A little 1930's Ford automobile coasted on down the road one beautiful Summer day. The sky was a beautiful powdery blue, with fluffy "cotton candy-like", white clouds and the warm yellow shimmering sun was out and shining away. The driver wished he could soak up some of the good feelings of the day. He was feeling lost, frustrated, and unsure of himself in these hard times of the Great Depression. Fred Lay Jr. sat in the driver's side of the auto, driving on down the little streets of Dubuque. His furrowed brow on his long face was constant as he drove, looking at the road and the other cars and he sat there thinking to himself. Perhaps, sometimes it seemed like he wasn't doing so bad….He was a family man. A pretty good husband and father, he thought. He tried his best there…..He worked a part-time job as a driver for the Dubuque Star Brewing Company, and another job he was about to start as the new city ambulance driver. He had a couple of newspaper articles about it that he wanted to show his folks, and his thinking made him remember the pieces of newspaper were in his pocket, and he reminded himself to stop by his parents' place later.
After work each day, he would come home, play with his daughter while his wife tried to get supper on the table….or a lot of times he would cook. He sure could make a mean pot of soup or chili! Then he'd clean the house, play with his little daughter Marlene and go into his study in the evenings. He was hoping to become a fireman, so he planned on studying for the examinations every night before bed. He sighed as thoughts turned to his wife Irene but then his attention was caught by his little daughter in the back seat of the auto, pretending to read her little books and play with the little toys she brought in their little car with her. The little tyke wearing a little red dress and red bow in her head of blonde curls. With a baby face and rosy pink cheeks, little Marlene was as cute as a little dolly. Freddie's look softened and a smile crept across his long face as he watched his little daughter in the overhead mirror. She made him smile as he saw her playing and she would look up and grin at her daddy in the mirror. His swarthy eyebrows softened and he sat there smiling. Freddie looked like almost the spitting image of his father, the same long face and close stuck ears his dad also had, same build like his father but then he had little touches here and there that resembled his mother, Frances. His nose perhaps and his eyes resembled her a little.
"Having fun there, Babyface?" Freddie asked little Marlene and watched her in the overhead mirror. "Babyface….you're my pretty little babyface….." Freddie sang the little diddy to his daughter and grinned at her in the overhead mirror.
"Yes Daddy!" The little three year old squealed with excitement and bright, wide, blue eyes. "I'm playing with Mickey Mouse!" Little Marlene was holding her little old style felt 1930's Mickey Mouse doll. "I'm telling him all's my secrets!" She said in a cute little whisper.
"Oh…I see." Fred Lay Jr. said. Fred Jr. was known as Freddie by his mother and occasionally by his sister, Helen. "I hope Mickey is a good little boy,...and he makes sure that little Marlene Frances is a good little girl!"
"Da-da! Mickey is a Mouse!" Marlene squealed with laughter.
Freddie laughed softly. "Is he a boy mouse?"
"Yes, Da-da!" Marlene giggled, in a tone like, 'Duh, of course, daddy!'. "You silly!" She grinned at him.
"Oh I am?" Freddie laughed and grinned into the mirror. " I think I know a little Babyface , honeybunch who's really silly! Do you have your Pooh bear?" He asked his little 3 year old.
"Winnie da Pooh!...Daddy, will you read me the Winnie story?" Fred Jr. glanced and saw his baby girl's blue eyes pleading with him and her lower lip scrunched in wondering. "Pwease?!"
"Maybe later, Babyface….When we go to the park."
"We're going to the park?!" She squealed.
Freddie nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "And then guess where we're going to? "
"Ummmmm…..for an ice ceam cone?!" She squealed and Fred JR. laughed as she had mispronounced the word. "Maybe, if you're a good little, Babyface…but we're going to Nonna and Pops' house." They called Freddie's dad "Pops" and Nonna is Italian for Grandma. With Fred Sr., knowing how to speak Italian, they liked the sound of the name Nonna.
"Oh goody! Nonna can read me my stories!"
Freddie smiled as he drove to the Eagle Point Park and he couldn't help but laugh as he was hearing little Marlene singing in the back of the little car, bouncing her Winnie the Pooh bear on her little knees while she sang. She didn't know all the words and Freddie tried not to laugh but she was so cute.
