Later that day, I called Mom at the our neighbor’s house (remember we didn’t have a phone) and asked to pick me up at aunt Belva home in Logan so I could come home. She said Dad and her would come and get me , and I was to stay at Aunt Belva's house until they got there. I don’t remember exactly how they got to Logan, but I do remember after arriving Dad left again saying he would be back with a ride and we were to stay there. Well, we waited all day for him to come back; even Mom got tired of waiting. I talked Mom into walking, she didn’t want too, but I told her that she wouldn’t have to walk long, someone would come along and pick us up to take us home.
I was half right, we did get picked up but we were dropped off at the mouth of Rum Creek Hollow. We still had about 2 ½ more miles to go. As we started up the hollow, someone came along and we hitched a ride the rest of the way home. Dad got home about midnight, he came through the door drunk and hollering for Mom and me.
I was laying with Mom on their bed; we were reading by an oil lamp as we had no electric lights. Shirley was now married to David and they were in the other room sleeping. Dad hollered so loud he woke everyone up but no one dared answer him. Suddenly, Mom jumped off the bed and blew out the light so he couldn’t see us. Then she ran out the back door and left me to face Dad alone.
He yelled at me to strike a match and light the lamp so he could see to beat me, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to disobey him but I didn’t want to get beaten either. So I snicked into Shirley’s bedroom and asked her what she would do if she were me. Here is what she said, ”You’re a fool if you light the lamp and just let him beat you. Mom’s no fool, she ran. Do what you want but if it was me, I’d leave.”
That’s what I did, I went out the back door and down to my girl friend’s house to stay the rest of the night. The next day, I got a ride to my Aunt Wanda’s and then went on to Aunt Hannah’s to stayed. I only went home for visits after that night.
I don't remember ever having ask Mom or Dad if I could ever go and stay with one of my Aunt's or cousin I just walked away and come back when I got home sick, sometimes I would stay for a week or month depending on how things where at home, if things were bad I would leave and show up on someone's doorstep and they always let me stay, even Aunt Eloise and she lived in Ohio, Mom and Dad would fine out where I was at, because Dad would come and get me when they wanted me home, which wasn't often.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
My Family: Chapter 48
My cousin Sue’s house had a straight line floor plan; you could come in the front door go through the living room, continue to walk into the kitchen and out the back door. There were two bedrooms; one off of the kitchen and the other off of the living room. The first night alone in the house, I locked both the front and back doors before we went to bed. I decided we would sleep in
Sue and Bascom’s bedroom because the twins and I could sleep together in their bed while Sharon slept in her cradle. That first night, I got up in the middle of the night because I was cold. The twins were still asleep, so I got up out of bed and went into the living room to find out why I could hear the wind whistling in the house. Both doors were standing wide open, perplexed I closed the doors and locked them. I thought maybe I had forgotten to lock them the first time and the wind blew them open. The next day no one came up the mountain to see us. That night, I made sure the doors were locked before we went to bed, but the same thing happened again. I woke to both doors standing wide open but this time I knew I had locked the doors. I woke the twins and asked which one had open the doors, they both said they hadn’t done it. Someone must have opened the doors and I knew it hadn’t been either me or the baby. I was angry with the twins for lying to me. I once again locked the doors and put everyone back to bed.
The third night, I locked the doors and put Sharon in the big bed with us so we could all be together. This way I wouldn't have to get out of bed to give her a bottle. The bed was pushed up against one of the bedroom walls. To make sure no one rolled on top of her I laid Sharon between the wall and myself.
In the middle of the night, I woke to Sharon screaming but I couldn't find her. I searched all over the bed, I even woke the twins to help me. We still heard Sharon crying at the top of her lungs but we couldn’t find her anywhere. An idea popped into my head, I grabbed the covers and pulled them away from the wall. There she was stuck half way down between the wall and the bed!
Because she was so upset I gave her a bottle to quiet her, that’s when I realized both doors were wide open again. Exasperated, I got out of bed and locked them. I then yelled at the twins for opening them and explained the dangers, some wild animal could have walked into the house and killed us all. Because I didn’t want to lose her again, I put Sharon back in her cradle for the rest of the night. The twins were crying and still denying that they opened the doors. I went back to bed wishing someone would come and stay with us.
