WILLOW GROVE
Located 10.43 km W of Fairfield: Simonds Parish, St. John County: settled in 1817 by black refugees: PO 1866-1957: in 1871 it had a population of 100: in 1898 Willow Grove was a farming settlement with 1 post office, 1 store, 1 church and a population of 150: formerly called African Grant.



GOING TO GANNIE'S

A TRIP TO GANNIE'S WAS ALWAYS EXCITING, DESPITE THE FACT THAT MOST OF US KIDS GOT CARSICK. A COLLECTION OF KIDS, 4 OR 5 AT A TIME, BOUNCED ABOUT IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE OLD BLACK CAR. BOUNCING ON THE OLD CLOTH SEATS THAT WERE FILLED WITH SPRINGS, LOOKING OUT THE WINDOWS AT THE SIGHTS ALONG THE WAY, WE KEPT AN EYE OUT FOR THE HALFWAY HOUSE. WE WENT DOWN THE OLD BLACK RIVER ROAD, ALONG GRANDVIEW AVENUE AND UP LOCH LOMOND ROAD AND TURNED RIGHT TO WILLOW GROVE AND THEN TO THE HALFWAY HOUSE.. GANNIE AND GAMPIE, UNCLE TOM CYR AND AUNT AUDREY, THEIR KIDS, SANDRA, GARY AND MURRAY AND WAYNE, MARION'S SON, LIVED THERE ON THE FARM. AS WE APPROACHED THE LAST COUPLE OF THE HILLS BEFORE THE FARM, WE WOULD ALL TRY TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO SPOT THE HOUSE AND YELL,"GANNIE'S". THE HOUSE SEEMED HUGE TO ME, WITH A GLASSED-IN SUN PORCH ON THE FRONT. THE BIG TWO-STORY HOUSE WITH ITS BIG ROOMS AND TWO STAIRWAYS GOING UP WAS A BIT SCARY AND MYSTERIOUS. THERE WERE FLOWER GARDENS AND VEGETABLE GARDENS AND A BARN ACROSS THE ROAD. THE BIG KITCHEN WAS AT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE WITH A LARGE PICTURE WINDOW LOOKING OUT ON THE WOODY HILLS.

THE HOUSE WAS BIG AND DARK AND FULL OF MYSTERY. I NEVER ONCE CLIMBED THAT FRONT STAIRCASE AND NEVER SAW GANNIE'S OR AUDREY'S BEDROOMS. UP THE BACK STAIRS THERE WERE RAMBLING ROOMS WHERE THE KIDS SLEPT NEXT TO ROOMS FULL OF CLUTTER. I REMEMBER SLEEPING IN A COLD FRONT ROOM ALL ALONE, WITH REAL BEDSHEETS TUCKED IN SMOOTHLY. IT FELT SO STRANGE AND SMELLED SO ODD, THAT I PRAYED THAT I WOULD STAY ALIVE THE WEEK TO GET HOME AGAIN.


EACH MORNING I BRUSHED MY TEETH AT A SINK IN A CORNER OF THE KITCHEN AS AUDREY SAID YOU COULDN'T EAT WITH DIRTY TEETH. THEY ALSO HAD A VERY LARGE BATHROOM THAT WAS COLD AND UNATTRACTIVE. I DO NOT REMEMBER TAKING A BATH THERE.

THE KITCHEN WAS AN EXTENDED ROOM BECAUSE IT FLOWED INTO A SITTING AREA NEAR THE BIG PICTURE WINDOW THAT FACED UP THE WILLOW GROVE ROAD. THIS SITTING AREA OPENED INTO A TELEVISION ROOM. ACROSS THE HALL, WAS THE PARLOR THAT WAS ALWAYS CLOSED. THE ONE TIME THAT I WAS IN IT, IT HELD NO FURNITURE AT ALL, ONLY A SHINY AND COLD LINOLEUM FLOOR THAT WE CALLED OIL CLOTH. THERE WAS A CARDBOARD BOX OF MATERIAL FOR SANDRA DRESSES THAT AUDREY MADE FOR HER. WHEN SANDRA WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL SHE LOOKED LIKE PATSY CLINE. SHE WAS DRESSED IN FLARED SKIRTS AND MATCHING SLEEVELESS BLOUSES, ALWAYS FLOWERED AND ON A BLACK BACKGROUND. SANDRA HAD NATURALLY CURLY HAIR AND WAS VERY RESERVED.

