And Away We Go
The Burbs
By the time I was twelve, the row house in the city had become too small for our family of six (and our puppy, Mikey), so it was off to the suburbs, 621 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, just outside the northern city limits. At that time, we were at the far edge of suburban sprawl, open fields to the north and west of us.
Our house was a working man’s dream, a bungalow in the suburbs, complete with a white picket fence. The heating system had progressed from the old coal, then oil furnace in the city to the latest marvel, gas heat. Air conditioning was still for the rich so we “cooled” with window fans. There were four bedrooms, two on the first floor and two “upstairs” where the headroom in both rooms was cut short by the slant of the roof. Mom and Dad had a first floor bedroom and the other was shared by my twin sisters. Big brother and I had the luxury of our own rooms on the second floor. The kitchen was small and the cooking area was separated from the eating area by a four foot high, six inch wide divider. The eating area was just large enough to accommodate the customary chrome and formica table and chairs. This was the site of thousands of bitterly fought pinochle games. Amazing as it seems now, three adults and three pubescent youths shared one tiny bathroom.
It wasn’t too long after we had moved that brother found the “love of his life” and moved out to pursue married bliss. This allowed a shifting of bedroom assignments. I petitioned for, and got to move downstairs, next to the bathroom, where I had discovered new pleasure in my daily ablutions. The girls were happy, as they each got their own room upstairs.
One by one, we children married at too early an age (all before 20) and moved on to seek our fortunes. This house was always “home” to me through several marriages, separations and divorces. Dad died here in his bed at age 76 from prostate cancer and Mom made it through a series of illnesses until she was almost 100. My “home” is in other hands now but my memories will last forever.
By the time I was twelve, the row house in the city had become too small for our family of six (and our puppy, Mikey), so it was off to the suburbs, 621 Sudbrook Road, Pikesville, just outside the northern city limits. At that time, we were at the far edge of suburban sprawl, open fields to the north and west of us.
Our house was a working man’s dream, a bungalow in the suburbs, complete with a white picket fence. The heating system had progressed from the old coal, then oil furnace in the city to the latest marvel, gas heat. Air conditioning was still for the rich so we “cooled” with window fans. There were four bedrooms, two on the first floor and two “upstairs” where the headroom in both rooms was cut short by the slant of the roof. Mom and Dad had a first floor bedroom and the other was shared by my twin sisters. Big brother and I had the luxury of our own rooms on the second floor. The kitchen was small and the cooking area was separated from the eating area by a four foot high, six inch wide divider. The eating area was just large enough to accommodate the customary chrome and formica table and chairs. This was the site of thousands of bitterly fought pinochle games. Amazing as it seems now, three adults and three pubescent youths shared one tiny bathroom.
It wasn’t too long after we had moved that brother found the “love of his life” and moved out to pursue married bliss. This allowed a shifting of bedroom assignments. I petitioned for, and got to move downstairs, next to the bathroom, where I had discovered new pleasure in my daily ablutions. The girls were happy, as they each got their own room upstairs.
One by one, we children married at too early an age (all before 20) and moved on to seek our fortunes. This house was always “home” to me through several marriages, separations and divorces. Dad died here in his bed at age 76 from prostate cancer and Mom made it through a series of illnesses until she was almost 100. My “home” is in other hands now but my memories will last forever.
posted by revsnodgrass | 6:27 AM
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