The fourth day we had no food in the house, all we had were the beans which had spilled out of the bags and never cleaned up. I was scooping up the last of them into my hand when I heard something out on the back porch. I saw through the kitchen window, a strange man standing at the rail. I picked up the rifle from the kitchen corner, took the safety off, opened up the door, and aimed it at him. Then I asked what he was doing up on our mountain. He held up both hands, in one of them was a clip board. He explained he was only there to read the electric meter. I never heard of such a thing and asked him what it was. He pointed to the meter and explained why he was doing it. I told him to be quick about it and get himself down off of our mountain. I watched him through the window until he finished and made his way off the mountain. That night I didn't wake up at all, I wearily just closed the doors the next morning. It had become normal for them to be unlocked and standing open.
The next day, we were rescued when Bascom sent two of his sisters to take us to his parent’s house. One of them said Bascom knew we probably ran out of food. We walked all the way to Collins Creek about three miles with his sisters. As we walked, they wanted to gossip about Sue (which she had previously warned me about) and kept asking me questions about her. It was the longest three miles ever. I stayed with Bascom's parents for two days where I helped his mother peel peaches for canning and had a pillow fight with his brothers; one was my age and the other was two years younger. Bascom had an older brother as well and he drove me to my Aunt Belvia’s house in Logan.
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| Alma Poodie Dillo age 15 |
The third night, I locked the doors and put Sharon in the big bed with us so we could all be together. This way I wouldn't have to get out of bed to give her a bottle. The bed was pushed up against one of the bedroom walls. To make sure no one rolled on top of her I laid Sharon between the wall and myself.
In the middle of the night, I woke to Sharon screaming but I couldn't find her. I searched all over the bed, I even woke the twins to help me. We still heard Sharon crying at the top of her lungs but we couldn’t find her anywhere. An idea popped into my head, I grabbed the covers and pulled them away from the wall. There she was stuck half way down between the wall and the bed!
Because she was so upset I gave her a bottle to quiet her, that’s when I realized both doors were wide open again. Exasperated, I got out of bed and locked them. I then yelled at the twins for opening them and explained the dangers, some wild animal could have walked into the house and killed us all. Because I didn’t want to lose her again, I put Sharon back in her cradle for the rest of the night. The twins were crying and still denying that they opened the doors. I went back to bed wishing someone would come and stay with us.
The fourth day we had no food in the house, all we had were the beans which had spilled out of the bags and never cleaned up. I was scooping up the last of them into my hand when I heard something out on the back porch. I saw through the kitchen window, a strange man standing at the rail. I picked up the rifle from the kitchen corner, took the safety off, opened up the door, and aimed it at him. Then I asked what he was doing up on our mountain. He held up both hands, in one of them was a clip board. He explained he was only there to read the electric meter. I never heard of such a thing and asked him what it was. He pointed to the meter and explained why he was doing it. I told him to be quick about it and get himself down off of our mountain. I watched him through the window until he finished and made his way off the mountain. That night I didn't wake up at all, I wearily just closed the doors the next morning. It had become normal for them to be unlocked and standing open.
The next day, we were rescued when Bascom sent two of his sisters to take us to his parent’s house. One of them said Bascom knew we probably ran out of food. We walked all the way to Collins Creek about three miles with his sisters. As we walked, they wanted to gossip about Sue (which she had previously warned me about) and kept asking me questions about her. It was the longest three miles ever. I stayed with Bascom's parents for two days where I helped his mother peel peaches for canning and had a pillow fight with his brothers; one was my age and the other was two years younger. Bascom had an older brother as well and he drove me to my Aunt Belvia’s house in Logan.
Friday, March 9, 2012
My Family: Chapter 47
When I was 14 years old, I would spend some time (a couple of weeks or as long as I could stand it) with my first cousin Sue (she’s three years older than me) and her husband, Bascom, in Kentucky. I could only stand to stay two or three weeks and then I would make them bring me home. If they didn’t, I would threaten to walk from Kentucky to West Virginia and they knew I would. So when I was ready to come home, they always brought me home. Then I stayed at home for a week (which was about all I could stand) and then I either found a ride or hitchhiked to my Aunt Wanda’s in Logan or in one of Aunt Hannah’s apartments in Man.