"Mama told me…..I be good…..send me do da stoooore! Said she'd make….gingerbread….I would sweep da floooor! Said I would make da bed….Dust da tenophone! Send me out….buy a chocowate ice ceam cone!"
Freddie laughed softly and joined his little girl in the song. "And so I did the things she said, aaaaand then she maaaade the gingerbread! And sent me out just me alone, ,to buy my chocolate ice cream cone! While coming back I stubbed my toe, upon a big old stone, now need I tell you that I dropped, my chocolate ice cream cone! A little puppy came along, and took a great big LICK!" Just then Marlene made a slurping sound and lost herself in the giggles!
"Uh oh, what happened to my Babyface?!" Freddie glanced in the mirror and was laughing because she was buckled up, but writhing around in the back seat with belly laughs! Marlene grinned with her baby face and her bright eyes shining and decided to continue the song. "And so I hit dat mean old dog, with just a wittle stick!"
"My naughty li'le Babyface!" Freddie laughed and heard her squeal with laughter, "Da-da! Not me!"
"And he bit me, where I sit down. And he chased me all over town! And now I'm lost, can't find my home!"
"Oh no! Will the auto know how to make it back to 716 Providence street?!" Freddie laughed. They had moved from the place down the road from his parents, to a little home on 421 Summit Street briefly, and now to a home of their own on Providence street, just several blocks away.
"You are driving Da-da!" Marlene squealed. "And all because of a chocowate, chocowate, chocowate, chocowate, chocowate ice ceam cooooooone!" Marlene had finished the song and added little extra chocolates to it.
"My pretty lil Songbird Babyface!"
"Da-Da!" She said excitedly.
"What sweetie?" Freddie said as he was driving into the back way of Eagle Point Park. It was a secluded area, with not many houses around.
"The doggie bit the little girl in the heinie!" Marlene squeaked with laughter.
"Don't use the word heinie, Babyface." Freddie tried hard not to laugh. His attention turned to a little car that was parked in the secluded area. The place was unofficially "Lover's Lane" and he smirked slightly, thinking to himself and forgot that little Marlene was in the car for a moment.
"Da-da! Those people are kissy-kissing!" She nearly shouted and started giggling.
"Yes, they are…" Freddie half laughed.
"And you kiss Mama too!" She said, still giggling.
"Yes, Babyface." Freddie chuckled. "Maybe it was a bad idea to come this way…." He thought. The little girl nearly yelled something out the car window and he father told her to hush, embarrassed.
Fred Jr. parked his old Ford by the park fence and got out to let his daughter out. "Let Da-da help you out of your seatbelt, Babyface." He unbuckled it and set her on the ground beside him a moment. "Stand there like my good little Babyface and we'll pick out your toys."
"I want Mickey and Winnie and my tea set and allllll my books!" She said and grinned innocently at her daddy. "Will you play tea party wif me? And Mickey and Winnie and Piglet and Owl have to come too!"
Freddie shook his head. "Sorry Babyface, let's play one at a time…..either your tea set or your books."
Marlene stuck out her lip and her big expressive eyes looked at him with such cute innocence that he thought she was adorable and tried not to chuckle at her. "But Daddy…..I want them both….." the 3 year old whined. " And, Mickey Mouse, and Pooh bear and Owl AND Piglet have to come to our tea party! They just have to!"
"Is that so…" Freddie grinned at her and got down on her level. "Well, then….Mickey…and Pooh and Owl and Piglet and Marlene all better be good…..No tea parties for bad little toys and little girls." He chuckled as Marlene giggled hard and threw her little arms around her daddy.
Fred Lay Jr. couldn't help but smile. "Oh I love being your daddy, Marlene Frances….." He patted her on her little back and grinned.
"I love being your lil Babyface….Honeybunch…Sugarplum….Pumpkin….Sweetie pie…." She said and nodded cutely while she said each word.
Freddie laughed. "That's a new one sweetie!...Who came up with that one?"
"I did, Daddy!"
