Sixty-Two Years Ago Today My Mama Was Pregnant

Sixty-two years ago today, it was a Friday, in the little Upstate South Carolina town where my parents lived with my three brothers and my older sister.  My Mama was nine months pregnant and it was June and HOT.  

Oh, the old Victorian house up on the hill with its wrap-around porches where they lived had its twelve foot ceilings to trap the heat up high and its many tall windows to let the air pass through, but if you're nine months pregnant with no air conditioning, it was hot.

Now.  My Mama had to have been pretty miserable what with her being "in the family way" and all. It being a small town and most of the people kin didn't help her misery much.  I'm sure they all stopped by to ask her why she hadn't had that baby yet and such, as if she had a choice in the matter.

Mama wanted the baby to come today because she used to work for and with a couple who lived up in Cliffsides, North Carolina who were both born on June 24th.  They were good friends and both were delighted when she told them the new baby was supposed to come on their birthday, but there was no sign of the baby.  Not that day, but that night brought a trip to the hospital.  

Aw...you probably already guessed.  That baby was me!  I was born on a Saturday morning after keeping my poor Mama up all night long the night before.  Born a day late and a dollar short they always said. 

When I was still right little, Mama took me to Cliffsides to meet the couple she knew who were born on June 24th.  I remember them.  They were a happy pair.  Both were thin with dark hair and big laughs.  The woman was a good bit shorter than the man.  They lived in a house that was "neat as a pin" Mama said, but all I remember about that house was there was one of those old telephones on the wall that had a crank on the side and you put the piece to your ear and talked into the other piece.  I remember standing on a little stool and playing with that phone that day.  It kept me busy quite the while.

Their phone looked like this, but it was black.

The lady asked me why I didn't come a day sooner?  I didn't know what to say.  This made everyone laugh, but I didn't get the joke.  I felt embarrassed and wanted to leave, but Mama was having a high old time with her friends so we stayed till almost dark.

I wish I could remember their names.  They were very nice people.  I think I saw them once more during my childhood.  I think they visited us one time, but we never went back to their house in Cliffsides.  Mama didn't like riding in the car much.

Isn't it funny what the mind remembers?  Not sure why this memory popped into my head today, but I thought I would share.