Canal Street, Deepwater, NJ (13)

Edie was disappointed.

"No decorations?  What are you going to do with all of that paper?"

"You'll see.  Where are we going to put this tree?  Can't put it in the kitchen window, as it will be too close to the sink."

"Do we have to have it in a window?" Edie asked.

"Yes, mommy.  Everybody is doing it."

"Well, put it in the bedroom window. It's the only window we have other than the fron of the house and we don't use that."

"Nobody's going to see it when they come in the house!" Susan yelled out.

"They'll see it when they are outside.  Now ENOUGH--go sit in the corner!"

After an hour Edie asked Susan if she was ready to come out and talk without yelling.

"If you start yelling again you will go right back into the corner but no supper this time.  Well?"

"Yes, Mommy."

Edie never did that.  Susan always had supper.

Canal Street, Deepwater, NJ (12)

   Susan had to carry water from the building down the street where her nana got it. It was kind of far for a little girl to carry four buckets a day, so the lady across the street said that she could get water from her house. She would carry one if Susan would carry one in the morning then each would carry one each in the evening. That was fine with Susan. That woman turned out to be like another mother to Edie and grandmother to Susan. She looked out for the two of them and made sure they had everything. Mrs. Frient had the largest TV screen in the neighborhood. (There were only four TV's in about two dozen homes. Her TV was a twelve inch screen floor model. Edie and Susan would go over Sunday evenings to watch Ed Sullivan.) This was the highlight of the week. Edie had a radio and she and Susan would lie in bed and listen to "Fibber McGee and Molly" and "Baby Snooks" and Firestone Theater and any opera program. Edie loved opera and she taught Susan what she knew and Susan also loved opera.

CANAL STREET, DEEPWATER, NY (11)

   There were evenings when Edie and Susan would play Old Maid, a card game, or Go Fish. Also, checkers, which Susan found all the games in someone's trash. Edie told her not to do that because people would think they were poor. Well, they were. Edie had a lot of pride.
   The evenings were fun. Playing games sitting at the booth by the light from the Coca-Cola clock. The two of them made their own fun.
   Lizzy got a small Christmas tree and Susan was so happy because she was wondering where they were going to get one and Christmas was just four days away. What to do for decorations? Lizzy said she would take Susan up to the sister's store and see what they had. The sister's store was kind of  a general store. So off they went. There wasn't much left in the Christmas department but junk. Susan suggested she go to the paper department. She picked out some pretty pieces of paper all different colors. Mama paid for it and they went home. 

CANAL STREET, DEEPWATER, NJ (10)

   The house started to shape up nicely. Lizzy brought a sewing machine down to Edie and some material so she made some curtains for the two kitchen windows and door window. And put a curtain around the bottom of the sink to hide the cleaning items. She crocheted doilies and placed them everywhere. One on the table with a canning jar with some artificial flowers that Susan found in someone's junk. Edie scraped up a few dollars for paint and got a neighbor to get some for the kitchen. A pretty yellow to match the flowered curtains would do. The neighbor was quite surprised to think Edie was going to paint. And also this was her first time. This should be interesting! Well, Edie did paint the walls and she taught Susan too. And between the both of them it turned out pretty good. The walls had to be touched up here and there. They hadn't been painted in years. Edie and Susan stood back and they were quite happy with themselves. The neighbor (who became a good friend and her name was Mary) was really surprised to see what these two had done. She said she didn't know how to paint and they could paint her kitchen.

CANAL STREET, DEEPWATER, NJ (9)

   "Now what does that do for you?" Lizzy asked.
   "I can get up that step."
   "Then what? How are you going to get where you want to go?"
   "I'll pull my chair up the step," Edie replied.
   "Okay, let me see you."
   The doorway had a cabinet beside it and there was not enough room for Edie to pull the chair through the doorway. Now what? This is where she taught herself to hop on her knuckles to lift her body to move across the floor. And that's how she got around where the wheelchair wouldn't. Up and down steps, pinning hems for women's clothing, cleaning floors, even moving furniture. Oh, and gardening. She did a lot from sitting on the floor. Nothing stopped her. 
   Edie and Susan made up the bed/couch and they slept in the bedroom that night and from then on.
   After a couple of weeks Lizzy went back home. Her leave from work was over. Edie and Susan knew what they had to do and they were introduced to some neighbors and the neighbors next door, you could bang on the wall to let them know you needed them. If they could hear you over their fighting. 

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   "Okay, what's the surprise?" Lizzy finally asked.
   "Show her, mommy," Susan said. "Please."
   Edie went to the step and started to do her act and Lizzy jumped off her chair and screamed and went to pick up Edie. Edie fell on her side and hurt herself but after a couple minutes she was fine.
   "What are you trying to do, kill yourself? Lord, girl, do you want to go to the hospital again?"
   "I will if you don't let me alone. I'm trying to show you something I taught myself. Now leave me alone."
   Edie got up in the chair by herself and started again. She went down to the floor and back to the chair. It was clumsy but she did it. And her mother was in awe. 

