growing up in the south.

We were a large family. & kids born to a poor world. I was about 12 at this time.I live with my family in dinwiddie .Virginia. We lived in a old two story house besides a stuckey's store. I remember seeing a big name wrestler there .A giant of a man named Hawkshaw Hawkens. He wore a chain with a horesshoe on it for a necklace. In the stuckeys store there were all kings of stuff for the tourist to buy. I remember small stuffed aligators that wore baseball uniforms. Taffy and pecan rolls. We would buy these candy pecan rolls when we could get enough money. I remember having to go with my brothers into the woods across the road from our house and bring back old branches and small trees we would cut down with an axe. My Dad had a electric saw . so when we got them home we could us that to cut the trees and limbs into fire wood. Sometimes my Mom and us kids would walk to a pond. and fish for sunfish and catfish. As things were always tight money wise. If we didn't catch anything .Supper could be pretty slim sometimes. It was a beautiful pond. so smooth and clear. it was deep so we never went swimming there. One day while me and my older Jim was walking around the pond to get to a better place to fish .As  I stepped over a log I almost stepped on a water mocasin. It was eatting a small sunfish. These small fish were perfect for frying in a small cast iron skillet. They sure did taste good too. There was an old service station right next to our house. It had an old roof where the gas pumps use to be. There was an old 56 or 57 packard 4 door car parked under that roof. The packard was red and had a white top. Interior was also red. It was a beautiful car.It had been sitting there for years. me and my brothers pretended that we were driving all over the place. We use to dump our trash on a piece of land down below the house, So far we had to drive there. My brother Jim had just bought a 1952 studebaker. convertible. It was tan color with the brightest red rear fenders .I thought the uglyest car I had ever seen. He was only about 14 at this time. But he worked for a living.Thats how he was able to buy his new car. We had put the trash in the back of the studebaker and started down this old dirt road to dump it. The road was rough .We hit a big bump and my head hit tyhe windsheild. Busted it too. The glass , Not my head. He was mad . It was his fault .My Dad told him so too. When we went to school we got free lunch. Because we were considered poor.Well we were. It bothered me that we would eat lunch . But afterwards me and my twin brother  Steve would have to clean the trays of the others kids. We did that as payment for our lunches.We missed part of class because of it. There was an older boy that use to pick on me because of it. I got fed up with him and hit him we were on the ground .He was on top as a teacher pulled him off me. He may have been bigger but you get tired of taking stuff off people. My little sister Ann wanted to run away one day. She was about 8 . She told Mom and Dad she was going to. My Dad told her not to forget to take her tooth brush. She got it and started walking down the road. She almost made it to the store next door. before she came running back. I think us boys were dissapointed . Who needs sisters anyway. lol. I remember My Mom had one of the nicest 54 mercurys I have ever seen. It was a two door sedan. With fender skirts and wide whitewall tires. I really loved that car. She ended up selling it .Of course we needed money. In those days we always needed money. But it was in short supply.I rode my first horse there. A neighbor boy got a horse for his birthday. We were invited to his party .He let me ride his new horse. The only thing was he hit the horse with a switch when I got on. So it took off running. Scared the heck out of me. Thats about it for me .I hope you enjoyed the story.