As I Remember, Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

We moved over to Caldwell, rented a nice little two room house and moved in. There was a service station in town that was for lease. The Texaco on the corner of Cleveland and Kimball. A guy by the name of Stewart Mackey was running the place. I bought the stock on hand, including the gas and oil and took over. There was a fellow by the name of Homer Brooks that worked for him. I would need one man, so I kept him on. I sold my truck and bought a cheap car, an old Star coupe. As the winter of thirty one approached, times really got tough. Every day business was dropping off. The only ones that stopped in for gas, didn’t have any money.

Homer Brooks knew a lot of people in town. All his friends run up a big gas bill. I began running low on money. And, Helen was pregnant. But we were sure tickled pink when our first little girl was born. We named her Alberta, after Alberta Canada, Alberta Lorina Dewey. We thought she was the cutest, sweetest, prettiest, little thing that ever lived. But there was one thing the matter. She had day and night turned around. A regular nocturnal. All day long, she would sleep. But when night time come around, she was wide awake. Helen and I got very little sleep. We were getting worn to a frazzle. But didn’t know what to do. Then one morning, after we had all been awake all night, I told Helen. “Why don’t you take the day off and go shopping. I am not working today. I will stay here and baby-sit. But don’t come back until dark tonight.” There was a puzzled look on her face. “And just what do you think you are going to do?” I pointed at down at that sweet little thing in her crib. “I am going to get this little girl straightened out. She has day and night turned around.” “What are you going to do about it?” “Very simple. Just keep her awake all day!” I think that this was one of the most trying days of my life. But my mind was made up. U stayed right there. A few times I had to sprinkle a little cold water in her face, I paddled her little butt with a sheet of paper, I tickled her feet, but when nightfall come, we were both still awake. That night after Helen had nursed this little rascal, she fell sound asleep. And didn’t wake up until morning. And so, neither did I.