CANAL STREET, DEEPWATER, NJ (7)

This when she learned how to get out of her chair to the floor.  The first time she tried, she fell and banged her head on the floor and Susan screamed in horror.  But, Edie said she was okay and struggled to get back into her chair.   She figured out how to put her hand down on the floor, sit straight up and pull herself up into the chair and she made it!

"That's how I will get up that step!" she thought to herself.

Susan applauded in happiness just as Lizzie walked in.

"What's going on in here?" Lizzie asked, surprised to see Susan laughing and jumping up and down.

"Oh, Nana, do we have a surprise for you!" Susan exclaimed.

"Yea, well, the dishes aren't done.  Not even off the table.  Susan, help me bring in the groceries."

CANAL STREET, DEEPWATER NJ (6)

   Edie cooked breakfast with Lizzy's help. Eggs, bacon and toast. And coffee. Wasn't too bad. This is when Edie started to drink instant coffee--a neighbor introduced it to her. Edie didn't have a coffee pot  but she had a pot to boil water. So she had her coffee.
    Lizzy went shopping for groceries and everything that Edie would need, like towels, soap, etc.
   Edie and Susan stayed home to check out the place. Edie couldn't get into the next room because of the step and she would have to figure a way to do it because she couldn't sleep on the booth seat every night. That vinyl was cold and besides there was a couch in the other room that opened out to a bed.

CANAL STREET, DEEPWATER NJ (5)

   The stove had gone out during the night and it was freezing cold. The one blanket that Susan had on was just not enough. She grabbed her coat and put it on. She went in to wake her nana but she was not in the bed. Where was she? Susan heard noise outside that sounded like chopping. Sure enough, it was her nana chopping wood. Susan walked quietly past Edie not to wake her but she was awake with her face half buried under the blanket. Susan kissed her good morning like she always did. Edie told her that her nose was too cold and then she pinched it. Susan being playful tickled Edie and the two of them started tickling one another just when the door sprung wide open and nana was standing there with an armful of wood up to her chin with a not too happy look on her face. 
   "I could use some help, Susan," she said sternly.
   "Yes, nana. We were just playing." And Susan walked outside to get more wood.
   "You know, you're going to need her to help you, not play with," said Lizzy to Edie.
   Edie said, "I need her to play with because I never played as a child."

Canal Street Deepwater, NJ

   Lizzy showed Edie how to use the stove. She would have to cook on it and it was the only means of heat. Lizzy cooked supper. She cooked pork chops, carrots and potatoes and she showed Edie. She browned the chops, put in some water, then the potatoes and carrots. It was a good meal. Tomorrow night Edie will cook.
   It started to get cold so Lizzy  showed Edie how much wood to put on the fire. Lizzy hung a blanket up in the doorway between the kitchen and bedroom to keep the heat in the kitchen. 
    After they ate, Lizzy went down the street to get some more water. Susan went with her. Lizzy got the water from what used to be a turkey house. The guy who had it raised about fifty turkeys and gave up and left it*. Lizzy carried two buckets of water and Susan carried the flashlight. 
    That night Edie and Susan slept on the seats to the booth and table. Susan's feet hung over but it worked and Lizzy slept in the cold bedroom. Edie laughed and said, "I'm glad I'm small."


*I probably know the reason why because I know about turkeys, being a farmer, but that's in my next book.

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   Lizzy got groceries and ice for the ice box and showed Edie how to use the ice card. When you need ice, turn the card to how much you need. Like if you need twenty-five cents, turn the arrow so the card is pointing at twenty-five cents or if you need ten cents point the arrow at ten cents and so one. Ten cents is the smallest piece and fifty cents is the largest. Most of the time Edie could only afford a ten cent piece. Also the card had to be put in the window for the ice man to see how much to deliver.  The kids in the neighborhood loved to follow the ice truck. The ice man would give the kids ice to chew on. He always gave Susan a big piece so she would take it home because he knew the ten cent piece her mother would get would last long. He always gave Edie the biggest ten cent piece, too

CANAL STREET, DEEPWATER, NJ (2)

Edie's mom, Lizzy, threw a piece of wood at the rat and hit hard enough to make it dizzy and then she hit it again and killed it. Lizzie thought to herself that it was good they had chopped wood because it killed the rat and they would have heat.  She carried in an armful of it after she got Edie into the house.  Then she started a fire in the pot-bellied stove.  The only light in the room was a ceiling light with a pull string.  After looking around she saw there was a sink with a drain side, one kitchen chair, an ice-box and a stand-alone cabinet for dishes or food. There was also a booth-table nook with a large lighted Coca-Cola clock hung over it.  The floor was linoleum with a filthy rug that had seen better days. There was no running water and the privy was outside.

