Part II

I remember Mama's hair was shiny, thick, black and way past her waist. She wore it in a long ponytail at home, but when she walked out the door, she looked like a movie star. Somehow she managed to get all that hair into a perfectly round bun at the top or back of her head with very few simple bobbie pins. Her make up was simple but elegant, and as tiny as she was, she looked great in anything she wore.

I remember Mama standing in our tiny little kitchen washing dishes listening to the radio. The first time she heard Daddy singing on the radio, she jumped up and down and yelled, "JOHNNY! They're playing you! Honey! Come here quick!" Daddy ran in from the other room, turned it up full blast and we all danced in the kitchen, laughing. Daddy picked Mama up again, swirled her around and told her, "Baby, we did it! I'm a Country Western star!" Mama kissed him, did a little jitterbug, and Daddy burst out laughing telling her she was going to have herself a "big ole Cadillac". I remember her saying, "Honey, I just learned how to drive. I don't need a Cadillac, but you sure do!" I remember me asking if we could have a pink one for Mama and a blue one for Daddy. Daddy just laughed, picked me up, kissed me and said, "we'll see baby. We'll see."

It was so exciting hearing Daddy singing on the radio. Wow. Now Daddy was on the radio like some of his friends. I remember thinking that every Daddy's job was to see if they could get on the radio.

(A year before sweet Mama died, she told me in a telephone conversation that her happiest days were when we lived in that tiny duplex, counting change to buy groceries.)

I remember thinking how cool Daddy looked. He was thin, handsome and always humming or singing something. He always had a pack of cigarettes rolled up in one sleeve of his short sleeved shirt and I thought that was funny. When we walked down the street, Mama and Daddy always held hands and I usually rode on the back of Daddy's back. Rosanne always held Daddy's other hand. After Cindy was born, Mama or Daddy carried her.

That first car sure did come in handy, but I don't remember if it was a Cadillac or even what color it was. I'd assume black. Dad always bought black cars.

I remember Cindy sleeping in a dresser drawer on the floor. I also remember I never thought it was weird. It was just her bed. No big deal.

I loved our life.

I barely remember moving into a bigger house in Memphis or any of that time. I don't know why. Maybe we didn't live there long, or maybe I was just young and my memories are a bit jumbled.

I remember when I was about four, my parents told us we were moving to California. Dad said he was going to be in some movies. Mama said we'd have a bigger house and maybe our own rooms. They were excited, so I guess I was too. Daddy seemed more excited than Mama but I didn't know why. I remember her smiling and saying, "We'll like it. We go where Daddy goes and he needs to go work there." I already thought he was working, but as long as we were going to be together, it was good.

I didn't really care. I guess I thought it meant another street or something. I had no idea that that move would take us far away from everyone and everything we knew.

I also had no idea that our entire world and life as we knew it would soon be gone.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

• Tweet