Lost!?!!? #!
My
father was killed in an auto-train accident when I was 13 months old. -- So for
my earliest years I had no "father figure".
Mother had been a fourth and last child, so there were no live-in aunts and uncles for me to deal with. In fact she was 12 years younger than her next oldest brother and 20 yrs younger than the oldest.
After my father's death we moved in with my maternal grandparents. From what I understand my grandfather took the place of the father figure. He was about 70 with white hair, bushy white moustache, a stocky build and pleasant mien. When he was available, I was apt to be in his shadow.
Grandpa had been a farmer until sometime in his 50's when he quit farming and moved into town(Batavia) and dealt in real estate. We lived comfortably in one of the oldest houses in the area.
So much for the background! The story, basically as related to me(too young to really remember).:
One bright, sunny day, when I was about 4 , I pulled out my wheelbarrow, put in my teddy bear and my Raggedy Ann book and headed for downtown Batavia! I passed the old Amidon home (Ruth's grandparents) on Oak Street, went east on Main Street, past the county jail and th sheriff's house and the City Hall, and was just passing "The Blue Bird Inn" when I stumbled on the curb, skinned my knee, and cried a bit (discretely I'm sure) and a waitress from the inn came out and rescued me. Of course, when I informed her of the situation, she referred me immediately to the Police.
Here I was in "Hog Heaven" but I didn't know it. When they asked me my name , naturally i told them "Iman Kuhl" That resulted in a sweater, ICE CREAM, and even a coat. But i still insisted with the same ridiculous info "Iman Kuhl"… They were baffled for an hour or so when one of the guys came in and said:" That looks just like the kid that watches my neighbor's chickens next door!" " Let me make a call!" Mystery solved! They had just begun to miss me!
Mother insisted that if they had just let me go I would have gone to my grandfather's office. The stumble was just about a block from the door to his office..
Aside: as a youngster I had trouble with the "v" sound, Provided much amusement to some of my relatives. If I'd known, it was a direct hint that i could do OK in Spanish. The one word they really worked me on was "Vinegar" I can still hear one of my uncles saying "Bingiter" for me. I survived!
Mother had been a fourth and last child, so there were no live-in aunts and uncles for me to deal with. In fact she was 12 years younger than her next oldest brother and 20 yrs younger than the oldest.
After my father's death we moved in with my maternal grandparents. From what I understand my grandfather took the place of the father figure. He was about 70 with white hair, bushy white moustache, a stocky build and pleasant mien. When he was available, I was apt to be in his shadow.
Grandpa had been a farmer until sometime in his 50's when he quit farming and moved into town(Batavia) and dealt in real estate. We lived comfortably in one of the oldest houses in the area.
So much for the background! The story, basically as related to me(too young to really remember).:
One bright, sunny day, when I was about 4 , I pulled out my wheelbarrow, put in my teddy bear and my Raggedy Ann book and headed for downtown Batavia! I passed the old Amidon home (Ruth's grandparents) on Oak Street, went east on Main Street, past the county jail and th sheriff's house and the City Hall, and was just passing "The Blue Bird Inn" when I stumbled on the curb, skinned my knee, and cried a bit (discretely I'm sure) and a waitress from the inn came out and rescued me. Of course, when I informed her of the situation, she referred me immediately to the Police.
Here I was in "Hog Heaven" but I didn't know it. When they asked me my name , naturally i told them "Iman Kuhl" That resulted in a sweater, ICE CREAM, and even a coat. But i still insisted with the same ridiculous info "Iman Kuhl"… They were baffled for an hour or so when one of the guys came in and said:" That looks just like the kid that watches my neighbor's chickens next door!" " Let me make a call!" Mystery solved! They had just begun to miss me!
Mother insisted that if they had just let me go I would have gone to my grandfather's office. The stumble was just about a block from the door to his office..
Aside: as a youngster I had trouble with the "v" sound, Provided much amusement to some of my relatives. If I'd known, it was a direct hint that i could do OK in Spanish. The one word they really worked me on was "Vinegar" I can still hear one of my uncles saying "Bingiter" for me. I survived!
