I can remember when we got our first radio, a big old table model brand named a Fada. We were the first in the neighborhood to have a radio so we had lots of company to listen in. The adults listened to it in the evening, but we kids didn't use it much until we were in high school. I recall listening to the spooky "Inner Sanctum" one night when I was babysitting. I almost died of fright and never listened to it again. As the oldest I had to take care of my brothers a lot. I would take Jimmy with me wherever I went. In the evenings it was my job to get him ready for bed. I would wash him from the bathroom sink (we only took baths once a week). He would always have scratches and broken skin on his knees and would cry when I washed them. I used psychology though, telling him to close his eyes and guess which leg I was washing. When he said the left, and it had the scrape, I told him that I was washing his good leg, and vice versa. He seldom cried after that ruse but I did wash his cuts gently.
I also had other duties, Dick and I had to take turns doing the dishes at night. But after Dick turned ten he no longer had to take turns. My Dad thought that was girl's work so Dick had to do other work, like raking the yard. We had a little play house in our back yard where my girl friends and I would play for hours. I had a rubber doll that I really loved but the boys destroyed it. They would play cowboys and Indians and one day Jimmy scalped my doll. I dearly loved to play with paper dolls. I had two large ones with clothes and they kept me busy for hours.
When friends came to play we would play house, dress up and pretend to be famous movie stars. I always choose to be Clara Bow, a famous star of the era. MY favorite pastime was reading. I would go to the library every Saturday and get an armload of books. My Dad didn't like to see me reading so much, said my Mother should give me more work to keep me busy. So I would try to sneak away from the house to read where I wouldn't be seen.
About once a month I would spend a weekend with Ela and Bun. They never had children and enjoyed having me. I loved to go there and get all the attention that I didn't get at home, with so many siblings sharing parental love and attention. They would make me root beer, take me to the movies with them; we'd listen to western music on their radio. Later Ela told me that I would dress up in her clothes, say that when I grew up I was going to marry Bun, get all her clothes, and that she would be our maid.
When Dick was about six he was ill with a high fever. One evening he had convulsions. Aunt Nell was at our house and she dunked him into a pan of cold water. I thought he was going to die, just kept crying and saying: "If you only live, Dick, I'll give you all my money." Whenever I got any pennies or nickels (heavens forbid!) I would save it. My brothers always spent theirs but I was a miser from early on.
Once Dick was hit by a car. The driver took him to the hospital and then came and told my folks about the accident, took Dad to the hospital. Dad brought Dick home; my brother had a big white bandage on his head, had scrapes and a concussion. He was supposed to stay in bed but the next day he was up and playing, seemed fine and had no after effects.
One Sunday morning Dick and I got up early as usual for us. Our folks slept in a little later on Sundays. It was cold so we went in the kitchen and turned on the gas burners of the range, pulled up chairs so we could get close to the heat. My gown caught fire (I must have been about nine) and I started running around the kitchen screaming. Dick followed me, pouring glasses of water on me. My screams brought my folks out; my Dad threw me on the floor and wrapped a throw rug around me.
My stomach, hips and back were quite badly burned and I still recall being put to bed. When they put the covers over me I felt like I was on fire again. In time all the burns healed except on my right hip. Every four or five days my folks would have me lie on the kitchen table so they could dress my wound. As they removed the dressings I would start screaming because the skin came off with the dressing. One day the gas meter reader came through and said for them to melt lard and pour over the dressing before removal so it wouldn't stick. I don't know what this did for the burn but it made the changes less painful.
I was out of school for a month or two and even when I returned the teacher cautioned the other kids not to push me or touch my side as the burn was still healing. Finally Aunt Nell decided to take me to her house so she could speed the healing. She put Vick's salve on it; it would burn so much that I would cry. I think it took 6 to 7 months to fully heal. I had a bad scar for years which eventually disappeared during adulthood.
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