Friday, March 28, 2008

Part 7

My first day of school in Miami was an unforgettable experience. I went alone, knowing absolutely no one. At the bottom of a hill I was directed up a path to the top where I was told I would find the school. The path was straight and steep, with steps in the steepest places. Along both sides of the path, sitting partly on the steep hill and partly on supporting poles, were miner's houses.

Half-way up I caught sight of the school, a building such as I had never dreamed existed. It was so big and beautiful it startled me. I was more scared with each halting step. Twice I turned to go back home. My mother would have been disappointed had I not enrolled that day, so it was for her sake alone that I finally arrived at the foot of the broad steps spread the full width of a massive porch, the roof of which was supported by giant fluted pillars with carvings and scroll work at the top. These rose so high that I could not imagine for the life of me how such a thing had ever been made.

Boys and girls my age and older were going up the stairs and through the great doors into the buildings. They were dressed in neat, clean clothes, some even wearing what I thought of as "fancy clothes", but no one had on big ribbed black stockings with long underwear knots on the legs like me. And no one had on knickers with button straps just below the knees. In my eyes they all looked so confident, and I felt that I looked exactly like what I suddenly realized I was, a frightened little boy.

Two boys I had seen go into the building ahead of me came back out in a matter of minutes and headed straight for me. One of them said, "You're new. I'm Richard Thuma. This is my friend Leigh Gardner. We're in the seventh grade. What grade are you in?" He was so nice and clean and handsome in his beautiful clothes, and I was so relieved to have someone actually notice me. I poured out information about myself, and they walked me to the Principal's office where I enrolled in school.

Finding myself in the same class with Leigh and Richard, somehow I was able to survive that first confusing day, made all the more so because we never stayed in the same room with one teacher except for one class. As the current hour's class ended everyone got up and moved to another room and another teacher for their next class. This was a strange way to conduct school from my point of view, and I was quite ill at ease that day.

I had no books, pencils, pens, or paper with me. Each student furnished his or her own supplies, which could be purchased at the school bookstore. However I had no money with me to buy anything, but classmates shared with me, and each teacher was helpful and kind.

I became self conscious during my first class at this new school when someone asked how I lost my front tooth. Lottie Crabtree, the school librarian and class instructor, became my friend forever when she said, "I.O., you have the most charming one tooth minus smile I have ever seen. I know you're planning to have a new tooth put in but please don't hurry about it." I knew that she was explaining to my classmates, once and for all, exactly what I wanted to say, while telling me at the same time that I looked fine, even without my front tooth, until my parents could afford to have it fixed.

The most distressing thing that first day was learning there was a physical education class and that each person had to have his own gym clothes and tennis shoes. Not being able to participate because I didn't have the necessary clothing or shoes, I sat on the side lines and watched. I did not go into the locker rooms, and could only wonder about getting undressed in front of strangers. I had never in my life been naked in front of anyone except my own family, and was certainly glad that I didn't have to dress out for P.E. my first day at this new school.

By the end of the final class that day I was about to burst with the need to get home and talk to mother about the strange way things were done at this beautiful new school. Before that day was over mother took me to the J.C. Penney store where we purchased my first ever long legged trousers, tennis shoes, a gym suit and two shirts – the first clothing she had not made for me herself. My pride and confidence were greatly renewed by these valuable and prized possessions, and I went to school the next day without any real doubts in my mind or fears in my heart.

The starting wage for a new workman in the mines was $4.40 per day. We were a typical miner’s family, and quickly slipped into the payday to payday routine that is standard fare in mining towns. Purchasing supplies at the company store with the limit on the amount that could be had on credit not to exceed the amount of the expected paycheck, still we saved enough from dad's earnings and mother’s thrifty approach to finally move into a better house and buy some furniture and new clothes.

Money from the sale of the grazing land in New Mexico came in occasionally. There was also a bit of income from the sale of the few horses we had left at the ranch. Fortunately there was no sickness in our family. We attended Church and Sunday school, and us boys joined the Boy Scouts. The younger children started school when they reached the proper age. We used the same little Model T Ford car we had arrived in throughout the years we lived in Miami.

School was an enjoyable and pleasant routine. Youth programs at the YMCA were inviting, occupying a great deal of our leisure time. Without distractions such as TV, which consumes so much of people's time today, my brother Chuck and I soon had our own paper routes, selling newspapers on the streets of Miami to earn money for use as we saw fit.

The task of adjusting to a new school and community was not lessened by the loss of my grandfather's counsel and gentle companionship. When we heard from Uncle Gene that grandfather had broken his hip, I felt so sorry for him that I secretly made plans to run away and return to New Mexico, where I could be with him and take care of him. Leaving home for school at the usual hour I hurried instead down the hill to the highway. Soon a car stopped and gave me a ride to Globe. Another car gave me a ride from Globe to Bylas.

By mid-morning, as I was nearing Ft. Thomas, I began to realize that I did not have enough money to feed myself all the way to New Mexico. I was thinking a lot about baby Betty Flo and mother, and love for my family filled my heart to breaking. Thoughts of maybe never seeing them again changed my mind about the trip. At Ft. Thomas I walked across to the other side the road for a drink of water at a gas station. The driver of a new car that was stopped at the station asked if I was going his way. "Where are you going?", I asked. "To Globe" he replied. "May I ride with you, really?" "Sure, hop in", he said, and in a few minutes I was on my way back home again.

I don't remember the answers I gave to questions he asked about who I was and where I was going. I think I must have been rather convincing, otherwise he might have stopped and put me out. I remember asking what time it was as we neared Miami.

Realizing it was still early enough to be back home at the same time I always arrived home from school, I strolled casually into the house as mother poured a glass of milk for me. Then she asked me to go to the store for her. Somehow I expected her to ask where I had been that day, for I thought surely someone would have told her that I had not been in school.

Days passed without any hint that she was aware of my leaving, and finally that aborted trip was put out of mind. I wrote to grandfather and told him that when he was able to travel we had a home now and wanted him to come live with us, but I did not mention my attempted travel adventure.

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