Move to Salt Rock

One day my Mother decided to move again.  I don't remember the move, but I remember the little house we moved into.  This time it was sort of in a little cluster of houses sort of like a small village.  I can't remember how many houses, but there were several.  And we were not on top of a mountain or at the head of a holler.  This place was called Salt Rock, West Virginia.  Across the road in front of our house lived a girl just a bit older than me.  She became a very goo friend later.  In a larger house down the small road lived two boys.  They were twins and were very big and fat. Later I found out they were mean.  Now my baby brother Wink was big enough for me to take outside.  Someone had made a small wagon like bed with wheels for me to put Wink the baby into and pull him around.  I can't remember who made it for me, but I could now take him out for rides and play in the sunshine.  Oh what joy!  I felt so grownup.  For some reason these twin boys were mean to me and didn't like my baby.  One day they came by and pushed my baby's little wagon over and spilled him onto the hard ground.  I became so angry, I turned into a whirlwind and started kicking, hitting and made both boys run home crying.  I can remember anger at them,but no fear.  I picked up my baby brother and put him back in his little wagon and went home.  Later the mother of the twins came to our house to see my Mama and when she saw me, she just started to laugh and said "this skinny little girl did what she had been trying to do."  I had scared those big fat twins enough to make them cry.  They were afraid of me and they never did bother me and the baby again.

One memory of the new place is almost beyond describing.  I always felt guilty when something went wong.  There were so many superstitions and reasons to do or not do something that I could never remember what to do at times.  I remember Mama told me to always tell her if I heard a certain bird call.  I did hear it, but now I can't remember what bird it was, but I think it was a mourning dove.  Their call is very plaintive and sad sounding.  Anyway, I did ear one and didn't tell Mama.  Later on one hot day my older sister became very sick.  Old Dr. Hallinan came and stayed a long time  He looked very upset and gave Mama a big bottle of medicine for Thelma.  Later I knew she had a bad fever.

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