'Just like the mountains', Edie thought to herself. 'But I can get out side- no steps.'

There were two windows.  One was high over the sink. (There's a story about that, but it will come later.- A scary story.)  There was a room past the kitchen that had a step up for access.  This was supposedly a bedroom.  It had a couch which folded out into a bed as well as a chest of drawers.  Beyond that room was another room with a bed and a dresser and of course, a ceiling light with a string.  There was one more room that could be used for a living room if one desired and had furniture.  This room had all kinds of canning jars, more kitchen chairs and just stuff.

There was no heat in any room other than the kitchen...so that is where Edie and Susan had to live.

CANAL STREET, DEEPWATER, NEW JERSEY (1)

   Edie's mother suggested they have lunch before they got to the house in Jersey. She knew a good hogie shop so they went there. Susan had never had a hogie. She didn't like all the onions. She would have liked a hamburger instead. Yeah, and some fries. Mama got her some fries when she asked for some. Thank you, mom.
   They came to a river and drove onto a ferry. After they got started, Susan was allowed to get out of the car. She liked this. Big white birds flew all over high in the sky. They were so beautiful against the blue sky. Being outside felt so good to Susan after a month in that "room." The air smelled so good and even felt good. She enjoyed every minute. 
   They were on the other side already and ready to get off. They had traveled about two hours and crossed a little bridge over a canal that went down a street called Canal Street, in the town of Deepwater, New Jersey. At the very end of the street was a house over on the left side of the railroad tracks. We stopped in front. The house was a duplex and needed painting.  It was cold, dark and came with a rat running across the room. Regardless of it being a room, Edie wanted to go back to the hotel.

THE HOTEL (3)

    Edie's mother had a gentleman friend who had a vacation home in New Jersey and he made a suggestion that Edie and Susan could live there if they wanted. He said it wasn't much, but he wouldn't charge anything and he only used it once in a while. Edie jumped at it. At least they could get out of the hotel. Susan needed to get into school and Edie needed to find some kind of work to make some money. I could crochet designs on handkerchiefs and have Susan sell them for me like we did with the dinner if I find another one. That would be good but I think I'm going to have to make more money than that. Do alterations if I had a sewing machine. How can I get a sewing machine? I'll ask my mother if she's still sewing. Edie's mind was just buzzing and then a knock at the door stopped that. It was Edie's mother.
    "Are you ready to go?" Edie's mother asked.
    "Am I? With bells on. Let's get out of here. I feel like a bird escaping from a cage."
    This was another one of those "If she only knew what was around the other corner she might want to stay in the cage."

THE HOTEL (2)

Nancy got life in prison.  Edie and Bill didn't get anything.  They did straighten out their problems later on in years and became good friends.

I (BJ the writer) apologize for going off the track and writing about Edie's father, but, I thought you might find him "colorful".)


Back to the hotel-

Edie's mother came to see if Edie and Susan were doing ok and find out what they needed.  Needles and crochet thread were top of their list.  She said she needed something to do, or she would go nuts.  With the thread, Edie crocheted a clothes line to attach from the bed pole to the hanger on the closet door.  She washed Susan's and her clothes in the little sink and hung them on her crocheted line.

Looking out the window one day, Edie noticed a diner across the street.  She got an idea.  Waitresses wore crocheted handkerchiefs in their pockets on their uniforms.  She made half a dozen and wrote a note letting them who she was and asked if they could buy the handkerchiefs in exchange for food.  And it worked!  Edie couldn't make those hankies fast enough and she and Susan ate pretty good for a month.

THE HOTEL

Frank's third wife was smarter than Frank.  She was a retired nurse...And well, Frank liked his Scotch a lot. He also liked cigars and but swam every day.  Frank would get drunk every night and every day his wife, Nancy would give him oxygen.  One morning he went swimming, came out, lit up a cigar and laid down on the blanket.  Nancy yelled at him because he was burning his arm with his cigar.

He was dead. Heart attack.

Everyone swore that Nancy killed him by getting him drunk every night (which she didn't) and then getting him sober every day.  They said it was too much on his heart.

People were telling Edie that everything he had was left to Nancy.  Neither Edie, nor Bill was getting anything. Not a thing.  Nancy said he didn't have anything left except the trailer they pulled back and forth between Penna and Florida.  There was talk going around that Nancy was dating someone before Frank's grave was cold.  Well, She married the guy and they got into a fight one night because Nancy caught him with a gal, so she shot him with one of Frank's guns that was to be Bill's when Frank died.  It was a gun worth a lot of money.  Incidentally, the guy who was shot had been Frank's attorney.