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The People Who Lived on the Land that is Now Redstone Arsenal, page 200
relatives. Perched precariously on my mother's back, she would carry me over large stretches of the 2 % mile Irek to her parents house. Wde were b-th often afraid as we were constantly running into snakes and lizards. I couldn't be looking down all the time because the blackberry, ,plum, andgrape vines would reach., out andgrab us. I was a heavy load for a little woman, and mother often rested on fallen., trees or stumps. Sometimes she would cry and I would cry along with her. Wde easily crossed many small streams- on our way, but trouble usually started when we got to the bigger stream or creek named Windbank Springs. This is where my presence on Mother's back presented a big problem. She had to walk a log used to cross the creek. There was a long pole for steadying, purposes, but sometimes I was so sure that she was going to fall off that I would let out a holler, fasten., my hold around her neck and knock her of balance. To quiet me she would threaten that if I didn't stop choking her and crying, she would let the crap shooters, men who sometimes gathered in the woods shooting dice and swearing, get ahold of me. This usually did the trick and I would be very still. Sometimes it was too late though and we would come tumbng down with., a splash. Even when it hurt and we both cried, I knew my mother loved me mo-re than life and that she would protect me from, everything. Once over the creek, we arrived in a pasture. The cows and horses didn't scare me as long as they had their heads down grazing, but when they stopped eating and came up, to me to smell and lek my legs, there was no way I was going to stay on the ground. I sprang for ,^Mothers back and stayed there until we got to the old, creaky gate and stairs that separated the pasture from the tenant houses and Poppa Everett T. and Mamma Frances Lacy Horton's big house in Silver Hill. Mother always had a friendly word with the families she would meet on the ,ath and then when she would get u, to the well, all of the aunts and uncles would run out to meet us. Each, one would pock me up, and hug andkiss ‘Poppa and •^Mama Horton's big house held many mysteries for a small boy. That house became a part of the rituals of my growing up. It was my habit as a toddler to inspect the whole house room by room,. I am, not sure whether I was lookong for something in particular or if it was my way of stalling the climax ofmy inspection, which occurred when I ascended to the attic. There amidst musky old clothes and me. 200 - (4233)