In response to Scarlet's comments on my previous post: Yes, I do have vivid and very early memories of our grandpa. Natoma was a tiny pace a lot like the imaginary Mayberry R.F.D. From practically the time i was able to walk I had my run of the town. Frequently my agenda was to go uptown, find my grandpa and relieve him of his pocket change. He was usually passing time with the other retirees at one of the barber shops or sometimes at the pool hall playing dominoes.
The day of the accident I found him at the pool hall, a dark smelly place, but I liked it there because of the smoked herring snacks sealed in plastic waiting for me at the bar. Prints from the brewery hung on the walls of dogs playing poker and such. The one that fascinated me most was a depiction of Custer's Last Stand complete with bloody scalpings and smoking rifles. I'd climbed up to stare at the carnage again when I felt the urge. I was only 4 or 5 at the time, post potty training but not that far removed.
"Grandpa, I have to go!" Now Cy was a patient man. Sometimes too patient. I kept alerting him to my situation, but he was in the middle of a game and asked me to wait. Well nature took its course and my pants were soon filled. The accident was quickly discovered and with some consternation and embarrassment on both sides grandpa finally took me to the bathroom. He wasn't happy enough to buy me a smoked herring snack that day.
3 comments:
Wow! I've never heard you talk about your grandpa before. Thanks for sharing! If you have more memories of him or other relatives, I'd love to hear them.
I second that Ronnie CY!
Wow! I have to say I am pretty envious that you have these memories of Grandpa! if you ask me, you were a little too independent at such a young age and where in the hell was our Mother? I can relate with your obsession with the Custers Last Stand print, I felt that way about dad's Army book and the pictures that marked a soldier as deceased with a star or something. But I always loved a gruesome photo from history books in the library. Keep writing, your style is very engaging!
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