Lost!!??!
#1--Proofreader Goof!
The
proofreader goofed! The house mentioned as being on Oak Street was the
home of John Joseph Brice- the contractor for the church in Crittenden whose
picture many of you have. Interestingly, an aunt and uncle of the Amidon
family lived in that path, but 15-20 yrs later, not at the "trundling
time". Sorry 'bout that! LOVE, Grandpa
Lost!!??! #2
Life
can be frustrating! This is bound to be one of my shortest stories, but
it is a "Teller"!
About a year after Lost #! I decided to accompany my grandmother and mother downtown shopping. They wanted to shop, I wanted to go! When we arrived downtown it struck me what they really meant. "I didn't want to shop!!" Well, what'll we do? I'll stay here while you shop, said this male being. "Will you stay in the car?" "Yes" After 4-5 hrs(?) I decided to at least get out of te car and look in the nearby store windows.
Within 5 min of leaving the car (still right in front of the car) I was grasped firmly by the arm "I know who you are! You come with me, young man!" So, off to the Police station to regreet my old acquaintances(Friends…no), at the Station. No more ice cream just, "Oh..That kid again! Uh, when'll he learn?"and other sage comments. Needless to say my return to Society was prompt and efficiently performed!
Men, watch out when a woman says she's going shopping. The words don't mean the same thing in male and female language!
About a year after Lost #! I decided to accompany my grandmother and mother downtown shopping. They wanted to shop, I wanted to go! When we arrived downtown it struck me what they really meant. "I didn't want to shop!!" Well, what'll we do? I'll stay here while you shop, said this male being. "Will you stay in the car?" "Yes" After 4-5 hrs(?) I decided to at least get out of te car and look in the nearby store windows.
Within 5 min of leaving the car (still right in front of the car) I was grasped firmly by the arm "I know who you are! You come with me, young man!" So, off to the Police station to regreet my old acquaintances(Friends…no), at the Station. No more ice cream just, "Oh..That kid again! Uh, when'll he learn?"and other sage comments. Needless to say my return to Society was prompt and efficiently performed!
Men, watch out when a woman says she's going shopping. The words don't mean the same thing in male and female language!
Lost!!??! #3
About
22yrs after "The Teddy Bear Incident" the following took place. Sorry
the "context " takes so long to unreel for you. Without it, it
would be difficult to understand the thinking and pressures of the time.
After WWII for a year or two it was almost impossible to obtain autos of any description unless you were the father-in-law or brother of the franchise owner. I wasn't one of those, nor were my in-laws or my other relatives. Our "Teresa Terraplane" that had more or less served us faithfully during the last months of "our" time in med school for our trips to and from Buffalo and Batavia and vice versa was disposed of on Staten Island when a recently discharged soldier from Colorado offered me a hundred bucks for it. -Despite my giving him the dreadful history of spark plug replacements, fuel pump and tire problems. --I was happy to get rid of "Teresa" and he was happy to get "wheels". (Used to wonder how he fared- Still would like to know)
So without the auto we were dependent on public transportation. -No problem in NYC, but in WV. a different story. We arrived in So Charleston, West Virgiana by train with our little group, P&P plus R&I. The name of the assigned institution was KVMC (Kanawha Valley Medical Center).It's mission was for the treatment of Venereal Disease. There were about 25 of these scattered about the US.. After about 2 wks at the barracks type of facility at the "Center" we obtained housing designed to house people being trained to work at war material producing facilities. Ours was called "Kenna Homes". As for transportation, I was allowed to drive one of the Center's vehicles back and forth to work -and for grocery shopping.
Application for a new vehicle made you think you had a future in comedy. We were "transients" -Bottom of the bottom of the lists!!! Same problem in NY…
So after we became "comfortable" we decided to visit upstate NY. So Ruth and the little guys boarded a train for NY. Our first visit Peter on the way back had the chicken pox. So I gave him Benadryl syrup for babies, We had the drunkest kid in Upstate NY on that trip! So any way time passed and we tried again. Same deal they go before me and do the visiting deal!
