Over the next few years, their brood grew to include seven. The boys were tall and strong, a lot of help to Eddie, so he didn’t need Neeley’s help so much. A stern taskmaster, he was apt to take his belt to the boys should they dally. When Will, their third son was about eight, he was given the task of planting corn as his older brothers made up the rows on either side of him. The rows seemed to stretch on forever and his back ached with bending and planting four kernels per hills ten to twelve inches apart. He fell further and further behind. Desperate to catch up, he buried a big pile of seed in one hill and caught up to his brothers. It rid him of so much of the accursed seed, he repeated the process up and down the rows, finishing up in time with the rest. He thought no more about it, glad to be done with the onerous task of planting. Several evenings later, Eddie went out one bright moonlit night to check to see if his corn had sprouted late that afternoon. Indeed it had, but not all in rows like he expected. Big clumps of corn sprouts stood in patches up and down the rows. Infuriated, he knew immediately what Will had done. He strode toward the house, determined to set the boy straight. In their exhaustion, the three boys had gone to bed immediately after supper. Eddie stomped into the room snatching the covers back from the sleeping boys and started beating them with his belt. Though Will got the worst of it, the other boys suffered welts, too. Neeley heard the screams from the kitchen and burst in to stop Eddie. In his fury, he didn’t seem to notice her. Neeley .. got the fireplace poker and got between him and the boys, beating him about the shoulders. Finally, she stood him off. Threatening to crack him over the head, she assured him she’d kill him if she had to. In the face of her ferocity, he backed down, putting himself on one side of a wall and herself and the kids on another. This was repeated several times over the next few years, made worse as the boys’ hormones kicked in and Eddie aged. Neeley wondered if his meanness was due to his head jury or his nature. It could have been a combination since Eddie had learned violence at he hands of his own father, many years earlier.
Eddie didn’t deal a lot better with the girls. As they entered puberty, he suspected them of all manner of misbehavior. Always on the lookout for trashiness, they couldn’t smile at a boy without inciting his anger. In view of Eddie’s violent tendencies, Neeley always lined up on the side of her children, creating anger on both sides. As Neeley became more defensive, the boys became more undisciplined. Neeley had the girls firmly under control, determined they not be led astray as she had been. Though Eddie never voiced it, Neeley feared he’d make reference to her dalliance before their marriage. Like any mother, she wanted her children to hold her in high regard. It was an uncomfortable situation. Not only that, fearing more pregnancies, Neeley refused to have sex except immediately before or after her “curse,” increasing the tension between them.
Thanks.
LikeLike
I love Neeley. An amazing woman. ❤ ❤ ❤
LikeLike
She was great.
LikeLiked by 1 person
XX XX
LikeLike
I get the feeling a certain shovel-handle is adding it’s weight to the already different levels of acceptable discipline from that era. Good thing Neeley is willing to draw a line when necessary. But that’s just my humble opinion. Happy New Year Linda.
LikeLike
I think you are right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A pretty tough life for all of them.
LikeLike
But she was very happy in her children.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank God she got a lot of comfort from them 🙂
LikeLike
She did. Some of them were a mess but they loved their mama.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, then they were not all bad! 🙂
LikeLike
True!
LikeLiked by 1 person
She never expected an easy ice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s a lot of fear in Eddie… I suspect that drives his anger. God Bless them all.
LikeLike
Fear and trauma, both physical and emotional.
LikeLike
Violence and abuse seemed to be such a common thread for people living in poverty.
LikeLike
It’s harder to keep things together when stress is high.
LikeLike
Difficult topic for sure. It doesn’t look good but makes for very good reading. Happy 2017!
LikeLike
It was a hard life but got much easier as the children got older. Her last twenty years were very happy.
LikeLike
I’ve been privileged not to have experienced such horror.
LikeLike
The world is so full of good people suffering.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Linda,
What about the pregnancy at the end of the previous episode; did that come to fruition ? Is that baby included in the seven at the start of this part ?
I tried to order the paper back copy of the book but the shipping costs from Amazon are exorbitant- so I am looking for other options. I will think of some way to get the book here at less cost.
Thanks,
Susie
LikeLike
I had titled 2 as Part 12 so you probably missed it. Here is the link.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Linda,
Sorry to be so persistent but as I understand she lost the one baby to quinine and the other – what happened to the other- did that one make it ?
LikeLike
Oh yes. She ended up with seven.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Chi your email.
LikeLike
This doesn’t look good. Happy New Year 2017, Linda 🙂 —- Suzanne
LikeLike
You,too!
LikeLike
In the old days taking a strap to a kid wasn’t frowned upon by most parents or authority. What a horrible time that was for kids, but now parents have gone to the other extreme creating a generation of undisciplined and unruly kids.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a challenge to provide discipline without rage. Some people manage. I was afraid of my father, for good reason, but didn’t want to disappoint Mother. I know I’d have rebelled if not for her. He was cold and stern. He planned to love us someday, but we just wouldn’t let him treat us right.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Uh Oh…:o)
LikeLike