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.