While there this time the mothers (Ruth and her mother) decided to go shopping. Peter wanted to go. "After a little nap sweetheart" "They'll be all right!" So the "little nap" became too long for his nibs. So "back at the ranch" he checked and found no mothers! He decided to take the situation in hiis own hands. --Didn't hear about any wheelbarrow, but he took off, crossed the busy highway (East Main St is where 2 major highways occupy the same space.) After crossing that he encountered grassy lots next to a cemetery, but, hearing men talking (always the sociable one) he headed toward them at the Massey-Harris plant and was soon enjoying their "break" with them. After a few minutes along came a policeman on his motorcycle. The men hailed him, -he stopped. "Anybody know this kid?" "Nope." "What's his name?" "Don't know, but he says something like Pecool" "What's your name young man?" Pete Cool" "Man, I kinda know this kid!! Some things run in families!" "Hop on Kid we've got to make some calls! Wonder how you got over here? "
End of MYSTEREY! Things went smoothly as one could ask after that!
P.S. We did obtain a vehicle this time! A 1946 Packard, 2nd hand(it was 1947). Cheaper than a Chevy. Something about the law of supply and demand gave us this fancy sounding auto. Was a good one until sometime later…Maybe that's another story?
After WWII for a year or two it was almost impossible to obtain autos of any description unless you were the father-in-law or brother of the franchise owner. I wasn't one of those, nor were my in-laws or my other relatives. Our "Teresa Terraplane" that had more or less served us faithfully during the last months of "our" time in med school for our trips to and from Buffalo and Batavia and vice versa was disposed of on Staten Island when a recently discharged soldier from Colorado offered me a hundred bucks for it. -Despite my giving him the dreadful history of spark plug replacements, fuel pump and tire problems. --I was happy to get rid of "Teresa" and he was happy to get "wheels". (Used to wonder how he fared- Still would like to know)
So without the auto we were dependent on public transportation. -No problem in NYC, but in WV. a different story. We arrived in So Charleston, West Virgiana by train with our little group, P&P plus R&I. The name of the assigned institution was KVMC (Kanawha Valley Medical Center).It's mission was for the treatment of Venereal Disease. There were about 25 of these scattered about the US.. After about 2 wks at the barracks type of facility at the "Center" we obtained housing designed to house people being trained to work at war material producing facilities. Ours was called "Kenna Homes". As for transportation, I was allowed to drive one of the Center's vehicles back and forth to work -and for grocery shopping.
Application for a new vehicle made you think you had a future in comedy. We were "transients" -Bottom of the bottom of the lists!!! Same problem in NY…
So after we became "comfortable" we decided to visit upstate NY. So Ruth and the little guys boarded a train for NY. Our first visit Peter on the way back had the chicken pox. So I gave him Benadryl syrup for babies, We had the drunkest kid in Upstate NY on that trip! So any way time passed and we tried again. Same deal they go before me and do the visiting deal!
While there this time the mothers (Ruth and her mother) decided to go shopping. Peter wanted to go. "After a little nap sweetheart" "They'll be all right!" So the "little nap" became too long for his nibs. So "back at the ranch" he checked and found no mothers! He decided to take the situation in hiis own hands. --Didn't hear about any wheelbarrow, but he took off, crossed the busy highway (East Main St is where 2 major highways occupy the same space.) After crossing that he encountered grassy lots next to a cemetery, but, hearing men talking (always the sociable one) he headed toward them at the Massey-Harris plant and was soon enjoying their "break" with them. After a few minutes along came a policeman on his motorcycle. The men hailed him, -he stopped. "Anybody know this kid?" "Nope." "What's his name?" "Don't know, but he says something like Pecool" "What's your name young man?" Pete Cool" "Man, I kinda know this kid!! Some things run in families!" "Hop on Kid we've got to make some calls! Wonder how you got over here? "
End of MYSTEREY! Things went smoothly as one could ask after that!
P.S. We did obtain a vehicle this time! A 1946 Packard, 2nd hand(it was 1947). Cheaper than a Chevy. Something about the law of supply and demand gave us this fancy sounding auto. Was a good one until sometime later…Maybe that's another story?
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