"Well you're just so smart!" Freddie smiled, picking up his little daughter. She held her Winnie the Pooh dolly by one hand, dangling in the air. It was cute and furry and blond, almost looking like a real bear cub. He held her little Owl toy and Piglet and Mickey with his free arm and the went through the little gate to the back way of the pretty Eagle Point Park. It was pretty with its little roads and buildings and trees and Freddie thought to bring Marlene down to the little fish ponds with their overlooking rock walls and little waterfall. "Daddy, what about my books?!"
"I thought you wanted to play tea party…." He set her down on the first big rock stair and he took a step down and would help her little frame step down each big rock step, nearly dragging her poor little Pooh bear behind her. Finally they stepped off the last big rock step. "Da-da….I want my books!" She whined a little. Freddie set her down on a little bench, near one of the fish ponds.
"Daddy…you forgot my tea set!…." Her lower lip stuck out and big crocodile tears started to fall.
"We can pretend, Marlene…." Freddie said and picked up a big acorn shell and another for her.
"This isn't like my tea set." She said and looked at her dad with an almost Shirley Temple type of look. The scrunch in her eyebrows and below her little lips reminded Freddie of himself when he was little, just a bit. Marlene sighed. "My toys need cups too Daddy!" and so then the little girl scrambled off the little bench and went looking on the ground nearby for more acorn shells. They played tea party for awhile till little Marlene got bored and she took her Winnie the Pooh bear and set him on the rock walkway by the fish pond and sat down next to him and looked out into the water and at all the little fishes. She would squeal when a fish would come close to the pond's surface and a little bubble would escape. She squealed and giggled and kept looking back at her daddy each time it would happen. His furrowed brow would always soften at her laughter and he smiled. Soon he saw she was on the rock ground on all fours, squealing and looking into the water at the fish!
"Don't put your hands in the water, Marlene…." He told her. She had stopped it but later did it again.
" I think it's time to read a book, Babyface!"
"I want my Winnie book!" She said.
"Say please…."
Marlene was silent for a few seconds but ended up saying please after awhile.
"I'll go get your book…..I'll be right back,…." Freddie told her. "Don't stick your hands in the pond, Marlene." He saw that she was obeying and went back to the automobile to get the green book with yellow lettering on the cover. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. This particular book being published a few years before in 1930. Freddie came back with the green book and a Dick and Jane book for later…..And he found Marlene playing in the water in the little waterfall.
"Don't play in the water Marlene…." He told her sternly. His brow furrowing once again. He took her by the little hand and they went away from the fish pond and sat down at a tree to read and look at the book. Freddie pointed at all the little drawings on the map of the Hundred Acre Wood. "There's Kanga's house…and Pooh Bears house…..And where the Woozle wasn't…and Rabbit's house…" Freddie chuckled as he saw all the misspelled words and little writings…."Oh, look right there's, there's Christopher Robin….." He proceeded to read the little book and he pointed to each character on every page and asked his little girl who each character was. Her responses were oh so cute and Freddie smiled each time, soaking up every moment. He loved to read to her, and to see her learning. After awhile he saw his daughter getting cranky so he thought it was time to go and so he led her back up the rock steps. It was a bit hard as children and others were climbing down too. Both on the rock steps and rock walls.
"I want to climb, Da-da!" She squealed.
"No-no…." Fred Jr. told his 3 year old spunky daughter. "You're much too little." He soon got her in the back set of the car with her little books and toys and buckled her in. She looked so tiny in the big back seat of the car with her toys and things around her. "I know a little girl that needs to stop whining and be good or she'll spend her time in the car when we're at Nonna and Pop's house." His gaze caught a woman waving at him in the park a ways across. He smiled to himself and waved to the lady who was out with her family. He knew who she was but didn't know her all that well. His thoughts drifted to when he was just a bit older than Marlene and a little girl named Della Kelley, who lived just around the corner from the Lay's home when she was a child. She would walk past their house on the way to her school, the Fulton school, and would see Freddie every morning. Freddie and Della wouldn't say much to each other in passing but they would wave to each other like they now had just done, and that was good enough for them. Della was married now too and had a family of her own too. "Boy does time fly…" Freddie said to himself. He drove for his childhood home on Peru Road and saw his mother and sister sitting on the little red swinging bench. Fred Jr. soon pulled up and parked up next to them on the little road before you went up the pretty little hill where only a few homes were. The little brick Gruber homestead in the woods being one of them.
