C.Y. Bourgeois's Blog, page 2

This Cold, Hard Country, Part III

 ...conclusion
August 5, 1962Fairbanks, Alaska Glad the kids got the silver dollars I sent them. Right now, I’d give a million of them to have you all here right now. Tell Billy and Carla how much I miss them and hope to see them soon. Glad everybody had a good time at Silver Beach and I know the kids are a lot of bother but from what you have told me they really do try hard to be good. Can’t aske for much more than that, I guess. Sure glad the cut on Carla’s head wasn’t too bad and Billy’s shiner gets O.K. Tell Billy I said he’d better be nice to sister or I’ll get him (fat chance).
Glad to hear you’ve been going out to the folks once in a while. Tell them I haven’t forgotten them but I’ve been trying to help here and there at the boat, my laundry and I’m just too tired and lazy to write to everybody. Got a letter from Dollie, Kenny, Judy, Ruthie and the folks. An going to answer them this week.
Well, I guess I’d better close for now and get some sleep so I can get up in the morning and get his letter mailed with some money for you.
Will write later and tell you more. Goodnight sweetheart and hope to see you soon.All my love & kisses,Your loving husband,Bill
P.S. Think it over and let me know if you want to drive up or not.
P.S. Did you get the other pictures I sent, they’re supposed to be in slides and sent to you. Jerry bought a car and I ride to work with him. He’s sure changed a lot.Love Always,Bill
P.S. Start sending my mail to:Riviera BoatelBox 1421Fairbanks, AlaskaI’ll get it quicker seeing as I can’t make it to the P.O. before they close.Love, Bill

This Cold, Hard Country, Part II

August 5, 1962 Fairbanks, Alaska
You never did tell me if you wanted to drive up or fly. By the way, Neil came by the station to see me, said he wanted to talk to me about you coming up. He wants to have Irene and Sherry come with you if you decide to drive. He wanted to figure out how much it would cost him. I figured $150 for car expenses alone, he’d pay half. And about $125 to $150 for your expenses and the same for him. Another thing, I know it would be a hard trip on you and the kids but you’d never regret it though, and another thing, you’d see a lot more by taking your time. What do you think? Drive or fly?
How much work does the car need on it? I know it needs a new battery, muffler and a spare wheel. We could get that stuff at Sears on our account, also a top carrier would give a lot more room inside and you could bring more stuff with you. If you want to do it let me know and start getting ready. I’ll do all I can from this end. Sweetheart, I know you can do it and will send you my good luck key chain.
I talked to Hank a little while ago and he said he’d talked to Allan (my boss). Said Allan told him he’d keep me as long as I wanted to work for him. My hours are 8 am to 6 pm or later depending on how busy we are. This winter we’ll get in lots of hours. 
to be continued...

This Cold, Hard Country, Part I

August 5, 1962Fairbanks, Alaska
My Dearest Lois and kids:
Received both your letters and am sorry it’s taken me so long in answering. I don’t get to go to the P.O. every day., maybe only once or twice a week and that’s why it seems like it takes so long for me to answer.
Don’t worry honey, I haven’t forgotten you or anyone else. How can I when I love and miss you so much, so please don’t think that.
Sweetheart, you said you couldn’t see why I want to sell the trailer. Well, I’ll try to explain. You see, when we decided to let me come up here, I thought it was to live. Anyway, that was my intention and I thought that’s what you wanted too.
The big reason I said maybe we ought to sell the trailer was that maybe we could pay Uncle Fred a big chunk and have enough left over for a down payment on a home up here.
Honey, I know you think I’m a little nuts at times but I’ve got a feeling this is it. Honestly, things are so different up here especially the people, you can’t beat them. Like everybody keeps telling me, this country grows on you bad and after the first winter you don’t even want to go back. 
Sweetheart, I don’t want to come back and go to work for $2.00 per hour when I can make $3.00 doing something I like better and I don’t have to punch no damn time card anymore. I’m positive you’ll like it and learn to love this cold, hard country.
If you could rent the trailer for about $60 a month that would pretty well cover the payments and everything on it. I wouldn’t take any less than that for it though. You know if we had it up here it would bring about $100 to $150 dollars a month.

