Struggles

The diaper and teething years passed, but Barbarie persisted in getting every upper respiratory virus or bacteria that whiffed by in that neighborhood of many children. She generously would pass it on to Lawrence. I don’t know how many times I had her tested for strep throat. It was always negative.
The neighbor children were so impressed with Lanny that they believed he must be a cowboy. They would come by and knock on the door and ask if he could come out and play. They were always disappointed when I explained he was working.
If you think that I am leaving out the quarrels between Lanny and I, you would be right if we had had any. We really didn't have quarrels like so many couples. We each realized when the other was really angry and would step back and wait for an hour or so before discussing things. Our main problem at the early stage was money. Barbarie’s constant battle with infections meant doctor visits, antibiotics, and/or throat soothers. We raided my two dollar bills rather than charge at the drugstore.
When she was three and Lawrence was two, I told Lanny that I thought we were ready to try having another dog.
“What size?”
“Oh, something about the size of a beagle.”
I should have known his prompt question meant that he knew someone who had a dog to give away. Keep in mind, he may have been born in the West, but his mother’s people were from Southern Ohio. His father’s people had settled there after leaving Harlem County, Kentucky. That meant, Lanny had a special affection for hound dogs.
He returned from work three days later, a pleased smile on his face, and carrying a puppy; a three month old puppy the size of a full grown beagle. Duchess was part redbone and blue tick, but her spots were the color of a red bone (a hound bred from blood hounds). Her ears were long and floppy like a blood hound’s ears and she had the weird ability to smile. Barbarie, of course, went gaga over her and Duchess over Barbarie. Duchess, however, loved us all as humans meant food. Something Duchess dearly loved.
Lanny built a wooden slat fence around the space from our carport to the property line and back to hold Duchess. We didn’t want her out in the street as the neighborhood had filled in and cars now zoomed down our street faster than they did the previous years.
Lanny’s mother had given us the television set and I would let the children watch Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans. I also let them watch Wallace and Ladmo. Truthfully, I watched both of those shows. The young woman across the street would come bounding over when Wallace and Ladmo were on and demand that I call the station too and complain about the “things” they said on a children’s show. I never really got through to her that I loved what they were doing and saying.
Both children came down with the chicken pox, but Lawrence only had like three on his body and Barbarie’s was quite mild also. I figured that it was a possibility that Lawrence would have them again.
Barbarie’s first time in Sunday School didn't go well. She screamed the entire hour. The next Sunday I stayed. That meant I would also need to stay with her during Vacation Bible School. All this meant was that suddenly I was helping with the lessons or teaching.
One of Barbarie’s bouts with the recurring bugs sent her fever soaring. I fought it all day, but that evening it started going over 104. By the time we got her to the emergency room, it was 105. Can you believe our family doctor met us there? Once they had the fever broken, our doctor advised taking the tonsils and adenoids of both children when they were over the infections. We really wanted to wait until they were older.
Duchess developed the habit of standing up, bracing her feet against the fence post and tearing off the wooden slats far enough for her to escape and go roaming. Of course, the dog catcher (they were still called that then) would get her each time. She was so friendly that she would run up to them smiling. Fortunately, they took the dogs to the nearest veterinarian. Doc knew us and knew our dog. He’d call us, but we would still have to pay for her freedom. Lanny solved that problem by finagling one of the jobs out of the chain link fencing they were going to dispose of when moving on to another site. He dismantled it and brought it home. It took a month for him to get it up. He was also working overtime or on weekends to pay for it and the posts.
Did I mention our children had a lot of toys? One day we told them to pick up the toys or we would pick up half of them and put them up. They could have them back when they learned to pick up the other toys. Four years later, when we moved, we donated that box to the Good Will.
When Barbarie was four, she started to Kindergarten. The schools didn't have it, so we enrolled her in a private one. To pay for that and for the shed Lanny was putting up now that we had a fence protecting our property, he took a weekend job out of town.
Of course, both children came down with chicken pox again. Barbarie had it first and the pox were so huge, I was afraid she had small pox. A frantic call to Dr. Crotty had him soothing me. He assured me it was possible for people to have chicken pox more than once, particularly if they were very young during the first bout and had but a few pox on them.
Once again, Barbarie was really ill, but the pox itched and I was holding her most of the time and rocking her to keep her from scratching. Of course, Lawrence broke out too. Now I had two ill children and not one hour of sleep in twenty-four. I called the doctor again the next day describing the huge pox in Barbarie’s hair, inside her throat, and even on her feet and how she had kept me awake all night.
Since she hadn't slept, he ordered a syrup for her and told me I could only give it to her every eight hours. She should sleep for at least four hours or more after taking it. He had the drugstore deliver it. Yes, this was a long time ago.
When it arrived, I gave it to her. I didn't give it to Lawrence as he was better at resting and sleeping. Within the hour, she fell asleep. I quickly washed up the dirty dishes from yesterday and from the morning. After all, she would sleep for at least four hours. Right. Like her mother, she fought off that sleeping draught and was awake and fussing by the time I finished the dishes.
Somehow I stayed awake until Lanny came home, but we needed groceries since he had left Thursday evening. Our usual shopping foray was Saturday. I had the list ready and by this time the fevers had diminished. Lanny’s mother watched them and we went to the store. I had been without sleep for over thirty hours and didn't bother to put on lipstick. I looked (to me) like walking death. At the checkout counter, I opened my purse to pay for the items, and the clerk said, “I need to see your ID. You’re not old enough to buy beer."
I was but two years away from thirty and absolutely stunned. I handed my billfold to Lanny who was choking back his laugh. No one ever doubted that he was over twenty-one from the time he was fifteen. I really don’t remember much else about that evening except putting the milk and the things that needed to go into the freezer or refrigerator away and crawling into bed.