed with Frank and changed the conversation.

"Where is the hotel?  I have to go to the ladies room."

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (27)

   Frank didn't look like what you'd expect; for he was short and mild looking, not the tyrant that Edie made him out to be.
   Edie introduced him to Betty and Susan. This was the first time Susan saw her grandfather since she was a baby. She didn't know him nor did he know her. He shook her hand politely.
   "Yes, this was good old dad. Cold, old dad. Shake hands with his granddaughter. Oh, he has a gift for her. A box of maple candies. How nice. He was in Vermont. I wish we would get this business over with," Edie thought as she smiled her half of a smile when she was bored.
   "Give your grandfather a hug for the candy, Susan."
   "I found a hotel for you and Susan for the next few days until we can find out what we are going to do with you two," Frank said, patting Susan's head firmly while he was looking at Edie with steel cold eyes. He hadn't changed. But Edie had. She was no longer afraid of him.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (26)

   "Well, how much is the bill?" Betty asked.
   "It's $230.50," Edie answered.
   "Oh my goodness. Well, I have to see how much I have. Do you think your father will give you the money?"
   "I have to ask him first for it. But he will. I'll call him now if I may use your phone."
   Betty entertained Alice and Melvin while Edie was making her call. 
   After about a half hour Edie returned  to the living room where everyone was eating and talking and having a good time. When Edie entered the room, it went so quiet. "Well?" Betty blurted out.
   "Yes, he will be here in about an hour. I'm so sorry to hold you up like this, Melvin and Alice."
   "I can give them the money if they will take a check and then your father can pay me. How about that? Then they can get on their way."
   Melvin and Alice agreed and after thanks and hugs everyone said goodbye and Melvin and Alice were on their way.

Monday, December 10, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (25)

"Oh, thank you, Mrs Johnson very much!" Susan said as she hugged her and ran over to the dolls.

'Which one? They were all beautiful!" Susan thought as she looked at the dresses and their faces.  She picked one that looked like one she had before the fire.

Edie gulped.

"That doll looks like the one she had that got lost in the fire."

"Do you like that doll?"

Susan held the doll so tight like not to be taken away from her again.  She cried, she was so happy.  It's been a long time since she held such a beautiful doll.  Grandma made a rag-doll for Christmas one year and it was nice but not like the store bought dolls which Santa and Mommy and Daddy gave her.

Seeing Susan so happy and crying made Edie and Betty cry, too.

"Well, go play with her." Betty said. "Your mom and I want to talk."

"Thank you again, Mrs. Johnson." Susan said as she hugged her.  She was like hugging a big teddy bear.  Mommy was skinny.

"What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I need to pay the cab bill, and I'm broke.  May I borrow the money until I can get it from my father?"

Friday, December 7, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (24)

   A large barrow of a guy came out of the shop following Mrs. Johnson.
   Mrs. Johnson introduced him to Edie and everyone as Harry Wilson. He lived in the cottage behind the shop.
    "Harry, is that wheelchair I outgrew," and Mrs. Johnson laughed, "still in the shed?"
   "Betty, darling, you just have more to hug," Harry chimed in laughing.
   "Let's get Edie in first, then check out the chair, okay? It's cold out here. Everyone want coffee?" Bett smiled at Edie. "I know you do. And Edie, stop calling me Mrs. Johnson."
    "Well, I'm trying to be polite. Now Susan you don't call her Betty. You call her Mrs. Johnson."
    "I know because she's older than me."
    "Your shop is darling, Betty. Don't touch anything, Susan. I need to ask you something, Betty. It's very important. Can we talk somewhere private?"
    "Sure, let's go in my bedroom. Susan, go over to the dolls that are on that table. See them? Pick out one you like and you can have it."

Thursday, December 6, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (23)

   The cab pulled up front of a very cute gift shop.
   "This is it. Stop!" Edie was so excited. This was her old friend's gift shop, Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson was in her fifties and also a double amputee. Her amputation was due to diabetes. 
    "Edie, it's so good to see you. Come one in," Mrs. Johnson said when she reached in the cab to hug her.
   "I can't. I don't have my wheelchair. It's a long story. Melvin and his wife, Alice, carried me into the restaurant but I don't want him to carry me again. Alice told me he had back surgery a month ago. Melvin, I could shoot you for not telling me."
   "My friend is here. I'll get him to get you. And this must be Susan. The last time I saw you I think you were four, am I right?" Mrs. Johnson hugged Susan. 
    Susan was thinking that Mrs. Johnson is like mommy. I wonder if there are more people like them? Or are they the only two in the world. Was Mrs. Johnson in a fire and if every one is in a fire do they lose their legs? So many questions. I'll ask mommy. 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (22)

   "Well, all is not lost, I have a quarter," Edie said as she and Alice laughed.
   "You have a good sense of humor, Edie. You're Okay.  We probably could become good friends if you lived here."
   "I'm sure we could, but there is one thing."
   "What's that, kiddo?"
   "No, there's two things. Number one, don't call me kiddo and number two I'm not deaf or blind so you don't have to get down in my face to talk to me.  I'm a double amputee. That goes for you, too, Melvin. Everyone does that. They think because I don't have legs, I can't hear or see or even worse they ignore me like I'm retarded. Edie was smiling and saying this in a joking manner (even if it was the truth) so Alice and Melvin wouldn't be offended. But how many times was she offended? Children staring and pointing is understood but adults can sometimes be painful as a pain in the neck. "Oh God bless them. They don't know any better, either. It's something I'll have to get used to and just live with it."

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAINS (21)

   Stop that, not around Mommy. She would say, "Everything will be ok now." Will it? Ever? she thought.
    Melvin did most of the driving with Alice switching over when they stopped for gas and once for a bite to eat. Breakfast sounded good to the adults but Susan had a burger and a milkshake. What a treat! Melvin ordered her some fries, too. "Mommy, when we get our new home, can we go out to eat burgers and fries every night?"
   After the shock of Edie being a double amputee, Alice and Melvin found her to be quite interesting. Edie used to ice skate, ride horses, dance, swim and dive. She also made her own clothes. Made her first dress when she was nine years old. Which interested Alice. When she told them she made Susan's dress she had on (not the muddy one) they were in awe. How? Then she told them. Too bad Edie was moving away. Alice could give and get her a lot of business sewing. That sounded good to Edie, to have her own business. That's what she's going to do. I have to get another sewing machine. She told Alice what happened to her sewing machine. 

Monday, December 3, 2012

ESCAPE FROM THE MOUNTAIN (20)

    Melvin and Alice knew they were taking a chance on getting paid for this expensive trip, but why not, this woman needed help and "It wasn't going to make them or break them," as Alice said. And besides, they needed  a break from the business and Ted can handle everything. Good Old Ted. He was as faithful as an old hound dog and about as slow.
    Alice packed and Melvin checked out the car and told Ted what to do while they were gone. Edie cleaned up Susan's coat and Susan took a bath in an indoors tub with running water. First time since she was five years old when they lived in that house that burned down. When Susan thought of this, it frightened her and she got out of the tub. Memories started to come back of her old home and her bedroom and the dollhouse that Daddy built and her car that she used to pedal down the sidewalk to pick Ilea her friend for a ride. I guess we were four years old. And all my dolls, my pretty dolls and then Susan began to cry.