Surprise!, Part V (Conclusion)

March 1958
“Well, for one thing, you keep patting your stomach without even thinking about it and for another, you’re glowing. And not just with love for that big, teddy bear of a man you managed to find.”
“Well, he found me.”
“I know he did smarty-pants, but you know what I mean.”  She picked up a cookie and held it out to her sister. 
Lois took it and ate a few bites. She looked over at Florence and her eyes lit up. “I know we should have waited until we were married—” 
“Oh pshaw,” Florence interrupted. “You’re twenty-three years old.
Lois grinned. “You’re the best. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I’m so excited to be pregnant and to get married to such a swell man and to be able to raise our kids right here, with yours.” Reaching over the table, she and Florence linked hands. 
Florence’s eyes filled with tears. “Me too. I can’t wait to meet the beautiful baby you two will have. And to help with your wedding. I’ll make the cake and—”
“Well, about that…” Lois interrupted. “We’ve decided to get married at the courthouse in April. You know, not make it a big deal.” She patted her stomach. 
Florence frowned, tipped her head in thought for a second, then said, “I understand. Will you at least let me throw you an engagement party?”
“Yes, absolutely.” Lois smiled. “You can throw us a huge engagement party and make the cake too.”
Florence laughed. “You couldn’t stop me if you tried.”              

Surprise!, Part IV

March 1958


Lois settled back in her chair and watched as the pair headed out the door and down the steps, chattering like excited chipmunks. Her older sister, Florence chose that moment to come out of the house carrying a tray loaded with a sweating, ice and lemon filled pitcher of homemade lemonade, paper cups from the Can, and a plate of fresh baked ginger snaps still warm from the oven.
“Where’d everybody go?” Florence glanced around before setting the tray on the long table that sat against the wall.  “Thought Bill was out here and I though to heard Rainy’s voice too.” 
Lois’s straight white teeth flashed in a laugh. “Oh, you did, but they took off to measure the fish Rainy caught. She barely noticed me, but couldn’t wait to show it off to Bill.”
Florence’s green eyes flashed as she laughed too. She pushed a hand through her short wavy red hair. “She does love him, doesn’t she? I swear, I don’t think I’ve ever met a man who was so good with kids.”
Lois nodded.
“And animals,” Florence added. She picked up the pitcher and poured two cups of lemonade, walked over and handed one to her sister. Her eyes fell to the hand on Lois’s stomach. She turned and went back for the plate of cookies, set it down on the little table and settled into the chair recently vacated by her soon-to-be-brother-in-law. She half-turned in her seat to look at Lois. 
“So?  When are you due?” she said and took a long sip of her drink.
Lois’s hand stopped halfway to the cup and her other hand fluttered up off her midsection. Her eyes went wide and she stared at her sister. “I…uh, well, I…” 
Florence laughed and Lois took a breath before continuing.
“How did you know?”


to be concluded...
 

Surprise!, Part III

March 1958


Lois smiled.  “I know we don’t have to explain ourselves, but I’m really thinking of our folks. I don’t want to put them in the position of having to explain it to their friends or feel ashamed at church.”  

Bill watched her for a few seconds while he puffed his cigarette. “And you’re sure about this? Not having a church wedding and all?”

“Yes.” Lois looked down and patted her stomach again. When she looked up her smile was as soft as her eyes. “All I care about is marrying you and getting our family started.”

He got up and walked around next to her. Crouching beside her, he put his big hand on top of hers on her belly. “We’ll do whatever you want sweetheart, because that’s all I care about too.”

The screen door banged and Lorraine came trotting across the floor with a big smile on her pretty pixie face and a big fish dangling from her fingers by its gill slit. “Uncle Bill, look at the carp I caught.” She beamed at him and then glanced over at Lois. “Hi, Aunt Lois.” 

Lois shook her head and laughed. “Hi, Rainy.”

“Wow,” Bill said, standing up. “Man, that’s a beauty.  He grabbed the fish’s slimy tail.  “Would you look at that,” he whistled, “must be over a foot long.”

Rainy nodded and gazed up at her Uncle, adoration shining from her eyes. “Let’s go measure it.”

“You got it, kiddo.” Bill let the tail flop down and put a big hand on the girl’s shoulder. He grinned over his shoulder at Lois who made a shooing motion with her hand.

“Don’t mind me. Go on, you two peas-in-a-pod, and get that fish measured so Rainy can brag to her brothers.” 
to be continued...

Surprise!, Part II

March, 1958
...continuedBill’s eyes crinkled as his face split into a huge grin, but he lowered his voice. “You bet I do. I’m going to be a daddy and I want to tell the whole world”
He picked up his chair and sat back down. With shaking hands, he picked up the undone cigarette, stuffed it all back together and rolled it up nice and neat. A tear rolled down his cheek. After wiping it away, he let out a shaky sigh, licked the gummed edge of the paper and stuck it between his lips. Laughing, he reached across the table and took her hand.  “This is just swell,” he said, talking around the cigarette. “You just made me the happiest guy in the world for the second time and I want to shout it out from the rooftops.”
Lois smiled. “I know. I’m happy too, but I think we should keep it to ourselves. Just for now.”
Raising his eyebrows, he said, “Even if we don’t tell anybody, they’ll figure it out.”
“I know, but…” Lois sighed. “I just don’t want to give the gossips something to talk about. Besides, if we get married in mid-April most people won’t do the math. They’ll just assume the baby is a little early.”
Bill lit his cigarette, puffed out a few clouds and settled back in his chair. The chair creaked softly and the river gurgled. Birds whistled and chirped. Mosquitoes flung themselves at the screen, tiny vampires hungry for warm blood. He looked over at his soon to be wife and mother of his soon to be child. “Well, I don’t think we should worry about it. We’re both adults, you’re twenty-three and I’ll be thirty-four when this baby is born.” Tapping  the ash end of the cigarette into the ashtray on the table, he lifted his eyes to hers. “I don’t think we need to explain ourselves to anybody at our ages.”
to be continued...

