|
Some called it going up to
Egypt for grain but we did what had to be done to help our little daughter
in any way that we could. If the road was winding and twisted we were on
it and nothing was going to stop our traveling the journey.
The Oak Cliff congregation
was filled with warm friendly people. I was impressed with their soft
southern ways and something about the atmosphere reminded me of old
plantations and genteel manner of quiet ladies and strong gentlemen as,
indeed, I would learn this probably was the original Texan’s culture. Oak
Cliff was made up of the older part of Dallas. This was the area where Lee
Harvey Oswald ran to try for hiding in that Movie theater. He must not
have known too much about Dallas. Each little area is like a small town
and everyone knows everything about anyone who comes through.
The apartment we had chosen
was okay inside. However, there was nothing but a hard dirt yard with only
sprinkles of dying grass in places, outside. No place to walk presented
itself and anyway it wasn’t much of a residential area. Nothing but cement
covered parking lots in shopping centers were close. The water cooler just
barely provided escape from the heat and the outdoors were incredibly hot.
I couldn’t believe it. I felt like that cartoon character, a wolf, who
shlepped along in slow motion calling his goat, “Billllly Boooyyy boyy,
boyy,” as he spoke with even a slower drawl.
Rhonda and I were quite
alone. There were no children, no people and certainly no out who looked
like someone I wanted to know. The meetings in the evenings were the only
contact we had with humanity since Rhonda’s therapy wouldn’t start right
away. Only after I had met some of the friends from Irving, Texas were we
able to get acquainted. They were a family and right away invited us to
have dinner with them in their home. Irving was only 10,000 population at
the time but there was the building of new apartments. We attended the
meeting and that was when they told us about new apartments which had just
been built.
I was almost standing in
the middle of the apartment with my mouth open. Soft, pleasant music came
over an intercom in the living room. Air-conditioning made the space cool
and comfortable The furnishings were brand new in the latest style of the
day. Heavy drapes covered the sliding glass doors and when the apartment
manager pulled them back a beautiful courtyard of rich, green St.
Augustine grass truly looked like a carpet outdoors. Rod and I walked
through the door just steps and were into the pool area where cool,
blue-green, clear water shimmered invitingly.
“Oh my! Would you look at
this? I think these folks have created a paradise in miniature.”
For some reason Rodney took
a more active interest in Rhonda’s therapy and he dutifully drove her back
and forth to Oak Lawn close to downtown Dallas every day. He could do that
because he was now working nights. When the song “Downtown” came out,
Rhonda loved it and hummed along. “No wonder,” I thought, “we spent a lot
of time running back and forth to downtown Dallas, ”and in the process
became well acquainted with the sites. The tall insurance building with an
elevator that zipped the many floors at too fast a speed to be believed,
Fair Park with the art museum then located there, Highland Park with its
small, almost little town feel, the zoo, the galleries around Oak Lawn, of
course, Turtle Creek and too many other places to list. We were like kids
in a candy store and found ourselves wishing to live forever in Dallas.
The apartment was wonderful and some great times were had in community
service with friends while in Irving.
The residents of the
apartment building were a mix of all sorts who were moving into Dallas for
jobs. I didn’t meet one of them I didn’t like. They were such a friendly
group. We all spent many an hour around the pool while Rhonda bobbed
happily atop the water on her float. I never let her out of my reach and
we both enjoyed the pool. There was never a lack of companionship since
everyone was in the other’s apartment doing something for entertaining
ourselves, or the children and Rhonda played for hours right outside our
door on that cool grass. Again, I witnessed how those little ones took
turns so that someone was always with Rhonda. I was mystified at this
quality of tenderness in such small children. No one instructed them to do
this. How did they know? |