"Hello Freddie…" Frances said, getting up from the bench. She had been out enjoying the warm summer day with Helen swinging on the little red bench, reading a Boxcar children's book. She loved to read,…. even if it was a children's book. She found herself daydreaming about reading it to her little Baby she would meet in just a few months, when he or she….She hoped "he" that is,….got quite a bit older of course. Freddie had gotten out of the automobile and wrapped his mother in a hug and started to dig his little news articles out of his pocket. "Got something to show you and Pop!"
"And what about me?!" Helen asked sassily, a hand resting on her belly. "Moosejaw…." She giggled at her older brother and called him her old nickname for him when they were small, and she saw that his jaw was jutting out slightly like it had always done when he would tease her or if he said something funny. "Did I hear something?!...I don't see anybody on that little red bench over there….." he laughed and went to hug his sister. She was trying to get her pregnant self up from her spot but she started to laugh and slumped back down. "How's my baby sister? Good I hope…..And why are you two pretty ladies all dressed up today?" Freddie hugged her and sat down next to her. Frances was wearing a blue and white polka dot dress and Helen was wearing a nice plain blue dress.
"I have a doctor's appointment today…." Helen replied. "Wanted to be right in style." She chuckled and they talked and laughed shortly till a little voice came from inside the little parked car. "Daddy! I want out!...I'm a good girl!"
Freddie chuckled and started to get up from the little red swinging bench .
"No, I'll get her, Freddie…" Frances called and she opened the auto door and sat down next to her little granddaughter.
"Nonna!" The little curly blonde haired toddler squealed. "Nonna! Nonna! Nonna!" Marlene squealed and held her little arms out to Frances.
"Hello honey…." Frances said while chuckling slightly at her squirming little granddaughter. She unbuckled her and gave her a big hug, sitting in the back of the car. "Pooh bear wants a hug too!" Marlene said and stuck the little furry toy in her Grandma's face who couldn't help but giggle with her brown eyes sparkling. There always seemed to be a lively twinkle in them….but even more so being a Grandma. Frances adored being a Grandma now. She scooped little Marlene up in her arms. "Nonna….I'm so happy!" She squealed, laying her head on her Grandma's shoulder as she gave her a big hug!
"I'm so happy for that, Sweetheart!" Frances smiled. "I'm SO happy to see you!"
"Nonna! My Dick and Jane book!" Marlene exclaimed. "Read to me?!"
"What do you say to, Nonna?" Freddie asked his little daughter, getting up from the little red bench.
"Pwease?!" Marlene asked, her eyes shining. "Oh alright….Come, come…" Frances smiled and led her little granddaughter by the little hand and guided her to the little red swinging bench and settled her on her lap. And Frances started to read to Marlene, and little Marlene ended up sitting in the middle of her Grandma Frances and her Auntie Helen. "See Jane…..See Jane run…..Run, Jane, Run!..."
"Nonna, that's Me!" Marlene pointed to the little Jane in the book, wearing a red dress just like Marlene was wearing. Helen grinned at her mother, silently giggling at her little niece.
"See Baby. See Baby run. Run…Baby...Run!" Frances read softly.
"…Baby" Marlene smiled and laid her head and hand on her aunt's tummy. "Yes, Marlene, there's a baby in there!" She chuckled. "Be careful now…" she whispered and wrapped an arm around her little niece. "You know that's your little cousin?" Helen whispered and grinned as her niece's eyes lit up.
"Daddy….can YOU have a baby?!" Marlene squealed. Helen and Frances started giggling and looked at Freddie who had an embarrassed smile on his face.. "I want a Baby too!" She said innocently.
"Mama has the babies, honey…." Freddie chuckled. "I want another baby but I have to talk to Mama…"
"How is Irene?" Frances asked, concerned for her daughter-in-law.