THE WORK OF THE KITCHEN REVOLVED AROUND A BIG WOOD BURNING COOK-STOVE, THAT ROARED WITH HEAT. THERE WAS A SPACE FOR A SLEEPING COT BEHIND IT. THAT WAS WHERE GAMPIE CAMPED OUT. WHEN HE VENTURED OUT IN HIS GRAY WOOL BAGGY PANTS HELD UP BY SUSPENDERS OVER LONG UNDERWEAR, HE WAS DRIVEN BACK TO HIS COT. AT THE FIRST SIGHT OF HIS OLD GRAY HEAD AND HIS BAGGY KNEES, GANNIE BELLOWED, "GET BEHIND THE STOVE, OUT OF THE WAY, YOU OLD FOOL! " HE WOULD TOTTER BACK, H IS LEAN SIX-FOOT PLUS FRAME STOOPED OVER AS THOUGH HIS BRACES WERE TOO TIGHT ON HIS LOOSE AND BAGGY KNEED TROUSERS. HIS HAIR WAS WHITE AND WILD BUT HE WAS BALD ON TOP. HIS LARGE WHITE MUSTACHE DROOPED FROM HIS OLD BENT FOOLISH HEAD.

THERE WAS ALWAYS A QUANTITY OF WOODEN KITCHEN CHAIRS, WITH EACH RUNG PAINTED A DIFFERENT COLOUR THE FAVORITE COLORS WERE READ IN BLACK. THE TABLE WAS COVERED AS USUAL WITH FOOD. WE ATE OUT OF A VARIETY OF EARTHENWARE AND TIN PLATES ACCOMPANIED BY TIN MUGS, MOSTLY CHIPPED THE FOOD WAS PLENTIFUL AND COOLIDGE, WEATHER VISITING FOR THE AFTERNOON OR THE WEEK, WHICH WE EACH TOOK IN OUR TURN.

THERE WERE HOMEMADE DOUGHNUTS, CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH ICING AND COCONUT AND BIG SOFT AND DARK MOLASSES COOKIES AND MOLASSES CAKE THAT NO ONE CAN MAKE NOW, IT WAS SO DARK AND RICH AND MOIST. WE HAD CORN WITH HOMEMADE BUTTER, MILKEN, POTATOES, ROAST CHICKEN, BEEF STEW AND SO ON. WE WERE ALLOWED ONE BANANA EACH DAY FROM THE BANANA CRATE THAT WAS DELIVERED VIA FRUIT PEDDLER. WE ATE BLUEBERRIES IN DUMPLINGS AND IN CAKES, RHUBARB ON BISCUITS AND STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE AND STRAWBERRY RHUBARB JAM OR CRANBERRY JAM. THE THE FIRST HAD THE SWEETNESS OF HEAVEN AND THE OTHER, THE TARTNESS OF THE WORLD.

THE BARN WAS ACROSS THE ROAD, WITH A HAYLOFT ABOVE THE COWS. WE JUMPED IN THAT HAYLOFT AND SOMETIMES TRIED TO SLEEP THERE AT NIGHT. I RETREATED FROM THE DUST AND THE MICE. A BIG WHITE WORKHORSE PULLED THE HAY WAGON. MAKING HAY WAS THE HARDEST WORK AND THE GREATEST DELIGHT OF MY LIFE. I STOOD ON TOP OF THE WAGON, BUILDING THE LOAD. RECEIVING THE FORKED UP HAY, I MOVED IT ABOUT TO LEVEL THE EVER-GROWING LOAD.


USUALLY, MY COUSIN SANDRA, BUILT ONE SIDE OF THE LOAD AND I DID THE OTHER. THEN, WE WOULD RIDE TO THE BARN AND FORK THE HAY IN. THE TWO OF US CLIMBED TO THE HAYLOFT AND SPREAD THE HAY NEATLY. I ALWAYS GOT HOT AND ITCHY FROM THE DUSTY ROUGH HAY. WHEN I WAS SCRATCHED AND SUNTANNED AND PERFECTLY HAPPY IN THE WORK THAT TOOK REAL MUSCLE POWER. I WAS, AT LAST, AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE TEAM.

