Lou and I began playing together during the summer her family moved to town. I think we started walking to school together when we were in the second grade. She would walk from her house on Piper Drive (?) to Mamamae's and then we would take off for school, arriving eventually. As we got older Liz Jewell, Judy Davidson and Karen Burgess would sometimes walk with us. In bad weather Granddaddy would drive us to school.
I can still see us as little girls. I was all eyes, legs and elbows with incorrigible curly hair. I don't care how many times my hair was combed I always looked like I was running wild with my hair on fire. As I grew older my hair and personality meshed to some degree, forming an uncomfortable alliance...at best.
Lou always looked perfect. Her hair was shiny, thick, straight and dark brown. Lou's clothes fit and stayed in place. Not so much with me. At that time little girls always wore skirts or dresses. If I wore a skirt, I can guarantee my shirt tail was hanging out after recess. If I wore a dress, at least 3 times a day, my dress would be over my head as I was scrounging around on the floor or hiding under my desk. When we walked the pipe connecting the two sides of a ditch located close to school, I would usually loose a shoe. Lou was naturally pretty and stayed 'put together' all day. I was a train wreck waiting to happen. We were a pair of walking salt and pepper shakers, I was the pepper, who desperately wanted to be salt.
We enjoyed walking to school. We would start an hour early so we could make all our scheduled stops. The Ben Franklin Dime Store was our first stopping place, where Mr. Peggy Young greeted us most mornings. He was such a nice man. For years I thought his name was "Piggy" and I wondered why his mother named him that. Eventually, I learned his real name then I wondered why his mother named him 'Peggy'. I also went through a phase where I mentally renamed people whose names did not fit the way I saw them. Mr. Young was a "John" as far as I was concerned.
I had a love for paper, colored pens and pencils. It was a big deal to me when notebook paper was sold in shades of blue, pink and yellow. I had to have every color.
The Dime Store was one of my favorite haunts in town. If I had a couple of quarters, I bought paper and chocolate covered peanuts. Lou and I also discovered a love for "Goo Goo Clusters". At that time they were only made in the South. They consisted of a delicious white filling with caramel strung on top. To that mixture was added peanuts and then the whole candy bar was dipped in chocolate. It never did take much to make me happy. Sometimes we made a stop going to school and on the way home, depending on how much money we had. Some days we pooled our nickels and pennies to get what we wanted.
Next, we would visit The Brummel Brother's store on the corner closest to Clinton's only stop light. We especially liked Brummel's store. It had a soda fountain located on the right as we opened the old fashioned door. There were about 4 or 5 swivel stools for customers. A huge fan oscillated from the ceiling. Behind the heavy wooden bar hung a huge antique mirror. (not really sure about this memory, that one may belong to a Gunsmoke rerun) In the mornings we bought a chocolate milk to go. After school we would stop at the Brummel Brother's Store for a fountain cherry coke or a cherry coke float. Their store was located next door to Johnson's Pool Room. Pops made the best cheeseburgers in town. Unfortunately, I was not allowed in the pool room unless an adult was with me. Mamamae always came to my rescue and in we would go.
In the third grade, Lou was put in charge of my eating habits at school by my mother. I had gotten sick and Dr. Jackson took me off all sugar for a year. My mother sat Lou and me down together and explained that I could not cheat and eat sugar. If I did, it was Lou's job to tell on me. The first day, I thought I could talk Lou out of this deal. I was so wrong. Lou was determined I would live and be healthy again. We walked through the lines in the cafeteria, having our plates filled for us. For twenty five cents a day we were fed food I refused to eat.
Each class was assigned to a picnic table in the cafeteria. We sat together at lunch while Lou monitored my imaginary food intake. It is hard to believe now but at that time I was a picky eater. I nearly starved to death that year. The only thing I wanted to eat was the dessert and drink the milk. I was out of luck on that one. Lou would only let me have the milk.
When my birthday rolled around, Mama called Dr. Jackson and asked if I could have one piece of chocolate cake and some ice cream. Being the wonderful doctor that he was, he let me slide that day. However the next day Lou was back on guard duty and I was in sugar hell...again.
Eventually, the sugar was controlled. I received three pints of blood from Jimmy Wilmuth, had my tonsils taken out and was fine for the first time in over a year. I was no longer in 'sugar prison' and Lou and I could resume our daily haunts on our journey to school.
Growing up in Clinton, Kentucky was fun. I could not have asked for a better childhood, family or friends. The memories I have are special to me. I am not sure my memory is always accurate but it is where my childhood lives and for me it is a treasure.
Lou and I are still friends. We can go years without talking and then one day we see each other and pick up right where we left off. We did this while Mama was dying. When things would get too hard for me and I needed to vent, I would drive down to Lou's apartment and unload.
To me friends are family we pick for ourselves. I have been blessed with many friends in my life. Happy Birthday Lou, once again I missed your day but I did not forget. Love you lady.
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