"Same, Mama….I actually want to talk to dad about it….I'm trying everything and I still don't know what to do for her…." He said and got real quiet for some time. "It's been a year already, Mama…" Freddie had that same furrowed brow expression on his face but felt like he could cry in front of them.
Frances hugged her grown son and kissed his cheek and whispered comforting words in his ear. "I know….." She said at last and rubbed his strong arm. "Go and talk to your father…..he's working on his auto in the garage, I think…."
"I will.." Freddie said solemnly. "But first….read these, Mama!" and he gave her the little newspaper articles about himself. Which had the date of a couple days ago.
The Dubuque Daily Tribune
Fred Lay to Succeed Haggerty As City Ambulance Driver
Fred G. Lay, will succeed Harry Hagger¬ty, resigned, as a city ambulance driver on July 16.
"Oh, on our anniversary!" Frances exclaimed, smiling. She continued reading.
Lay, a truck driver for the Star Brewing company, scored the highest average, 81.66, in a civil serv¬ice examination taken by eight ap¬plicants Thursday evening at the city hall. Lay also holds a Red Cross first aid instructor's certifi¬cate. He weighs 185 pounds.
Gus I. Fecker finished second high in the list of applicants with a mark of 81.83; Michael D. Mellon wag third with 78.33, Russell H. Gantenbeim [Gantenbein] fourth with 77.06 and Leonard J. Anglin fifth with 72. The other three applicant's aver¬ages were below 70.
Before going on duty on July 16, Lay will receive pointers from Ed Farrell, senior ambulance driver, and will be given an opportunity to familiarize himself with the am¬bulance equipment.
Frances gave her son a warm hug and gave him a big kiss too. No matter how old he got, he was still her baby boy.
"Ma…." Freddie chuckled and smiled at his mother. "Don't get all weepy….." He smiled at his mother and she gave him another big hug! "I'm just so happy for you, Freddie!"
"Read the other one Mama…." He grinned. "It's about the same though…."
The Telegraph-Herald
NEW AMBULANCE DRIVER IS NAMED
Fred George Lay Appointed To Succeed Haggerty
City Manager A. A. Rhomberg Saturday announced the appointment of Fred George Lay, as city ambulance driver. Lay was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Harry Haggerty, who has returned to his former employment as railroad brakeman.
The new driver will assume duties Wednesday.
The city manager said that the new driver had the highest average of those who recently took a civil service examination for the position. He has had two years of experience as a chauffeur and has also passed the American Red Cross first aid course…."
"Oh, I'll be a mushy puddle of tears if I keep this up!" Frances exclaimed, wiping her face and hugging her adult son, standing there, tall and proud in front of her. "Two jobs!...I'm so proud of you! Oh, but you're going to so busy with home and work!"
"I'll manage….I'm sure." Freddie nodded and turned to go and walk down to little garage where his dad was. "Think I'm nearly ready to take the fireman's exam too."
"Daddy!" Marlene exclaimed.
"What honey?" Freddie stood on the little bank by the house and put a hand on his hip and looked at her with his scrunched brow. He was slightly irritated with his little girl and really needed to talk to his dad….And show him the newspaper articles too.
"You forgot my ice ceam cone!"
Freddie sighed. "You're right…I did. We'll talk about it later…."
"Has she had lunch yet? The Grandma in me wants to know." Frances giggled.
"Oh shoot….I forgot that too." He said.
"Don't worry, I'll feed her." Frances smiled.
"Thanks Ma…." Freddie said and walked over the little bank to where his dad was in the garage.
Frances then turned to her cute little granddaughter. "How do berry sandwiches sound?"
"Yummy!" Marlene said eagerly. "And peanut butter too?!"
Frances nodded. "And iced cocoa!"
"And after lunch we'll just have to all go out and get your ice cream cone, Marlene. " Helen said. "I think some strawberry icey cream sounds delightful right now!" Helen and Marlene grinned at each other and the little toddler's eyes were shining bright.
"Keep eating as you are sweetheart and you'll regret it later." Frances chuckled.
"I can't help it I have an excuse…" Helen smiled. "Baby's favorite!" She joked.
Helen later began to read books to little Marlene. Frances smiled and gazed at the two of them. "Getting some practice in, daughter?"
