Back when I was in third or fourth grade, I had a best friend. Her name was Barbara. Her house was in the center of town very close to the school. Mine was on the edge of town on the other side of the school. Mother cleaned house for her mother so we were connected by that, I guess. Arrangements would be made that I went home with Barbara on occasion. Usually we just played and some times I would spend the night. That was the best. There were sheets on her bed and the bathroom was inside the house. Now that was not a deal breaker, but it was really nice and I could always hope that some day I would live in a house so fine.
I don't remember what we played, but I am sure it entailed dolls and stuff like that. Maybe we colored. I think we played hide and seek sometimes. I liked hiding at her house because she had a garage and a car port. I think, I just don't remember. I do remember that her dad would sometimes make us an ice cream sundae and he always put a cherry on the top. That was to die for and to this day when I see a squirt of whipped cream with a cherry on it, I revert back to my childhood and my friend Barbara.
I do remember that when it was time for me to go home I dreaded that long walk. The streets in Nickerson were not paved. Well, Main Street was. It was paved from the school to the highway. Then the highway ran off to Hutchinson or Sterling depending on which way you turned.
Sometimes Barbara would let me borrow her roller skates because it was so far to my house. As I calculate it in my mind now it was probably about 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile. The roller skates were really of little use because I only had 4 blocks of sidewalk then I had to take them off and carry them because anyone knows you can not skate on dirt. I was careful to take very good care of the skates so I could use them again. In all fairness, I spent a lot of time falling down and getting back up. I could have been home a lot sooner had I just hoofed it.
Barbara never came to my house. I always went to hers. I guess that had something to do with her house being more modern that ours. I sometimes wonder what became of her. I saw her mother after I was married and learned a little about the years between. Seems her mom and dad were divorced. Barbara had moved to Kansas City and had a very good job and a very rich fiance. I let it drop there, because I had no reason to pursue it. Still I wonder.
I wonder about a lot of people back there in Nickerson, Kansas. Sherry Stires who lived up by the high school in a big two story house. She invited me to spend the night once, but she showed me a spider web on the outside of her house with a giant spider in it. Scared the living pee wadding right out of me! No way could I have stayed in her house. I think I never went back there again. Sometimes at night when I can't sleep I try to remember the names of my classmates. Seems like there were about 23 or 24 of them. I think I will try that now. Let me know if any of these ring a bell.
Gay Withrow, Joan Moore, Barbara Hawk, Irene Reinke, Martha Knoblock, Nancy Cuthbertson, Sherry Stires, Beth McGonigle, Gary Battey, Loren McQueen, Larry Collee, Earl Kelley, Barbara Massey, Eleanor Kirkpatrick, Joyce Pedersen, Ronnie Beck, David Sjoberg, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I don't remember what we played, but I am sure it entailed dolls and stuff like that. Maybe we colored. I think we played hide and seek sometimes. I liked hiding at her house because she had a garage and a car port. I think, I just don't remember. I do remember that her dad would sometimes make us an ice cream sundae and he always put a cherry on the top. That was to die for and to this day when I see a squirt of whipped cream with a cherry on it, I revert back to my childhood and my friend Barbara.
I do remember that when it was time for me to go home I dreaded that long walk. The streets in Nickerson were not paved. Well, Main Street was. It was paved from the school to the highway. Then the highway ran off to Hutchinson or Sterling depending on which way you turned.
Sometimes Barbara would let me borrow her roller skates because it was so far to my house. As I calculate it in my mind now it was probably about 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile. The roller skates were really of little use because I only had 4 blocks of sidewalk then I had to take them off and carry them because anyone knows you can not skate on dirt. I was careful to take very good care of the skates so I could use them again. In all fairness, I spent a lot of time falling down and getting back up. I could have been home a lot sooner had I just hoofed it.
Barbara never came to my house. I always went to hers. I guess that had something to do with her house being more modern that ours. I sometimes wonder what became of her. I saw her mother after I was married and learned a little about the years between. Seems her mom and dad were divorced. Barbara had moved to Kansas City and had a very good job and a very rich fiance. I let it drop there, because I had no reason to pursue it. Still I wonder.
I wonder about a lot of people back there in Nickerson, Kansas. Sherry Stires who lived up by the high school in a big two story house. She invited me to spend the night once, but she showed me a spider web on the outside of her house with a giant spider in it. Scared the living pee wadding right out of me! No way could I have stayed in her house. I think I never went back there again. Sometimes at night when I can't sleep I try to remember the names of my classmates. Seems like there were about 23 or 24 of them. I think I will try that now. Let me know if any of these ring a bell.
Gay Withrow, Joan Moore, Barbara Hawk, Irene Reinke, Martha Knoblock, Nancy Cuthbertson, Sherry Stires, Beth McGonigle, Gary Battey, Loren McQueen, Larry Collee, Earl Kelley, Barbara Massey, Eleanor Kirkpatrick, Joyce Pedersen, Ronnie Beck, David Sjoberg, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