Sue would pay me $5.00 a week to help her with her housework. Bascom also had a set of three-year-old twins by his first wife who died in childbirth. She had been my third cousin. I was only suppose to help Sue but I ended up doing all the work. I had been with them about two weeks when they left me home to take care of the twins and a tax man came around to the house to write down what you own and how much it cost so they could charge your taxes (this is a personal property tax). Well, I was very helpful. Sue was always bragging to me how much she paid for her furniture, in the end, she paid for it. I told the tax man double what she really paid.
The next time when I came to stay with Sue, they had moved to Kentucky. Bascom said they had to move there because I had cost them too much money when I told the taxman how much they had paid for furniture. I never told them I had lied. Sue just had a baby and she wanted my help for the summer; if I would stay that long. They lived on top of a mountain and it was the only house up there. It was about half a mile off the main road. One day, Bascom told Sue and I to kill and cut up 10 chickens a day (five for her and five for me) as we were preparing meat for the winter. We were to kill and cut up the chickens each day until there was none left. On our first day, neither of us could kill the chickens. So before Bascom left for work (he was a coal miner) he would kill the 10 chickens for us. Our first couple of days we did just like Bascom said, but soon we got tired of cutting up the chickens. Sue wanted me to do her chickens but I refused. She got so disgusted with me and the chickens, she said that if I wasn't going to cut them up to just throw them down the mountain side and that’s exactly what I did. I took the pan with her five chickens in it and toss them over the mountain side. When she seen what I did, she yelled at me (she couldn’t believe I actually did what she said). Sue and I got into a fist fight and went rolling down the mountain after the chickens. We quite fighting when we realized if we didn't find the chickens Bascom would paddle both of our behinds. It took us a long time to find the chickens in the weeds, bushes, and trees.
Another time I stayed with them, Bascom got sick and Sue had to take him to the hospital to see the doctor there. I was to stay home to watch the twins and their baby who was about five-month old. Before Bascom left, he showed me how to load, shoot, and put the safety on a 22 rifle. Just in case I needed to shoot someone who came messing around the house and intends to do us harm or if an animal came in from the top of the mountain. They were only going to be gone that day and be back before nightfall. I could probably have handled the day but, as it turns out, while Sue was at the hospital she told the doctor about this little bit of pain she had in her chest. She was having a heart attack and they put her in the hospital and instead of Bascom coming back home he decided to stay at the hospital with Sue. That left me up on a mountain by myself with four-year-old twins and a 5-month-old baby. They were gone for a week.
Sue would pay me $5.00 a week to help her with her housework. Bascom also had a set of three-year-old twins by his first wife who died in childbirth. She had been my third cousin. I was only suppose to help Sue but I ended up doing all the work. I had been with them about two weeks when they left me home to take care of the twins and a tax man came around to the house to write down what you own and how much it cost so they could charge your taxes (this is a personal property tax). Well, I was very helpful. Sue was always bragging to me how much she paid for her furniture, in the end, she paid for it. I told the tax man double what she really paid.
The next time when I came to stay with Sue, they had moved to Kentucky. Bascom said they had to move there because I had cost them too much money when I told the taxman how much they had paid for furniture. I never told them I had lied. Sue just had a baby and she wanted my help for the summer; if I would stay that long. They lived on top of a mountain and it was the only house up there. It was about half a mile off the main road. One day, Bascom told Sue and I to kill and cut up 10 chickens a day (five for her and five for me) as we were preparing meat for the winter. We were to kill and cut up the chickens each day until there was none left. On our first day, neither of us could kill the chickens. So before Bascom left for work (he was a coal miner) he would kill the 10 chickens for us. Our first couple of days we did just like Bascom said, but soon we got tired of cutting up the chickens. Sue wanted me to do her chickens but I refused. She got so disgusted with me and the chickens, she said that if I wasn't going to cut them up to just throw them down the mountain side and that’s exactly what I did. I took the pan with her five chickens in it and toss them over the mountain side. When she seen what I did, she yelled at me (she couldn’t believe I actually did what she said). Sue and I got into a fist fight and went rolling down the mountain after the chickens. We quite fighting when we realized if we didn't find the chickens Bascom would paddle both of our behinds. It took us a long time to find the chickens in the weeds, bushes, and trees.