Helen beamed at her mother and softly patted Marlene's little arm, sitting next to her on the little red swinging bench. "I think I want a little girl now, Mama…."
"Well…" Frances smiled. " A month or two from now and you'll find out….."
"Hey Pop!" Freddie crooned, walking over to his dad's garage. The doors were wide open, with Fred working on his automobile. Freddie's hand smoothed over the letters on the door and he smiled. "FRED LAY SR." it said in black lettering on the rough wooden door. "Seen these yet?"
"Hey, Jr…." Fred smiled at his son and skimmed over the article. "Yeah….my coworkers were talking about that…." Fred Sr. started to laugh. "A fellow asked me, "Lay, are you quitting the brewery?! You're the best worker we got! I said, "No, that's my boy!...I'm Fred J. Lay.….he's Fred G." Fred grinned slyly. "I'm right proud of you son. You'll still work at the Brewery?"
"For awhile, dad. I'm hoping to take the fireman's exam soon…and well, if I get on with them…Well, Pop, I'll work at the Brewery for as long as I can." Fred nodded and turned his attention to his little Model T Ford. Fred Jr. picked up a tool and decided to help him. "Thanks for the help with my auto, dad."
"Sure thing…" He said without looking up from his tasks. "Thing's caught fire twice right?...You didn't take Marlene out in that thing, did ya?" He asking, glancing at his grown son.
"Well…yeah….Fixed now."
"Better hope so…" he said tightening something on the car. "What's on your mind, son?"
"Dad, it's Irene…..I don't know what to do about her. Nothing's been right with us since a year ago….I'm not trying to sound insensitive, but geez, don't ya think she'd begin to heal already?"
"You do sound that way." Fred said sternly. "Son, I'm surprised at you!….She carried that baby girl in her body for 9 months. You two lost her 3 days after she was born…..That's a hard thing to get over…"
"Pop, I ain't saying it still don't hurt…..it still hurts me sometimes. But life goes on."
"That it does…but you need to help that woman out. She's your wife, son."
"Dad, I do everything! Cook, clean…take care of Marlene. Irene tries, but it don't always get done. I'm doing my best…..but I can't keep things running like she…well...used to!"
"Son, you're going to have to realize there'll be times where she just can't do the things she said she'd do and you'll have to help her. Be her support…..Talk it over with her. Don't yell…that solves nothing. Just talk." Fred went back to his car repair work, still listening to his son talk.
"Pop, I try…..but it ends in a big blown up fight. And…Dad, she wont even let me touch her! Even when I try to be the least bit intimate, she pushes me away….What do I do so wrong?!"
"Son, there's gonna be times like that in your marriage….you've done nothing wrong. Just be patient with her, boy. Sex ain't about what you get out of it…."
"C'mon Dad…" Freddie glanced at him, slyly.
"I'm serious….Sex should be about giving. You pay attention to what she likes! And if you're both giving, you're both getting!" Fred grinned at his son, nudging him. "Guess we should've had this chat a few years ago…."
"Do you and Mama?...On second thought…never mind." Fred Jr. chuckled a bit.
"You bet we do! Keeps you young…..Everything still works just fine too." Fred grinned and tightened a bolt. "I know what she likes, she knows what I like…..but it takes time for it to be that way….You'll get there, boy. Give her time though. She needs more time to heal…I remember your momma went through a time like that too….I may not have been very happy at the time, but I respected that she just didn't want to be touched or held and so on…..Be patient with her. Give her the time she needs…. "
"Sometimes I'm just sick of it all…." Freddie said quietly after awhile. He was so frustrated.
Fred looked up almost shocked. "You don't want a divorce from her…do you son? Boy,…you've got a child together….."
"No…Pop….It just frustrating sometimes. I want us to be over this already. "
"Give it time….just keep doing what you're doing. I'd say your doing a fine job, son."
"Thanks dad…"
"You're welcome. Now go home…talk to your wife."
A few moments later Frances and Helen with little Marlene came over to the garage where father and son were. "We've got to get Helen to her doctor's appointment, Fred." Frances said to her husband. "Eddie's meeting us there."