Surprise!

March, 1958
“I don’t really think we should get married at church,” Lois said. “And, I think we should do it next month.”
Bill stopped rolling his cigarette, set the half-formed cigarette down and looked at her across the table.
The river paid them no mind as it meandered past the screened porch on the back of Florence and Claire’s house.
“What? Why?” Bill asked. “I thought you wanted to get married at your church and you and Flo have already started planning the wedding.”
Lois watched as the thin cigarette paper slowly unrolled and the tobacco strands unraveled to lay like brown straw on the white paper. She lifted her eyes to his. “Well, I thought that too, but now it just doesn’t seem all that important. She patted her stomach.
“Let’s just get married at the courthouse. That way we can do it faster.” She averted her gaze, stared out over the swirling water. “You know, before I start showing.”
“Showing? Showing what?”
Looking at him, she smiled. “I’m pregnant.”
Mouth dropping open, he jumped up, knocking his chair over. “What?” he said, almost yelling.
“Shh, not so loud,” Lois said, looking around. “Do you want everybody to know?”
to be continued...
*Author's note: This is a fictionalized version of what I was told by Mom. 

Goodnight Lover

July 25, 1962Fairbanks, Alaska
…conclusion
Honey, don’t feel bad about the rain we had, about 4 days in the last week, and it’s sure cooled off too. The temp. has been down in the 50s and like you said, it’s a nice easy rain, the kind people like to get.
Well sweetheart, you know how much I miss you and the kids and it sounds like they are really growing up. Probably end up being mommy’s little darlings instead of daddy’s. Don’t get mad, sweetie, I was only kidding. You see, I know they love us both the same amount.
Honey, from what you’ve told me, Billy and Carla sure have tried to be good, so go ahead and get them some new things if you want to. I think they’ve really earned them, trying to be good and help you. I know they’re naughty sometimes, but they’ve tried, so give them a treat once in a while for me too.
Will close now so I can get some sleep as it’s almost 12 o’clock p.m., you know, midnight when things used to happen.  Guess I’d better shut my mouth before I say too much and you get embarre-assed (can’t even spell anymore).
Goodnight lover and don’t ever forget how much I miss and love you and the kids. Closing now and going to get some shut-eye.
All my love and kisses,Always,Your loving husband, Bill
P.S. Give the kids a hug and kiss for me and tell them how much I miss them.Bill
P.S. Got a letter from Dollie but haven’t had a chance to answer it yet. Like I said, I’ve been helping Noel in the evening and on Sun. (my day off) work here at the boat and get them moved out of their house. It sure helps on the rent and eats and is sure swell of them.
Love always,Bill

Don't Lose Any Sleep

July 25, 1962Fairbanks, Alaska
continued... Actually, until you get to Dawson Creek, the trip is easy and you can make good time. The roads are all paved up to about 90 miles this side of Dawson Creek then you hit gravel and that’s when you slow down under 60 mph and try to enjoy the scenery. Another thing, there are plenty of places along the Alcan to gas up, eat and lodging. It’d be a lot cheaper in the long run than flying. You could make 2 or 3 trips by car for what it’s cost to fly one way. Whichever you want to do say so and we’ll start working on it. O.K.?
Jerry told me Neil got a letter from his dad and he’d crated and shipped some of the stuff to him. Guess it kind of took the wind out of him a little. As far as I know he’s still mad at me, according to Jerry. He kind of keeps me informed about what he’s (Neil) doing. Said Neil was going to become a city cop here. Also heard they’re kind of hard up and will take almost anyone.
Honey, don’t lose any sleep over what you think he might say, because I could tell Irene some things about him, but she probably wouldn’t believe any of it anyway. If you decide to drive and she wants to come along make sure we don’t foot all the bill, only half. It might not be very nice of me to say a thing like that, but he could have had her up here a long time ago if he’d have wanted to. But, to hell with everything and everyone until he’s got what he wants first. He paid back what he borrowed. 
...to be continued