Like I said yesterday, I don’t want to paint a bad picture of mom, but I am telling it like it was. Everything that happened in my childhood made me who I am today. I love my mother and father dearly and do not carry any resentment whatsoever. I have forgiven and let go.
Dad came home from the cruise and we thought everything would be better now. Mom was well into her alcoholism and refused to quit drinking. Dad was angry when he came home and found out mom had hocked anything of value so she could go out on the town. I don’t remember too much of what happened after that, but I guess dad thought if you can’t beat them join them. They were out on the town most of that time. I think she even introduced Herb (her special friend) to dad. Dad was a man that took his marriage vows seriously. He loved my mother for better or for worse. He never took off his wedding band. He stood by her through all of this and waited for her to come to her senses.
We moved back to Whidbey Island in February 1961. Mom got a job on the base as a secretary and then at Public Works. They continued their drinking nightly. I had a hard time making friends when we came here. I was kind of a nerdy clumsy kid. I started Junior High School in 1962 in a brand new Junior High. I thought great, a new beginning with everyone!! But everyone already had their “clicks” and I was still the new nerdy kid on the block. I remember ruffled blouses became popular and asked if I could get one, and mom got me one from Sears and it was with the small ruffles not the big ones that were popular. I just didn’t fit in and I didn’t feel good in my skin at all. Those are rough years for any kid. In 1963 we moved to West Beach (5 miles away) I met some kids about my age that lived out there, and they were the “hoods”. Loraine taught me that smoking cigarettes was “cool”. So I would steal some of mom’s cigarettes when she was sleeping and we would walk down the street smoking. I stole a couple of beers and took them to school to be “cool”. I heard there was going to be a locker inspection so I took the beers to the woods and poured them out. Loraine’s brother would drive us to school instead of riding the school bus!! I felt great!! After school we would stop at a store and the guys would get out to “steal” some stuff. I was taught to go in the store and ask the clerk some questions to keep her busy while Terry J. and Rich P. would go to the back of the store and steal some wine. We would get in the car laughing our heads off!! I was quickly becoming an adrenaline junky!! We stopped at an auto parts store and I stole a big bag of lug nuts. I didn’t even have a car, but the guys thought it was really cool that I did that! I was finally fitting in!! One day I was babysitting for a neighbor and the kids were outside. I went up in the master bedroom to vacuum the carpet. I was putting stuff away and saw this gallon jar full of coins. I was curious as to how much was in there, so I poured it out on the bed and started counting it. The kids came running in yelling that they heard mom’s money jar! I panicked and stuffed it all back in the jar and was straightening out the bedspread when they came running in the bedroom. I noticed that there were about 6 quarters on the bed, so I grabbed them quick and hid them in my pocket. The kids never left my side so I had no chance to return the quarters to the jar. The woman came home and paid me and I went home. She called me later and told me I stole some money. I went to her house and explained what happened and gave her back her 6 quarters. She said I stole more than that and I said I did not. She told me she felt sorry for me because my mom had guys over to the house all the time and was a drunk! That really pissed me off and I told her to go fuck herself! She canceled the check that she paid me with, and I had to go to the store that I cashed it at and pay them back the $8.00. She reported it to the Police and I was put on 6 months probation. We moved to Coupeville (10 miles away) in January 1964 but I continued going to Oak Harbor School. Dad was retired by then and was working as a Jailer at the Sheriff’s office. I was at the High School by then and still hanging with the “hoods”. I went to the restroom during a class and went through a locker. There was a paper bag in it and I knew it was someone’s lunch. I took it and went to the restroom to look through it. I was always curious as to what is in a person’s purse, lunch, closets, medicine cabinets, etc. I have no idea why! Well a teacher came into the restroom and caught me. I was expelled from school and my father had to come pick me up (in his Deputy uniform!). I was then made to go to Coupeville Schools!! What a shock!! I always went to school in a Navy town and most of the kids were transients like me. Coupeville had a bunch of farmers and the kids all went to the same school from grade school on. They all knew each other and I was the strange one (again)!! I had a bad reputation from the get go. I dated a guy that had dropped out of Oak Harbor School then came to Coupeville to graduate. He drove a black & white 1957 Chevy. He smoked cigarettes and had his hair slicked back on the sides and a flat top. He was COOL!! My sister found out I was dating him and told me I was going to be pregnant before I graduated! (I proved her wrong). Rex M. graduated and joined the Army and moved away. I finally started making friends with some gals in the school.
More tomorrow……
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