"I know…I'm about done fixing the auto."
"I thought we'd walk, Papa…." Helen said. "I need my exercise after all."
"If that's what you want to do…."
"I can give you and Mama a ride, sis." Freddie told his sister. "It's no trouble."
"I said I'm fine with walking…." Helen insisted. "Here, take your daughter! She's getting much too heavy for me!" She laughed a little.
Frances told her husband she would be back to make supper, and then stole a peck on the lips and with that, mother and daughter set off down the little road, crossing the little wooden bridge and went on walking down more of Peru Road and were soon out of sight.
"Hey Pop, can you do me a favor?" Freddie asked, holding a squirming little Marlene.
"Sure son,…." Fred said, chuckling at watching him with his little lively granddaughter.
"I was hoping I could go home and talk to Irene alone….can you watch Marlene for me for awhile?"
"Why sure son….I can do that." Fred said. "Your Ma fed her already I see." He said, chuckling and saw the little berry stain on the little one's cheek that didn't get quite cleaned up.
"Yeah." Fred Jr. chuckled. "Just put her down for a nap if she gets too cranky….Thanks dad!" He said and gave Fred the little 3 year old. He grinned at her and touched her cute little nose with his. "You want to help Pops pick grapes?" the little girl grinned and nodded her little head. Fred took his little granddaughter into the house as Fred Jr. drove off for his little house on Providence Street. "We just need a couple of Nonna's tin buckets and then you can help pick grapes!"
He guided her back outside and up into the little woods where his German grape vines were. They were so much taller than little Marlene, but Fred kept her close to him and had his eye on her, till he got focused on picking grapes and she walked off into the other row and sat down on the ground and started to eat the grapes in her little bucket. Fred walked into the other row of grape vines and saw her there. He wasn't angry with her. He never got too riled up about anything. In fact, he thought it was cute! Fred stood there with his filled bucket and an empty one in hand, and stood there chuckling softly at his little granddaughter with her own tiny bucket, eating grapes. "Nice little snack, huh?" Fred's low voice crooned softly. Little Marlene grinned at him with her bright shining blue eyes and ate more grapes from her little bucket. Fred chuckled at her and went back to picking grapes in his empty large tin bucket. "That'll keep her busy and out of trouble." He said to himself.
"All dressed up for your Dr.'s appointment, huh?" Frances smiled and then started to laugh a little and she thought of the little story of her mother, pregnant, all dressed up in Sunday best, and fighting In the street with a family of three rotten neighbors,…till the Gruber's dog Jack came running and broke up the fight, biting the head of household in the seat of his pants….. "Just don't go fighting in the street like my mother…She seemed to do that a lot!" they both laughed and talked of all sorts of family stories as they walked.
"When isn't Grandma on the warpath?!" Helen laughed. "I sure hope I haven't inherited some of her traits!"
"Sorry daughter…I think we both have. " Frances laughed and so did Helen.
Gilbertha lay with her husband in their bed, tangled up in the bedsheets, face to face. He had just kissed her and placed kisses on her neck when she rolled over and sat up and closed her eyes.
"What are you doing?" He sat up and grabbed for his new eyeglasses and put them on.
Bert half lay there, with eyes shut and hands on her bare stomach. "Trying to feel…." Paul thought he saw a tear slip down her cheek. "Sometimes I swear I don't feel the baby…..And it scares me so much!" She kept her hands on her belly and looked at Paul with tears in her eyes and he then kissed her and wrapped her up in his soft embrace. "Everything's going to be alright…." Bert felt his arms around her again and let out a breath of relief at his loving touch and also she finally felt her unborn babe move again. "Paul….what's wrong with me?!" Bert whispered and he felt her start to cry.
"Nothing…." He roughly whispered, with tears on his cheeks.
"We've been through so much already…It took us so long to even get pregnant…..And then I lost two…or three, we weren't sure if I was even pregnant the one time and I bled so much….Paul, I don't think I could handle a stillbirth!" Bert said at last, she looked at him and could hardly see his face through her tears. She almost lost herself in tears and Paul embraced her and stayed like that with her till he felt her stop crying. "It would just crush me!"
