I was talking to mom after I wrote my blog the other day, now mind you mom is going to be 85 this year and she insisted I did not go to St. John The Baptist for kindergarten class, she said they did not offer kindergarten class, I went to Sherman School on 51st. and Morgan, she could be right after all I was only 5 perhaps 6 at the time, she did remember our "King sitting on his Throne" story and also about sister falling in the sewer, we laughed and laughed and had a good ol' conversation. Mom said I forgot to mention how we would stop and pick our bouquets for Gram on our walks to see her, there was a field of dandelions and sister and I would pick bunches of them for both her and Gram, Gram was always so excited to receive them, she would get so excited about silly dandelions. God Bless Her !! We left our 51st st apartment and moved to 50th & Carpenter, 2nd floor this time. This home did not hold good memories for me except one, which i will tell later. There was an older widow occupying the 1st floor of our building, she was our landlords mother. Now this woman scared the Bejesus out of me. She was mean and scary, one day she would be kind and nice, giving us baked goods and fruit, the next time you saw her she would be yelling that we were too loud, yelling and running all the time and how the ceiling was going to cave in on her due to you "brats" too much noise running up and down the stairs," you walk don't run" said she, ah the joys of apartment living.I can remember one day (another memory mentioned in above conversation with mom) how this lady attacked mom, she was chasing her and beating her with her broom, chasing her up the stairs and just hitting poor momma! Of course sister and I were crying and yelling for her to stop, mom gathered us all in our house and slammed and locked the door on her. Mom called her son and by the time he arrived she was still outside our door banging on it with the broom. She was yelling but we did not understand her words as she was talking a different language. Her son finally calmed her down and was so apologetic to us, he was quite upset and said how she never got over his father's death. Mom felt bad for her then, sister and i were terrified of her after this, she did not stay too long in her home her son took her to live with him and his family. Another family with older kids than us moved in things were better then, they were "noisy" like us so we all got along just fine. In this home I almost lost both of my siblings, brother had the dining room table fall on him, sister choked on a shrimp tail while eating dinner, the tale of the table with brother is in more detail in my book so I won't repeat that incident, I remember how the CFD ambulance came and took sister away to the hospital and how i was left behind watching from the window and crying wondering if i would ever see her again. Sister arrived back home with mom and dad several hours later, good as new!!! I was so happy to see her !! Neighbors whom were taking care of brother and I left and we were all just so glad to be together again !! Another memory i recall is the big house fire on 51st st. right across the street from Roma's Pizza, it was a late night house fire, a cold winter night, I can remember how the firemen stood there with those big hoses battling the fire, how huge icicles were forming everywhere, so much fire and smoke, the neighborhood ladies bringing coffee and hot chocolate for the firemen to drink to keep warm, pizza and sandwiches were also given to the firemen from donations from Roma's. The families were all okay, everyone survived, however they lost everything in that blazing inferno. Sister started kindergarten at Sherman school, by this time I was in 1st. grade at St. John The Baptist school, however after several days mom was called to sisters school and was told by sisters teacher that she was "just not ready mother", poor sister was going thru separation anxiety, a bad case of it so she was held back she would just start first grade the following year, leaving her mom, brother and me and her all alone was just something she could not handle yet. Now at this time she is the most independent one out of us four siblings. Also living here my baby sister was born, my memory of that is coming home from a christmas party that dad took sister, brother and myself to only to find a new baby sleeping in a crib that had been set up in the living room, that was our early christmas present that year. I was so excited, santa brought us a new baby, a real baby girl doll to play with, how exciting!! As the years went on my baby sister was to become the apple of my eye and she got whatever she wanted from me !!
I guess there will be a Part 3 to humble abodes due to the fact there are still a few more homes to visit and share with you. During our conversation mom said our last name should have been STONE because we were always moving around like a "rolling stone", I asked her why we moved around so much and she said we had to go where the rent was cheaper, the family was getting bigger but the wages weren't. Ah the "Great American Way". That's it for now
"MY SPECIAL READERS". Ta-Ta for now !
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