Sibling Revelry

I entered this world the fourth child of seven pregnancies. First girl, and last child born in the 1940’s. It seemed like there was the first four kids and then the two born 1954 and 1956 respectively. My mother had a pregnancy between my younger brother, Pat, and me. I do not know if it was a boy or a girl. No one ever said. I am guessing it was early in the pregnancy and sex not determined. I have never seen a death certificate.

Mama was great at telling me stories and things that happened in life. I do have a faint remembrance of her being in the hospital around Halloween about 1952. I recall Daddy taking us trick-or-treating and she was not there. It probably didn’t seem unusual at the time because our Dad was always there and very involved. To say I adored my father sounds trite but absolutely 100% the truth. 

Johnny, Carolyn, Danny and Jim

Mama was pretty well filled up with taking care of four children with the oldest seven years older than the youngest. I was an unexpected surprise; wasn’t supposed to happen. They thought they had a slip up on the ‘rhythm’ deal but then Mama’s monthly visitor arrived and they felt they had dodged a bullet. They had just purchased a two bedroom home. There really wasn’t room for a girl with three older brothers and my parents. However, as she signed the mortgage papers she was overcome with malaise that she had experienced before and knew a baby was on the way.

Once the baby girl arrived, she (meaning me) was fixated on by her adoring father. He called me his little Dolly. Mother said he was cooing over me in the hospital and he took notice of her. He said something to me to the affect of “I better give you back before that green-eyed Mama gets on me”.  Mama said she was appalled at herself and embarrassed that her loving husband thought she was jealous. She said he was speaking to me (a newborn) like an attentive suitor and she had never had a rival. She was mortified. I was no threat. She knew that and she adored my father.

Within a couple of years they moved to our home at 7044 Tokalon Drive in Dallas. This is the childhood home I remember so fondly. Now they had a four bedroom home and enough space 

for all of us. 

7044 Tokalon Drive, Dallas, Texas abt. 1952

Lo and behold, Mama became pregnant. She was not happy about it. She had her hands full. At some point she was having problems and needed hospitalization. I am guessing Gangie came to our house to watch us. Dr. Robinson indicated she might be losing the child. Mama was inconsolable thinking God was punishing her for not being happy about the pregnancy. Daddy spent every moment he could with her at the hospital. She sent him home to get something to eat and bring her back a new nightgown and a few things. She was at St. Paul’s Hospital which was a Catholic hospital. Mama was Methodist. She had no desire at that time in her life to become Catholic. In fact, she did not become Catholic until after my father died. Daddy was very devout and never wanted her to convert for him.

He kissed her and said he wouldn’t be long. He went to a coffee shop across the street and something made him stop and go back up to check on her. Mama says that she was alone in her room when she turned a saw a statue to Mary. As if she was speaking Swahili, she inexplicably said, “Mary, Mother of God, help me”. She said it was surreal. Daddy came back in and thought something was amiss. He got the doctor. The nurses arrived and were prepping her for surgery. Dr. Robinson came in and tugged on her toe. Suddenly he yelled at the nurses who were prepping her to stop and get her in there now, she was going to abort.

Abort?! Mama says the words stung her so badly. She didn’t want to lose her baby and definitely not abort. They managed to get her quickly to the operating room and saved her life.

Because of the feelings she had during that pregnancy, they began intentionally trying to have another child. It must not have taken very long, since my younger brother was born on March 1, 1954. I was five years old at the time and sorely disappointed not to have a sister. I already had three brothers. I remember going to the hospital with my Dad after Pat was born. I can even recall the beige coat I wore. He left me in the waiting room while he went to see her and the baby. Children were not allowed. Not sure who was watching out for me down there alone. During this time my two oldest brothers, found the school Mother’s Club book at called EVERYONE and told them Mama had a baby.

Two and a half years later, I got my wish. I finally had a sister. This was so exciting. It took me a while to realize that she wouldn’t exactly be a playmate. I was nearly 8 years old. When Daddy came to my second grade classroom, Miss Colligan told me to go see my Dad in the hallway. He told me I had a sister but I could not tell anyone. He probably had the same conversation with Jimmy and Danny. Now the age range was 14 years from oldest to youngest.