You may recall my blog about picking cotton in Arizona as a child and that we were there because Dad had committed a crime in California and was on the run.
We stayed in Arizona for about seven months. Eventually time ran out for Dad. The local police gave him a choice, be locked up and face an extradition hearing or voluntarily return to California and surrender. It was early spring 1957. He chose the latter.
When we got back to California my Mom found a woman to take care of us.
It was typical of Mom to farm us out somewhere when taking care of us seemed overwhelming to her. This time Mom said she couldn’t take us with her where she had found a new job. Turns out it was a barmaid job at a lodge on Mt. Baldy. Part of her pay was a room in the lodge and she couldn’t have children stay with her.
The woman she left us with lived alone and seemed pleased to have me and my sister around. I remember Mrs. Devonshire very fondly.
A widow in her late 40s or so, she had a nice place in Chino. I even had my own bedroom. Best of all, she treated us with love and kindness we had rarely known.
The town was quite rural at that time and Mrs. Devonshire’s nearest neighbor lived about 100 yards down the road. On the other side of her property was a huge vacant lot.
Monday, May 3, 2010
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