I used to babysit for a couple who ran the mortuary in Nickerson, Kansas. Their name was Lamb, as I recall and they had 4 or 5 little stair step children that all had names that started with the same letter. I could be wrong on that, but I do not think so. At the time of my babysitting career they lived on the upper floor of the mortuary. On my very first night of babysitting, Mrs. Lamb gave me a tour of the apartment. This included the room where the caskets were stored. The caskets were, of course, empty. She did share with me that the one casket downstairs was not empty, but not to worry because the man who actually owned the place was receiving visitors while they were gone. There would be no need for me to go downstairs. Thank you, Jesus! I was most happy to learn that. Being of a tender age of probably 13 or 14, I was not experienced in dealing with dead bodies and in all fairness, I was not real excited to enter that phase of my life. Plenty of time for that in the future.
So I tucked the babies into bed, read them a bedtime story and went into the living room. I did up a few dishes in the sink and then decided to turn on the television. I hoped I could actually watch something, sine television was fairly new back then and we did not actually own one at home. There was a small thunderstorm passing overhead, but the television sprang to life in spite of the interference. The announcers voice was very serious. "We interrupt the regular programming to bring you this special bulletin! The earth is being invaded by another planet! This is happening as we speak. I can see the forces running through the streets. We are under siege! Do not leave your homes!"
I snapped the television off and went into panic mode! What the hell! I was in charge of these kids and their safety and the damned aliens were at the door. I was not ready for this! I was not even old enough to know what a damned alien was! At that moment the phone rang and I picked up the receiver to hear the man downstairs also pick up the receiver and say to his wife. "No, the electric is still on here, but I will come right home. See you in a few." He broke the connection and my mind began to fill in the blanks. He was leaving and I was going to be alone with a dead body, 4 kids, and aliens running wild out side in the rain. Great! And almost on cue, the lights flickered and the world went dark. My mind could not grasp whether the storm made the lights go out or if the Martians had flipped a big switch some where.
I could not call my mother, because the phone was now dead. The kids were asleep and there was a body down stairs just waiting to come up the stairs and do God only knew what with me. On some level, I understood that dead bodies did not move nor do things, but on another level, this one was capable of damn near anything! I did resist the urge to wake the little Lamb kids up so I would not be alone. I think fear held me completely immobile. I did learn to pray that night. I learned how to fall on my knees and dedicate my life, should I survive the night, to the most holy God. I think I may have even recited the rosary, what ever that was. There was not even a Catholic Church in Nickerson, but I was a Catholic that night. Well, maybe not the whole night but for the 17 minutes the electricity was off, I was totally in God's hands and I was very pliable putty, I kid you not!
With the flickering of the lights when the electric was restored, I was once more the capable babysetter. The kids had not even changed postitions. I heard the door open and heard the man return downstairs. Very soon Mr. and Mrs. Lamb returned. They had been at a friends house and watched the program that I had watched. They were amused and thought it so clever to present it as a real life event. I secretly wondered about their sanity. But Mr. Lamb took me home and paid me my fee, so life was good.
That little episode occurred probably 63 or 64 years ago, but it is as clear in my mind as the night it happened. Soon after, the Lambs moved out of the mortuary and opened their own funeral home. I do not remember if they got another babysitter or if she just stayed home with the kids. A lot of my memories are not real accurate and some are non existent, but life went on back there on Strong Street in spite of it all. It was many years later that Kenneth and I were in a campground some where in the mountains, and I saw a camper with a Kansas flag. On a whim, I knocked on the door and to my utter amazement, Joanne Lamb opened the door and she remembered this little Bartholomew girl. She and Jack were retired, of course and she filled me in on all the kids. Of course, it all went in one ear and out the other, but it was a beautiful hour or so that took me back in time.
It is little things like remembering that keeps us all young and vital. How sad when we have no memories.
So I tucked the babies into bed, read them a bedtime story and went into the living room. I did up a few dishes in the sink and then decided to turn on the television. I hoped I could actually watch something, sine television was fairly new back then and we did not actually own one at home. There was a small thunderstorm passing overhead, but the television sprang to life in spite of the interference. The announcers voice was very serious. "We interrupt the regular programming to bring you this special bulletin! The earth is being invaded by another planet! This is happening as we speak. I can see the forces running through the streets. We are under siege! Do not leave your homes!"
I snapped the television off and went into panic mode! What the hell! I was in charge of these kids and their safety and the damned aliens were at the door. I was not ready for this! I was not even old enough to know what a damned alien was! At that moment the phone rang and I picked up the receiver to hear the man downstairs also pick up the receiver and say to his wife. "No, the electric is still on here, but I will come right home. See you in a few." He broke the connection and my mind began to fill in the blanks. He was leaving and I was going to be alone with a dead body, 4 kids, and aliens running wild out side in the rain. Great! And almost on cue, the lights flickered and the world went dark. My mind could not grasp whether the storm made the lights go out or if the Martians had flipped a big switch some where.
I could not call my mother, because the phone was now dead. The kids were asleep and there was a body down stairs just waiting to come up the stairs and do God only knew what with me. On some level, I understood that dead bodies did not move nor do things, but on another level, this one was capable of damn near anything! I did resist the urge to wake the little Lamb kids up so I would not be alone. I think fear held me completely immobile. I did learn to pray that night. I learned how to fall on my knees and dedicate my life, should I survive the night, to the most holy God. I think I may have even recited the rosary, what ever that was. There was not even a Catholic Church in Nickerson, but I was a Catholic that night. Well, maybe not the whole night but for the 17 minutes the electricity was off, I was totally in God's hands and I was very pliable putty, I kid you not!
With the flickering of the lights when the electric was restored, I was once more the capable babysetter. The kids had not even changed postitions. I heard the door open and heard the man return downstairs. Very soon Mr. and Mrs. Lamb returned. They had been at a friends house and watched the program that I had watched. They were amused and thought it so clever to present it as a real life event. I secretly wondered about their sanity. But Mr. Lamb took me home and paid me my fee, so life was good.
That little episode occurred probably 63 or 64 years ago, but it is as clear in my mind as the night it happened. Soon after, the Lambs moved out of the mortuary and opened their own funeral home. I do not remember if they got another babysitter or if she just stayed home with the kids. A lot of my memories are not real accurate and some are non existent, but life went on back there on Strong Street in spite of it all. It was many years later that Kenneth and I were in a campground some where in the mountains, and I saw a camper with a Kansas flag. On a whim, I knocked on the door and to my utter amazement, Joanne Lamb opened the door and she remembered this little Bartholomew girl. She and Jack were retired, of course and she filled me in on all the kids. Of course, it all went in one ear and out the other, but it was a beautiful hour or so that took me back in time.
It is little things like remembering that keeps us all young and vital. How sad when we have no memories.
