Page 40 - Firehouse Pond

I recall that he had the only television in our section of our little town and that

on Saturday afternoons several of the local men would drop by to watch the
boxing match on the black and white TV.

I remember the front porch swing and my aunt bringing lemonade and
bologna and cheese sandwiches for all the children. If I were to describe
“normal” during those times in my life, I would say time spent at my aunt and
uncle’s house.

My cousins were crazy kids. They were full of energy all the time. They
were loved and they knew it. But, we (my mother, sister, brother, and I) were

not really wanted. By that, I mean we were always treated nice and welcomed
in their house, but we could tell that they really wished we would not come
around much. In short, they wanted nothing to do with my father and by

extension us. It was a sad situation that weighed heavy on me as a small
child.