We lived on about an acre at 641 S.W. 124th Street.
Our back yard seemed huge to me! Daddy built a real high swing back
there and I remember being afraid to even get on that huge piece
of wood he used for the swing seat. I remember one time swinging
a little too high and falling off. I hit my nose real hard and I
don't know if it actually broke, but it sure felt like it did!
The back portion of that acre was mostly filled with scotch broom
but there were many blackberries back there, too. Sometimes mommy
would ask us if we wanted a berry pie. She would tell us just how
many containers we'd need to fill for her to have enough to make a
pie and we'd always pick a little more so we could eat plenty besides!
We got scratched all up while picking but as far as I know mommy
always kept her promise and made a pie if we picked the berries.
I usually thought it was well worth getting a few scratches for
mommy's pies!
One day I was in the living room with the rest of the family,
when we all heard a fire engine siren and saw lights flashing as a
fire truck slowed in front of our house. We stood up to see what on
earth was going on and the truck started turning down our hill beside
our house. We ran outside and followed it down to our backyard,
where we saw much of the grass and scotch broom in smoke and flames!
There was more smoke than anything but it was pretty frightening.
We were not sure what started the fire, but guessed it was possibly
someone walking through might have dropped a cigarette butt or
something like that. I remember mommy and daddy didn't want us to
think it was done on purpose by anyone. Nevertheless, after that
incident, I tended to suspect everyone I saw walking through our yard
and never really felt as safe back there as I did before the fire.
Eileen Page 3