WHEN HAYING SEASON WAS OVER, WE WOULD ALL RIDE IN THE BACK OF UNCLE TOMMY' S TRUCK TO THE STORE FOR ICE CREAM. WE NEVER EVEN CONSIDER BEING PAID TO BRING IN THE HAY SO ICE CREAM WAS A TREAT. ALL OF US STOOD UP IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK, LOOKING OUT OVER THE CAB WITH THE WIND IN OUR FACES. ONCE I GOT SO EXCITED THAT I STARTED BANGING MY HAND ON THE ROOF OF THE CAB. UNCLE TOMMY STOPPED THE TRUCK TO SEE WHAT WE WANTED. I FELT STUPID.

WE WENT SWIMMING UP THE ROAD IN WHAT WAS REALLY A FROG POND WITH A FAIRLY DEEP HOLE IN THE MIDDLE. ONE SUMMER, THE SWIMMING HOLE WAS SURROUNDED BY MUD - THICK AND STICKY MUD. WE DECIDED TO HAVE SOME FUN.

This time, both my brother Jimmy and I were staying for a week or two and we had only just arrived. We began mud fight, with Jimmy and me on one side against Sandra, Wayne and Gary. We soon had the best of them and they wanted to give up. Jimmy wouldn't let them and I always had to go along with him. He made them a deal. He would let them give up if they would promise to walk home, along the main road, naked.

I got nervous and left and I was sitting in the kitchen beside the big picture window when I saw them coming, two skinny boys of about 10 and eight years old, walking up the road naked. Sandra had opted out. Audrey, alerted by my frozen stare, looked out and gave one shriek and set to with a vengeance.

That afternoon, Jimmy and I sat on the swings out back, he, very nonchalant, and I feeling agitated, guilty, betrayed and fearful. Audrey would come out the back door every few minutes to scream abuse at me. Jimmy had fingered me as the instigator of the plot.

After I had left the pond, Jimmy made a deal with Sandra. She wouldn't have to walk naked if she would put all the blame on me. Jimmy and I ever sent home at night.

One summer, going to Audrey's to attempt to learn some money raking blueberries. I worked on the blueberry fields, and a role marked off by a white strain. Next Jimmy, was a very capable and strong gray-haired Indian man. I earned, in total, 7 dollars and Audrey took me to the beauty parlor for permanent ways. When she took me home with my hair of all of fuzzy tight knots, everyone was horrified, especially me.

Audrey was a strongly built woman, very attractive but with strong features, an autocratic tilt to her head and her face filled with light. Always about the old kitchen, there were two or three men admirers. One was Mark Shannon, who hung about constantly. Audrey was sharp tongued and sure of herself and neither my mother nor her twin sister, Marian, could stand up to her. She was always measuring her daughter Sandra, a healthy, strapping, curly hair girl, against me, Pee-wee, a lean-kid. She always found the difference in her favor. Once, I remember MOM speaking back to her over some point of argument. This courageous effort set my mother's whole body shaking uncontrollably. Sandra died in her 40s of cancer of the pancreas. She died alone in Toronto, withdrawn from all.

One sunny day, I was following Audrey through the pastures, swinging my tin mug on the way to pick blueberries when I asked, " how to cows turn green grass into white milk?" She answered, " they don't. Cows eat grass and they give milk. That's how they're made. That's what they do."

Her answer made sense to me. It was the cows business to give milk. The grass was only food. I was impressed and Audrey seemed even more like a powerful ,independent and an awesome woman and sometimes, when I am overwhelmed with fatigue and pain, I see her face in my mirror. I see the tilt of the head and catch a glimpse of the light.

Audrey took Wayne, Marian's boy, to raise with your own children. Wanda, the other twin, was given up for adoption. She grew into a lovely woman in Saint John and became a nurse and mother. Marian kept in touch with Wanda and later with Wanda's children. Wanda died of cancer at age 47 and her husband died soon after. I remember once, in Audrey's kitchen, Marian tried to coax Wayne to come to her and of course, he was timid and shy. He might have come to her if Audrey had not proclaimed loudly, " He doesn't know you. He won't come." I was a small child and I looked from Marian to Audrey, from Marian's meekness to Audrey's arrogance. I realize that Marian had something that Audrey would never have. Marian had nothing to lose and nothing to prove. Audrey was tall and upright and powerful and capable and cruel and jealous.






















Our yard, the woodpile in which we played, the homemade tetter-totter, Grama's Leonards, Hastings houses on left, Earl Lawton's, Russell Lawton's, Lawton Barn on right, Mabel Sprague's store out of frame on right.











My Story Page 5

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