CHICKEN POX AND TRAIN RIDES

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Dad brought me down from St. Louis in the spring of 1952 on a train when I was about 5. I have to say that at the time I had no idea why Dad and I had to come down to Texas on the train while everyone else got there another way; everyone else being Joanie, Anne, Joe and Claire. My name’s Melissa and I was told I had chicken pox, and that Mom and Dad were trying to keep me from infecting my other siblings, especially our new little baby, Claire. Dad said I really entertained everyone in the dining car. I don’t remember that part, but I do remember getting to sleep in the top bunk in the Pullman car. The next morning, Daddy woke me saying that we’d had run into another train and had to change over to another train to get to Fort Worth. I don’t remember the train even lurching. It must not have been much.

I’ll just skip over the part where we arrived at the train station in F.W., because I don’t remember that either. I do remember waking up at 1407 Grand Avenue, and seeing a very sweet woman’s face. She was holding me and smiling at me. That sweet woman was our grandmother, Thelma Ulala West Shannon, aka Munnie. Munnie was a diminutive woman, but she was always in charge. She wore her hair in a little white bun. I always saw her as an authoritative figure in an apron and lace up Dr. Scholl’s high heal shoes, little fists on her hips. She sort of reminded me of Tweety Bird’s owner. You just didn’t defy Munnie, and you certainly did not sass her!!!

The next thing I knew, Munnie had me upstairs and lovingly tucked into a cot in her bedroom. She’d given me some medicine (I suspect paregoric), and I must have slept for days. When I woke up I could hear children playing in the front yard. I got up and went out on the balcony, hearing in the back of my memory, “Now, don’t you dare get out of bed!” Why did she want me to stay in bed? I sure didn’t feel sick.

As I stood there watching my siblings play, and longing to go out to play too, I got that prickly feeling on the back of my neck, like someone was standing behind me. Before I could look around I heard Munnie’s admonition, “I told you to stay in bed!” Without another word, she took me by the hand and escorted me to the bathroom. OH! She was mad at me. Why would she be mad at me? I mean to say I was SCARED! If that wasn’t bad enough, she took down my little cotton panties and put me across her lap. At this, I started to cry. I didn’t think I deserved a spanking! After what seemed like forever, I realized the spanking hadn’t even started, but instead, I felt little cold, wet dots being put on my bottom. There wasn’t going to be a spanking! Still, without speaking a word, she continued putting Calamine Lotion on the chicken pox on my bottom. Munnie knew exactly the impact she was having on me. After that, I never disobeyed her again. Her word was the law. Munnie was the boss of everyone!