Another time I stayed with them, Bascom got sick and Sue had to take him to the hospital to see the doctor there. I was to stay home to watch the twins and their baby who was about five-month old. Before Bascom left, he showed me how to load, shoot, and put the safety on a 22 rifle. Just in case I needed to shoot someone who came messing around the house and intends to do us harm or if an animal came in from the top of the mountain. They were only going to be gone that day and be back before nightfall. I could probably have handled the day but, as it turns out, while Sue was at the hospital she told the doctor about this little bit of pain she had in her chest. She was having a heart attack and they put her in the hospital and instead of Bascom coming back home he decided to stay at the hospital with Sue. That left me up on a mountain by myself with four-year-old twins and a 5-month-old baby. They were gone for a week.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
My Family: Chapter 46
My Grandma Francis lived with us off and on since my Grandpa died. There wasn’t anything Mom wouldn’t do for her. But I will always remember she didn’t like Shirley, Lucille, or me - a fact she didn’t try to hide. It’s not that Grandma Francis would hit us or anything, she just talk hateful to us. She would take Ronnie’s and Sonny's side in everything. I remember once, Grandma Francis got her Social Security check and bought a bag of candy. She called Ronny into the pantry, which was off of the kitchen, and feed him the whole bag. I stood on the outside and listened to her tell him not to give us any of it.
Out of Grandma Francis family she only care for her granddaughter, Sue. Even Aunt Alice who wouldn’t lift one finger to help her mother. Uncle Vondon never came home to visit with his mother, he wrote her letters instead. I don’t think anyone knew why he didn’t visit, and if Mom knew she wasn’t saying. All I ever heard Mom say was Uncle Vondon was ashamed of his family. After the war, he moved to Ashland, Kentucky and got married. I don’t think we would have ever found out he had gotten married if his wife hadn’t found Mom’s address and wrote her. She told Mom she didn’t know Uncle Vondon had a family. She wanted to come for a visit and meet his sister and mother. Mom invited her to come and visit for a week.
When Uncle Vondon’s wife got to our house, I heard her tell Mom that Uncle Vondon had said if she came for visit he would divorce her. She asked Mom if she thought he would? Mom said she didn’t think so. But later she wrote that when she got home Uncle Vondon had filed for a divorce while she had been away. The next time that we heard from him, he was living in North Carolina with a different lady.
About this time, Grandma Francis came to live with us again but now Mom found her a house across the creek from us. The old man who had lived there had died and Mom moved Grandma in before it could be torn down. At one time there had been four one-room homes with porches across from us, but they either burnt down (once with an old man inside) or were torn down. Now there was only two houses left.
Mom said she wanted that house because she didn't like for Grandma Francis to spend the night alone without someone close-by to run for help if needed. So guess what? It was me who had to spent the night with her when I was at home. I think the real reason she couldn't live with us was because of my parents partying on the weekends.
Out of Grandma Francis family she only care for her granddaughter, Sue. Even Aunt Alice who wouldn’t lift one finger to help her mother. Uncle Vondon never came home to visit with his mother, he wrote her letters instead. I don’t think anyone knew why he didn’t visit, and if Mom knew she wasn’t saying. All I ever heard Mom say was Uncle Vondon was ashamed of his family. After the war, he moved to Ashland, Kentucky and got married. I don’t think we would have ever found out he had gotten married if his wife hadn’t found Mom’s address and wrote her. She told Mom she didn’t know Uncle Vondon had a family. She wanted to come for a visit and meet his sister and mother. Mom invited her to come and visit for a week.
When Uncle Vondon’s wife got to our house, I heard her tell Mom that Uncle Vondon had said if she came for visit he would divorce her. She asked Mom if she thought he would? Mom said she didn’t think so. But later she wrote that when she got home Uncle Vondon had filed for a divorce while she had been away. The next time that we heard from him, he was living in North Carolina with a different lady.
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| Grandma Francis (home) |
Mom said she wanted that house because she didn't like for Grandma Francis to spend the night alone without someone close-by to run for help if needed. So guess what? It was me who had to spent the night with her when I was at home. I think the real reason she couldn't live with us was because of my parents partying on the weekends.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
My Family: Chapter 45
We had a real live Santa Clause as our next door neighbor. He lived with his mother and brother and was the about same age as Dad and Mom. I call him Santa Claus because if we were hungry, he would feed us something to eat. Plus he bought all four of us girls camera and a roll of film. After we use up all the film he would then give us another roll to use. He would take what pictures he wanted and give the picture taker the rest.
