January 1, 1966 Saturday
The day dawned sunny and lovely.
I got up and dressed and did the dishes left over from last night. By then
Roxie was up and soon the boys. We had 'brunch' and then worked at various
chores. I made new finance and correspondence charts and wrote six New Year's
resolutions. I read, studied the ARJC catalog etc. Late in the evening we went
over to Grace and Ruth's for dinner. I had an Air Mail Special Delivery letter
which I was half-afraid to read but it wasn't bad at all. Now I have one more
week of vacation to sum it up briefly. It was a pretty reasonable letter from
Mom and the Boss but Charlie Mike is a little hot under the collar yet. I hope
he is not echoing the real sentiments... I nearly forgot, we drove over to
Davis in the afternoon with some of the boys' stuff and I got a look at the
campus. The new buildings are going up really pretty--mostly precast concrete
extremely modern style but very striking. It was a lovely ride. If this is a
sample 1966 will be full of busy sunny days with travel and surprise changes of
plans. I hope I can see San Francisco before I go. Maybe Roxie and I can go
next Saturday.
After my departure from "home" I was not forgotten! They claimed to be starving broke but Special Delivery Air Mail? Holy frijoles! As I mentioned, a spate of letters had come from Arizona—threats, wheedles, pathetic whines—the full arsenal of emotional blackmail. There was one to the aunts which I was never meant to see but I did. In it they were warned I was a totally out-of-control nymphomaniac slut, constantly embarrassed Dad by propositioning his friends and any other man in the county and would bring all sorts of shame and dishonor on them if they allowed me to stay. Reading this scathing but false condemnation, I felt flayed and crucified. He did not mention my “despicable affair with a married railroad man"; perhaps too tame a scandal to include! After they all read that one, there was a lot more cussing. It was too dramatic and ridiculous to be true, but did they doubt me just a little bit? I’ll never know.
I think that was when Aunt Roxie took me over to her house, Was it to protect me, her big sisters or ??? At any rate I think I can say she was less scared of her big brother than any of the others. I do not even think she liked him much! She was a strong Taurus on the cusp of Aries (April 21) and managed well as a single mom for a long time. I always respected her and admired her practicality. We got along well and were a bit alike.
I suspect Charlie Mike was feeling a bit betrayed as we had spoken of leaving together. And of course Dad now did all he could to drive a big wedge between us. He was not ready to cut his older son loose--needed the slave labor--despite the fact he often was harder on Charlie Mike than me in some ways, like downright ugly and mean, much more physical punishment. I think he suspected lectures were not efficacious! Charlie Mike was much less subject to emotional blackmail and far less gullible than I was. He always had an iron core and does to this day. Real Scorpio, no surrender and don't mess with him. At any rate once I was back we quickly resumed our trust, sharing and mutual support.
Just a few photos for eye candy or tax to break up the dull lines of text. First is Aunt Roxie in 1942--she was no fashionista like Sister Ruth but wholesomely pretty. She was about 24. Next a couple of years later, after Larry was born. This is very real and her. Then Roxie and her husband, Ray Tackett. He was the father of both boys. They wed in 1944 I think. An Army Air Corps vet, he contracted a leukemia type disease and died in about 1950, shortly after Steve was born. I suspect it was service related but I never knew. I really do not remember him but am sure he was a really fine man.
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