On the Banks of Tar Branch

This is a few days late. In memory of what would have been my Daddy's 88th Birthday, I offer a few memories  -- many of them humorous.

On the Banks of Tar Branch

Many years ago, in West Salem in North Carolina, a baby was born.  After much debate, his parents named him James Edward.  His mother had wanted to call him William after his father, but his father gave a resounding, “No,” for fear that he would be forever called “Junior,” a nickname he despised.  Regardless of his father’s wishes, his mother resolved to call him “Bill” or “Little Bill” and the name stuck. So, as he grew into adulthood, people were never sure what to call him, and he answered to both names.

He was born just after the Stock Market Crash of 1929. His parents tried to take good care of him and make him happy even though times were hard. Bill loved animals. One time as a surprise his dad brought him a baby alligator from Florida when he had travelled there on business. Bill was so excited he picked the alligator up by the tail and took it into the living room where his mother was entertaining guests.

 When she saw that alligator, she screamed “Bill, come here!” 

Bill’s, dad whose name also happened to be Bill, came running into the room, and that was the end of that alligator.

Bill’s disappointment at losing his pet didn’t last long, because he was given a nanny goat that would pull him around in a cart. Unfortunately, Bill got the not so bright idea of bringing the goat into the house when his parents were not home. The goat headed straight for his mother’s bedroom, jumped up on his mother’s brand-new mattress relieved herself. That was the end of the goat. She was sent to live with Bill’s cousins on a farm in Virginia.

Bill enjoyed the company of elderly people.  He would visit every house on Marshall Street. If he happened to be there at dinner time, he would just stop and eat.  One day he noticed that his mother had baked two pies. He picked one up and took it to the neighbor across the street.  When he got home, his mother was angry.  “Why be selfish? We had two,” was what Bill thought.”

Bill’s parents didn’t go to church, but every Sunday, they paid twenty-five cents to take him l to Sunday school at the big Home Moravian Church on the hill.  It was money well spent.  He learned about Jesus, and he might never had heard this till he was much older. Those Moravians were good at Sunday school and teaching their children

As he walked to church he wondered what life used to be like a hundred years ago.  Not that he wanted to live then.   He also walked that way to school every day.  His school was a big building at the end of Old Salem.  It had been built as the community was changing.

He passed by lots of old trees and wondered what stories they could tell.  The elderly people he visited told him lots of stories of when it was just Salem. He looked at their old furniture and began his lifelong love of old things.  Some of them even remembered stories their grandma told about when the Bishop Spangenberg started the Salem village. Now nothing looked the same. No one remembered, and Bill was sad.

One day, Bill’s parents surprised with a new pet a Chihuahua puppy.  Bill was so excited.  He named the dog Tiny, because of its diminutive size.  The two were inseparable.  The dog even slept with him at night. 

About the same time, Bill received his puppy a new building began to go up in Old Salem. A new company was coming to town.  They were calling themselves the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Factory.  Bill had an incurable sweet tooth.  He was there they laid the first brick and checked on the progress of the building daily …” Maybe not all progress is bad especially if it brings doughnuts to town”, he told, Tiny.

Bill was outside of the new Krispy Kreme Doughnut Factory the day they opened for business --- Sweet circles fried in grease.  Two doughnuts sold for .05.  He could hardly believe it!  He quickly bought two.  He took a bite of his pastry and offered Tiny a bite as they looked over Salem Square.

Christmas also made Bill very happy. His dad surprised him with an electric train. It was running around the tree on Christmas morning. Bill had never seen anything like it. Neither had Tiny, who barked and barked at it.

Bill’s favorite time of the year was summer.  He and Tiny would walk to Old Salem and go to Mr. Welfare’s drugstore for ice cream.  He would take a lick of the cone and give his dog a lick.  He made sure his parents never caught him!

One of Bill’s favorite places was Tar Branch the little Creek that ran along the (street that used to be Old Salem By Pass). One hot summer day he and friend were wading, but Bill had forgotten something … to take off his shoes.  They were ruined, and shoes during the depression were expensive.   His father came down to the creek, found him joyfully wading and spanked right there on the spot because of the ruined shoes. 

He then instructed him carefully, “Son, Next time, just take off your shoes. I won’t spank you if you will just take off your shoes. “

Bill waited until November.  It was cold, but he thought it was a good day for a wade.   He carefully removed his shoes and socks and placed them on a rock.  Once again, he was joyfully wading in the creek when who should appear but his father and did he look and angry!  Bill knew there was going to be trouble.

  “Son, you don’t swim in November. It’s just wrong!”  And he was getting ready to spank him again! 

 “But wait, Daddy! You said, if I took off my shoes you wouldn’t spank me!” 

His father conceded that he was right even if it was November.  So, there was no spanking … this time.