Memaw's Baby Memories

I used to love to go to Mrs. E’s house. She always had the neatest things. She had a big black leather sofa in her living room. And she had the first victrola I’d ever seen. She would wind it up and play it for us, and we thought it was great. She also had a screened in back porch that was nice. Her water pump was on the back porch, and it had a concrete basin that she kept her milk cool in. Her house was the finest I’d ever seen.

She had a little table in the hallway, and she had a lamp and some little vases on it. One little bowl always had pencils and a lot of little catchalls in it. One day it held a little red ball. When I went home that little ball went home with me, all hidden away in my hand. Mama made me take it back. I sneaked it back on the table. And I hope Mrs. E. never knew that I took it.

One time I went to Mrs. E’s house, and she and Mrs. P were busy getting ready for a party. I didn’t know whom it was for as they were very secretive about it. They even moved the umbrella that they had decorated when I went into the house. Several days later Mama disappeared for the afternoon, but she didn’t tell us why. She was excited when we got home, but she didn’t let us little kids know what she was excited about. But the party was a baby shower for her.

My twin siblings, I know when you were born. I was in the room that night. I was sick with a cold, and they let me sleep in Daddy’s bed with the little kids. They hung a sheet between the beds so I couldn’t see what was going on. Mrs. E. was there along with the midwife. Mrs. E. kept checking on me to see if I was asleep. It was really hard to pretend. Twins!! A boy and a girl!! Mr. E. went to town the next morning and reported that we had three babies out here. He was right. My little sister J. and the twins! Townspeople gave us a good Christmas that year. My two oldest sisters cooked Christmas dinner, and we had a big Christmas tree. I got a coloring book and a little bead bracelet for Christmas.