Post by Sam on Feb 6, 2007 13:29:06 GMT -6
I guess for the most part of my life, I remember Sheila and her family living across the dirt road from me. I was always the one who seemed to get into trouble, or the one considered "wild" so her mother wouldn't let her play with me very often, as my mother wouldn't let me play with her. We used to sometimes sit on each side of the road and talk until one of our mothers would call us away.
She had two older brothers named Roger and Larry and we used to all get together and play football in the pasture, or sometimes baseball, if we could get enough people together. I still laugh just thinking about the older kids out in the pasture with shovels and buckets cleaning the cow manure out of our way so we would have a clean place to play. Sheila and I were the smallest
of all of them and not really wanted on either team, but we were sure right in the middle of them, demanding to play.
Her mother had the big witch nose and the personality to match it. Her name was Wilma and she was one of the most vivacious
women I have ever met. My mother would hardly ever let me go across the road to their house and of course that only made me want to go even more....but every once in a while I can remember hearing Wilma screaming at one or all of them, and then I would be thankful I was not there with them.
Something was definitely wrong with Wilma's family tree, whether it forked or not, I will never know, but all in all, I believe she was a good woman, she just had something wrong with her and really had no control over herself, or her temper.
We were country people, born and raised, and of course, the doctors just didn't know about all of the mental diseases or change of life issues, or depression issues, etc., that are now such popular excuses for unusual behavior.
I was about four years older than Sheila, and oftentimes in my teen age years I was busy with my own demanding social life, and would forget about her even being across the road from me.
She grew into a tall and beautiful woman with big, deep brown eyes and the longest eye lashes you have ever seen.
Our town decided to put in a skating rink and we were all excited about it. My mom actually let me go to town with them on the opening night to skate. (which was not as easy as it looked. I went a few times, but I was embarrassed to be in the bunny circle with the babies so I soon retired my skates) and went back
to my own friends and to a safer side line of talking and hanging out at the rink...not exactly on the rink, if you catch my drift.
But, Miss Wilma prevailed and soon Sheila was skating like a champ. She was there everytime the skating rink door was open and she was turning into quite the skater.
There was a contest coming to our area and Sheila needed a partner to enter. A single young man had also been skating every night and I believe had also been watching Sheila learn to skate every night.....bet your bottom dollar Miss Wilma, with her hawk eyes, was very aware of the whole goings on, too.
Wilma and Sheila befriended this young man, Mike, and before long they were partnered for the contest and not too long after that event ended, I noticed his car at their house night after night. It was soon apparant a serious relationship was in the immediate future for Sheila, as there was no fooling around (at all) with Mom and Dad constantly in attendance. Wedding bells could be heard in the distance on all sides.....and of course the local gossipers were giving them heck for a change, which I didn't mind at all...gave the rest of us a break.
Meanwhile, the skating frenzy continued and we were all so proud of Sheila. She was bringing home trophies from all of the surrounding cities. Some by herself and some with her quiet, good looking partner.
They were married, quietly, before anyone even knew what was going on. Wilma bought them a little trailor and they proceeded to start a new family on the edge of Wilma and Danny's property.
The skating ended, abruptly, for both of them. Mike started to work in the local factory. Sheila, of course, dropped out of school and was busy from daylight to sunset working the gardens, canning food, and doing housework right beside her mother.....
Some people laughed and said Wilma had used Sheila for bait to bring in more male help for them after Roger and Larry had left home.
But time passed and the little family appeared to be very happy.
No children appeared, though, and when I finally did speak to Sheila, she was so sad about the child situation. The doctor had told her it would be very hard for her to conceive.
to be continued...
Sam
She had two older brothers named Roger and Larry and we used to all get together and play football in the pasture, or sometimes baseball, if we could get enough people together. I still laugh just thinking about the older kids out in the pasture with shovels and buckets cleaning the cow manure out of our way so we would have a clean place to play. Sheila and I were the smallest
of all of them and not really wanted on either team, but we were sure right in the middle of them, demanding to play.
Her mother had the big witch nose and the personality to match it. Her name was Wilma and she was one of the most vivacious
women I have ever met. My mother would hardly ever let me go across the road to their house and of course that only made me want to go even more....but every once in a while I can remember hearing Wilma screaming at one or all of them, and then I would be thankful I was not there with them.
Something was definitely wrong with Wilma's family tree, whether it forked or not, I will never know, but all in all, I believe she was a good woman, she just had something wrong with her and really had no control over herself, or her temper.
We were country people, born and raised, and of course, the doctors just didn't know about all of the mental diseases or change of life issues, or depression issues, etc., that are now such popular excuses for unusual behavior.
I was about four years older than Sheila, and oftentimes in my teen age years I was busy with my own demanding social life, and would forget about her even being across the road from me.
She grew into a tall and beautiful woman with big, deep brown eyes and the longest eye lashes you have ever seen.
Our town decided to put in a skating rink and we were all excited about it. My mom actually let me go to town with them on the opening night to skate. (which was not as easy as it looked. I went a few times, but I was embarrassed to be in the bunny circle with the babies so I soon retired my skates) and went back
to my own friends and to a safer side line of talking and hanging out at the rink...not exactly on the rink, if you catch my drift.
But, Miss Wilma prevailed and soon Sheila was skating like a champ. She was there everytime the skating rink door was open and she was turning into quite the skater.
There was a contest coming to our area and Sheila needed a partner to enter. A single young man had also been skating every night and I believe had also been watching Sheila learn to skate every night.....bet your bottom dollar Miss Wilma, with her hawk eyes, was very aware of the whole goings on, too.
Wilma and Sheila befriended this young man, Mike, and before long they were partnered for the contest and not too long after that event ended, I noticed his car at their house night after night. It was soon apparant a serious relationship was in the immediate future for Sheila, as there was no fooling around (at all) with Mom and Dad constantly in attendance. Wedding bells could be heard in the distance on all sides.....and of course the local gossipers were giving them heck for a change, which I didn't mind at all...gave the rest of us a break.
Meanwhile, the skating frenzy continued and we were all so proud of Sheila. She was bringing home trophies from all of the surrounding cities. Some by herself and some with her quiet, good looking partner.
They were married, quietly, before anyone even knew what was going on. Wilma bought them a little trailor and they proceeded to start a new family on the edge of Wilma and Danny's property.
The skating ended, abruptly, for both of them. Mike started to work in the local factory. Sheila, of course, dropped out of school and was busy from daylight to sunset working the gardens, canning food, and doing housework right beside her mother.....
Some people laughed and said Wilma had used Sheila for bait to bring in more male help for them after Roger and Larry had left home.
But time passed and the little family appeared to be very happy.
No children appeared, though, and when I finally did speak to Sheila, she was so sad about the child situation. The doctor had told her it would be very hard for her to conceive.
to be continued...
Sam