I would also slip over to his house and “borrow” his car, truck, or whatever vehicle he had at the time. One time, everyone wanted to go swimming up on Blair Mountain and Santa Claus had a truck. I knew the brakes got stuck sometimes but I would just pull them out with my foot. He had forewarned me about the brakes. Most cars at that time were stick shift. But Santa Claus made sure he got an automatic, because that is all that any of us girls could drive. He said he got the car for us to drive and asked us if we wanted a convertible. When he got tired of making the payments on a car. He’d wreck them by driving the car over the embankment into the creek in front of his house. He had so far bought two used cars and a truck (I could drive a stick shift by the time he had gotten the truck). I still had no license.
Anyway, we all went to swim up on Blair mountain. I should tell you, Blair has a very narrow road and high cliff with at least 3500 foot drop. We were on our way home, I don’t remember how many kids were in the back of the truck and a friend and I were up front. The brakes suddenly got stuck, we were going around those curves almost on two wheels. The kids in the back were hanging on for dear life and screamed for me to slow down. My friend was on the floor in front, she cried and yelled at me (she always ended up on the floor of whatever I was driving because I would take the mountains too fast - I did it some times just to scare her). I yelled back to her the brakes were stuck and I was too busy keeping the truck under control to get them unstuck. Then I had a plan, I yelled for her to put her hand under the brakes and pick it up. She scooted over, put her hand under the brakes and pulled it up. I pumped the brakes and with a jerk the truck came to a stop.
Everyone in the back jumped out to scream at me for nearly killing them. After I told them what happen, we all got back in the truck and went home. Don’t think to bad of me for “borrowing” the truck. Santa Claus always left the gas tank full and the keys in it for us. I remember we use to fight over who was going to drive before any of us had a license. You might wonder why then did we feel the need to “borrow” the car, why not just take it? Because Santa Claus’ brother wouldn’t let us take the car and would stop us if he seen us.
I would also slip over to his house and “borrow” his car, truck, or whatever vehicle he had at the time. One time, everyone wanted to go swimming up on Blair Mountain and Santa Claus had a truck. I knew the brakes got stuck sometimes but I would just pull them out with my foot. He had forewarned me about the brakes. Most cars at that time were stick shift. But Santa Claus made sure he got an automatic, because that is all that any of us girls could drive. He said he got the car for us to drive and asked us if we wanted a convertible. When he got tired of making the payments on a car. He’d wreck them by driving the car over the embankment into the creek in front of his house. He had so far bought two used cars and a truck (I could drive a stick shift by the time he had gotten the truck). I still had no license.
Anyway, we all went to swim up on Blair mountain. I should tell you, Blair has a very narrow road and high cliff with at least 3500 foot drop. We were on our way home, I don’t remember how many kids were in the back of the truck and a friend and I were up front. The brakes suddenly got stuck, we were going around those curves almost on two wheels. The kids in the back were hanging on for dear life and screamed for me to slow down. My friend was on the floor in front, she cried and yelled at me (she always ended up on the floor of whatever I was driving because I would take the mountains too fast - I did it some times just to scare her). I yelled back to her the brakes were stuck and I was too busy keeping the truck under control to get them unstuck. Then I had a plan, I yelled for her to put her hand under the brakes and pick it up. She scooted over, put her hand under the brakes and pulled it up. I pumped the brakes and with a jerk the truck came to a stop.
Everyone in the back jumped out to scream at me for nearly killing them. After I told them what happen, we all got back in the truck and went home. Don’t think to bad of me for “borrowing” the truck. Santa Claus always left the gas tank full and the keys in it for us. I remember we use to fight over who was going to drive before any of us had a license. You might wonder why then did we feel the need to “borrow” the car, why not just take it? Because Santa Claus’ brother wouldn’t let us take the car and would stop us if he seen us.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
My Family: Chapter 44
When we were teens, I would sit at the kitchen table and watch Shirley pluck her eyebrows. This one day I asked her if it hurt and she said at first it hurt it did but not now that she was used to it. Of course, I begged her to do mine and she warned me it would hurt but I said I could stand it. I was tough. Well when she pulled one hair, I screamed; she laughed and told me she knew take the pain. Never again did I or anyone else ever pluck my eyebrows. Shirley also sat at the kitchen table and draw dress designs, I could sit and watch her for hours. Sometimes, we would go into Logan and buy leg make-up; the kind you put on your legs to make it look like you have a suntan, but we would put it on our face as make-up instead - it work the same.
