Tuesday, August 24, 2004
THE LONG WAY HOME.....1972
We arrived in Sacramento and found the apartment by early afternoon. Becky’s husband was home and showed us how to get to the hospital. Becky looked as white as the sheets she was laying on and was understandably weak. She was happy she had a little girl and the nurse said she would bring her in shortly. Her husband had to go on to work so he left us with Becky and we stayed with her quite a while. Jennifer Rebecca was so tiny and cute. She had a shock of dark hair and a little pinkish complexion.
The nurse told us Becky had been given blood twice and if her vitals were normal we could take her home in the morning. Her best friend, was flying out to see her and the baby so we would need to pick her up from the airport after we picked Becky and Jennifer up the next day. Things were happening pretty fast and I could see Becky wasn’t going to be strong enough to take care of Jennifer for quite a while.
The next day we arrived at the specified time and the nurse had Becky ready and a little bag of things for Jennifer to start out with. Becky was tired already and I was anxious to get her home and in bed. We found her friend at the terminal and headed back to the apartment. It took a little while to unload the luggage and all but Warren took care of all that while we made Becky comfortable in her bed. Jennifer was sleeping at the time.
Things had not been good with Becky and her husband and when it came time for us to leave she decided to come back with us. With the time spent in the hospital and at the apartment, Jennifer was 10-days old when we loaded all of Becky’s things in our camper and her Mustang. Warren said he would drive the Mustang and I could drive Jennifer, and the girls in the pick-up. I had never driven the pick-up and camper before and we were intending to leave Sacramento in the morning on a Friday. We stopped long enough at the Capital building to find out our legal rights in taking Jennifer out of the State of California. We were given the go-ahead so our next stop was to get to LA as quick as we could to get Becky’s things out of storage at a furniture company. We would have to drive fast to get there before closing.
Everything went pretty well until we hit the heavy rush-hour traffic close to LA. Warren was weaving in and out of the lanes and I didn’t have the capability to follow with the camper on the pick-up it was hard going for me. Becky sat with Jennifer laying lengthwise on her legs. I couldn’t believe how many lanes of traffic there were and with all of the exits some of the lanes disappearing at each one. The girls kept an eye out for me to be able to change lanes and it was nip and tuck until we finally reached the storage place.
They told us the men had left for the afternoon and we couldn’t get out stuff out until Monday. Thankfully Warren asked if we would be allowed to go up and get it out ourselves and the lady gave him a key and told him to go ahead. We got all of that loaded in quick time and were anxious to get out of town and on the open highway. Becky was exhausted and the rest of us were pretty drained.
We stopped to eat before dark and drove on until we were in Arizona, right across the State line from Blythe. We had the camper and car so full that Warren had to empty enough out of the camper into the car so we could sleep. Fortunately we had the capacity to sleep two full beds so the girls and Jennifer were on one and we were on the other. Each morning Warren had to put the stuff back in the camper before he could drive the car. He only had enough room to sit and drive….the rest of the Mustang was full to the brim.
That was our daily routine as we kept driving east, back towards Missouri. We came through Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Amarillo. Becky’s girl-friend had to get back to work so we dropped her at the Amarillo airport for a return flight to KC….she would have a short wait until departure. We hated to leave her there but she insisted that we go on because Becky was getting weaker with each passing day. We said our goodbyes and left. We drove on to Oklahoma City and then headed northeast to Tulsa....once we were in Missouri, it seemed a short way home then. We came through Joplin, Springfield and to Willow Springs, pretty well spent after so many miles.
We didn’t know how this was all going to work out but we knew Becky and Jennifer could stay with us as long as they wanted. Mom and dad were so happy to see Becky and the baby………dad instantly fell hard for Jennifer and as long as he lived he enjoyed her like no other. For a “step-dad” Warren took charge at a time when it was needed…..and so now we have our next generation coming on the scene and our lives would all be different from this moment on…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
The nurse told us Becky had been given blood twice and if her vitals were normal we could take her home in the morning. Her best friend, was flying out to see her and the baby so we would need to pick her up from the airport after we picked Becky and Jennifer up the next day. Things were happening pretty fast and I could see Becky wasn’t going to be strong enough to take care of Jennifer for quite a while.
The next day we arrived at the specified time and the nurse had Becky ready and a little bag of things for Jennifer to start out with. Becky was tired already and I was anxious to get her home and in bed. We found her friend at the terminal and headed back to the apartment. It took a little while to unload the luggage and all but Warren took care of all that while we made Becky comfortable in her bed. Jennifer was sleeping at the time.
Things had not been good with Becky and her husband and when it came time for us to leave she decided to come back with us. With the time spent in the hospital and at the apartment, Jennifer was 10-days old when we loaded all of Becky’s things in our camper and her Mustang. Warren said he would drive the Mustang and I could drive Jennifer, and the girls in the pick-up. I had never driven the pick-up and camper before and we were intending to leave Sacramento in the morning on a Friday. We stopped long enough at the Capital building to find out our legal rights in taking Jennifer out of the State of California. We were given the go-ahead so our next stop was to get to LA as quick as we could to get Becky’s things out of storage at a furniture company. We would have to drive fast to get there before closing.
Everything went pretty well until we hit the heavy rush-hour traffic close to LA. Warren was weaving in and out of the lanes and I didn’t have the capability to follow with the camper on the pick-up it was hard going for me. Becky sat with Jennifer laying lengthwise on her legs. I couldn’t believe how many lanes of traffic there were and with all of the exits some of the lanes disappearing at each one. The girls kept an eye out for me to be able to change lanes and it was nip and tuck until we finally reached the storage place.
They told us the men had left for the afternoon and we couldn’t get out stuff out until Monday. Thankfully Warren asked if we would be allowed to go up and get it out ourselves and the lady gave him a key and told him to go ahead. We got all of that loaded in quick time and were anxious to get out of town and on the open highway. Becky was exhausted and the rest of us were pretty drained.
We stopped to eat before dark and drove on until we were in Arizona, right across the State line from Blythe. We had the camper and car so full that Warren had to empty enough out of the camper into the car so we could sleep. Fortunately we had the capacity to sleep two full beds so the girls and Jennifer were on one and we were on the other. Each morning Warren had to put the stuff back in the camper before he could drive the car. He only had enough room to sit and drive….the rest of the Mustang was full to the brim.
That was our daily routine as we kept driving east, back towards Missouri. We came through Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Amarillo. Becky’s girl-friend had to get back to work so we dropped her at the Amarillo airport for a return flight to KC….she would have a short wait until departure. We hated to leave her there but she insisted that we go on because Becky was getting weaker with each passing day. We said our goodbyes and left. We drove on to Oklahoma City and then headed northeast to Tulsa....once we were in Missouri, it seemed a short way home then. We came through Joplin, Springfield and to Willow Springs, pretty well spent after so many miles.
We didn’t know how this was all going to work out but we knew Becky and Jennifer could stay with us as long as they wanted. Mom and dad were so happy to see Becky and the baby………dad instantly fell hard for Jennifer and as long as he lived he enjoyed her like no other. For a “step-dad” Warren took charge at a time when it was needed…..and so now we have our next generation coming on the scene and our lives would all be different from this moment on…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
