Mr. Grass

Neighbors today are really not the same as they were then. Mama had one neighhor that realized that she was having to struggle. Mr. Grass did not see Mama as mentally ill or crazy. He saw her as women with two small children he could help. It is not uncommon for men to tell their women they are crazy. Nobody wants to be told that.
It was Mr.Grass that helped us when she needed something. She did at this time somewhat try to hold it together a bit. Forty dollars must have been alot of groceries in 1967 or so. Many times she would get to the register then having me to take things back to the shelves. With the means she had to with. In years to come I would understand more why nothing she did seemed logical. The stress of not having help can make anyone screw everything you touch up. Not enough time, nobody to help and no money make you want to lay down. Mr. Grass was forever letting her borrow a cup of this or a box of that.

Mr. Grass's house was also a place of refudge for us when Daddy had some kind of drinking occurance happening. For instance once one of his buddies stole or borrowed money that Daddy was trying to get from him. He was looking for him by phone at first. The conversation was threatening to me as a small child. I just know he was mad. Regarding the same man with stolen or borrowed money was a rush into Mr. Grass's house where Mama had taken us to hide. Mad and with a gun he came running in telling Mama that he was going to find this man. The preception I have a my daddy is not this way. This did happen. It was whiskey driven, I am sure. That is why I have two different attitudes towards him. The one that he was an humble good man most of the time. Then there is the drunk or getting off a drunk selfish mean guy. To be continued