First, a description of our trailer house. Walking into the living room, the couch that served as the bed for Mom and Dad took up the wall to the right.I don't remember other furniture in that room. The kitchen was Mom's idea of heaven. Everything was easily reached simply by turning around. The table was a drop-down on the living room side.
A tiny hallway led to the bedroom. Ginger and I slept on bunk beds, and Roy had a custom army cot. It was "custom" as it had been cut down to fit between the bunk beds and the wall. (Is it any wonder that as adult, our brother purchased a wonderful bedroom set for himself and his bride early on?) Our ice box was just that, an ice box. We had a card to put in the window that indicated how much ice we needed from the delivery guys. I think there were several numbers on it and the number that was on the top was what we wanted. Usually it was 25 lbs. Ginger learned to holler "veinte cinco" when the truck came into the park.
Circa 1946 trailer parks offered community bathrooms and showers, and a washing machine. I remember seeing a chalk board with the names of the resident ladies and the time allotted to them for the laundry. I don't remember the clothes lines, but I am sure they were nearby. One of our neighbors had a luxury "mobile home" with a bathroom. Still no washer and dryer...everyone knew that the vibrations of a washer would certainly cause all the bolts holding the trailer together to come loose! (That mobile home also had air-conditioning!)
Greensburg had no kindergarten, but El Paso did, so that is where I started school. My only memory of that is the time that the bell rang for recess and I thought the day was over, so I went home. Mom insisted that I return the next day. No memory of kindergarten after that. Humiliation has a way of doing that to memories.
Daddy had an accident at work. Something fell on him and broke his leg. I have no time frame for this. I was allowed to go with him to the doctor when the cast was removed...pretty vivid picture of the cast being cut off!
I had a bicycle that I really liked. I think it may have been new. Anyway, it was very nice. An older girl (probably eight or nine) was riding it and got hurt...so the bike was sold. (In retrospect, I imagine that the bike was sold because Dad was not working...however, the perceived injustice rankled for a long time!)
We went back to Greensburg for while. I started first grade there, then we went to Hobbs, New Mexico.
Now, that first grade, I remember! And I will tell about it next time!
I think I have a photo of Daddy with a cast on his leg, on a lawn chair, in front of the trailer. I will look when I get home today.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been scary for mom to hear that daddy had been injured at work. I am guessing that there were probably more severe accidents from time to time at those plants...
ReplyDeleteLater on, in Greensburg ,I remember being in Edward Shuck's apartment above the Western Auto store with dad and mom. I recall them saying that dad's leg was broken by a pipe rolling off of a stack. Sorry to hear that your new bicycle was a casualty . I have memories of the trailer and trailer park(s) but I think it was in Hobbs not El Paso. I think I remember someone saying the trailer was 8 wide by feet by 21 feet long . I would guess that the 1950 (green??) Buick was purchased in order to be able to pull the trailer .This is great stuff keep up the good work .
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