By 1971, I was in Mrs. Christianson’s 3rd grade class. Rm 208, moving on to the bigger kid’s floor. It was at this time that my mother began to take sick. She was having to go to the hospital. I remember once when I came home from school, she had come home. I still remember the shock and happiness from seeing her there. I remember my happy welcome. I also remember once when I came home from school, and she was gone again. My middle brother who is 4 years older than I am used to sneak me into my mother’s hospital room so I could see her too. What a sight I must have been going to visit her on the fly like that…straight from playing outside. No mother at home to make sure your visit to wherever is met with the proper etiquette. I wonder how she felt about this picture. Being grown now myself, I think I know.
About this time, our landlord, Mr. Phillips, was losing his building and we had to move. One day I was at our new place and a phone call came. I don’t know, I can’t say the phone rang any differently, but when the phone rang, I knew. Connie, that oldest niece that came to live with us, took the call. She made the announcement through tears. I didn’t cry until my oldest brother came home. It wasn’t long before he arrived, oblivious to the fact that our mother was gone. For the first time in my life, I saw my big brother cry. He was 18 years old. That was February 29, 1972.
That 18-year-old young man took my 12yo brother and my 4yo brother to live with him. Somebody took me. They got 2 apartments in one building. When you step over the threshold of the front door, you are looking straight into the master bedroom. Left hand at your side. Raise your left arm. That’s the living room. Turn your head to the right 35-40 degrees. That’s the 2nd bedroom. Raise your right arm. You are now pointing down a hallway. Halfway down that hall to the right was the master bathroom. At the end of the hallway was the dining room, then the kitchen. Cross the threshold of the kitchen, to the right was the kitchen sink, to the left a washing machine, a ½ bath, then a back bedroom. That one was mine.
End of the first chapter