Because of my parent’s partying on the weekends, my neighbors in the hollow thought I was fast and easy. When my girlfriend and I would go into the Company store, we were sometimes treated to string of catcalls and teasing. One woman even said to me she saw me lying on the green (a section of grass up the mountain where we took a lot of pictures) with a boy. After several times like this, my girlfriend and I made up a story of what we were going to say if they teased me again. As we went through the door my friend waits until I get a little ways from her and hollers to me, “Poodie, wasn’t that you I seen in green bottom.” And I holler back, “No, I thought that was you.” We left the store laughing thinking that the joke was on them when really the joke was on us. We were giving ourselves bad names.
Because of my parent’s partying on the weekends, my neighbors in the hollow thought I was fast and easy. When my girlfriend and I would go into the Company store, we were sometimes treated to string of catcalls and teasing. One woman even said to me she saw me lying on the green (a section of grass up the mountain where we took a lot of pictures) with a boy. After several times like this, my girlfriend and I made up a story of what we were going to say if they teased me again. As we went through the door my friend waits until I get a little ways from her and hollers to me, “Poodie, wasn’t that you I seen in green bottom.” And I holler back, “No, I thought that was you.” We left the store laughing thinking that the joke was on them when really the joke was on us. We were giving ourselves bad names.
Monday, March 5, 2012
My Family: Chapter 43
For all the grief I thought Shirley gave me while growing up: not sharing her shoes, beating me up, and telling on me; she did save my life once.
I loved going to the movies, but I was never allowed to go alone, Shirley always had to go with me. When we went to the movies there always seem to be a few boys and girls walking home which was about four miles. I would laugh and have fun with the boys and Shirley would be walking a paces behind me and the other girls saying she was going to tell on me but I knew she wouldn't.
This one time a boy drove by us and asked all of us if we wanted a ride. He had two other boys in the car with him. The group of kids we’re with consisted of five girls and about four or five boys. Everybody said yes including myself. Shirley refuses. The driver said he would take us all home but first he had to go into Dehue first to drop off the boys he had in the car. After the my group climbs aboard, it was overflowing with teenagers; on the hood, the running board, and inside the car there was four up front with some boys sitting on the windows with half of their bodies sticking out.
Shirley wouldn't let me get in the car no matter how much we all beg her, her excuse was the car was too full and the driver was going to have an accident. They left without us and in the pitch dark we walked home with me fussing the whole way. By the time we got in front of our house, we met some of our friends who said the driver had an accident before they got to Dehue and some of the kids had to go to the hospital in Logan. All Shirley would say was “I told you so.” I humbly agreed.
I loved going to the movies, but I was never allowed to go alone, Shirley always had to go with me. When we went to the movies there always seem to be a few boys and girls walking home which was about four miles. I would laugh and have fun with the boys and Shirley would be walking a paces behind me and the other girls saying she was going to tell on me but I knew she wouldn't.
This one time a boy drove by us and asked all of us if we wanted a ride. He had two other boys in the car with him. The group of kids we’re with consisted of five girls and about four or five boys. Everybody said yes including myself. Shirley refuses. The driver said he would take us all home but first he had to go into Dehue first to drop off the boys he had in the car. After the my group climbs aboard, it was overflowing with teenagers; on the hood, the running board, and inside the car there was four up front with some boys sitting on the windows with half of their bodies sticking out.
Shirley wouldn't let me get in the car no matter how much we all beg her, her excuse was the car was too full and the driver was going to have an accident. They left without us and in the pitch dark we walked home with me fussing the whole way. By the time we got in front of our house, we met some of our friends who said the driver had an accident before they got to Dehue and some of the kids had to go to the hospital in Logan. All Shirley would say was “I told you so.” I humbly agreed.
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