"You won't have a stillborn…." He assured her and kissed her milky-white shoulder. "Everything is going to be fine…" he whispered and his hand lovingly grazed her middle. "..but if you want we can set up an extra Dr. appointment just to check things out."
"Oh Paul…." She took a deep breath and let it out as tears came again. "Is it my age?"
Paul laughed softly, "Sweetheart,…you're only 25!"
"I mean…I'm older than you….Our age difference…."
"I'm 22. 3 years is not much of a difference….we're young. It doesn't matter." Paul wrapped her up in his arms once again gave her a long, soft kiss and she seemed lose herself in his arms and he felt her lay her head against his bare chest.
"Thank you for giving me this baby….." Bert whispered and Paul felt soft kisses and tears fall on his chest. "We've wanted this for 4 years….it seems like an eternity!"
Paul held her and kissed her head and smoothed her dark hair. "I should say thank you…you're the one giving life… You're the one who's carrying my baby…..so thank you." He said softly and locked eyes with her as she looked up at him. She had tears in her brown eyes and a look of love in them.
"You're the one doing all the hard work." He said and smiled. "You're an amazing woman….You're MY wife…and I love you." He whispered and smoothed her long, dark tresses.
Fred Lay Jr. came into his little house and saw his wife Irene in the kitchen trying to wash dishes in the tin wash basin. "I'm home, honey." He whispered and lay a hand on her shoulder and felt her tense up and he released his hand. "Where's Marlene?" She questioned quietly.
"At my Mama and Pop's…." Freddie told her. "I wanted to talk to you alone…." He said and wrapped his arms around her waist, standing behind her at the wash basin.
"Frederick…" she started to say.
"I did some talking with dad….about…what's all happened since last year…" he whispered.
"Nothing's been right in my life since last year!" Irene said, angrily. "I'm tired of hurting….I'm so depressed…" She said with tears in her eyes.
"Honey…you know we can always have another baby…." Freddie said and softly kissed her neck and smoothed back her light brown hair away from her face and neck.
"Don't kiss me…." She said coldly with tears in her eyes. "I have an idea just what that will lead to and I don't want it…."
"Don't you want me anymore? Wouldn't you want another baby?..." Fred Jr. asked his wife and looked at her. "I do…." He said softly. "I love children….I wouldn't mind a whole house full of them. I love being a Daddy…."
"Is that all you care about is getting me pregnant?" Irene asked coldly. "…And having another baby isn't going to bring back our baby girl we lost….Having another baby won't and cannot replace her!" Irene spoke as hot tears slid down her cheeks and she wiped them away as quickly as they ran down…."I loved her the moment I knew she was on the way….the very moment I saw her… the moment I first held her….I was her mother…." Irene engulfed in sobbing and Fred Jr. could hardly hear or make out what she was saying. "I will not have the same thing happen again!...I can't take it!"
"Don't…blame….yourself!" He told her sternly. "It was a heart defect, Irene! We couldn't control that!" Fred Jr. raised his voice….."You blame me…..don't you." He said softly at last, though a slight anger shone in his eyes. "I can't help it that heart issues run in my side of the family…."
"STOP putting words in my mouth!….." Irene yelled at him in tears and went into their bedroom. Freddie followed her but she locked the door. His fist stopped just at the door and he decided not to knock and went into his office to cool down and give Irene some time alone. He rummaged through the papers on his desk and wasn't even looking at them. He ended up opening a drawer and found her little obituary….tears poured from his eyes as he read it and the memory came flooding back. She died in the hospital three days after her birth in 1934 and they never took her home.
"INFANT LAY
The infant daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Fred Lay Jr., (formerly) of 421 Summit Street, died at Mercy Hospital, Saturday morning. Burial, was made Monday morning in Mount Calvary cemetary. The child is survived by its parents and one sister, Marlene."
Freddie's tear glossed eyes fell upon a framed picture and he sat there in his office chair staring at it. His office was going to be the baby girl's nursery and Freddie had kept the little framed page of a little character in one of Marlene's extra Dick and Jane books . It was a picture of the Baby Sally character in the little yellow dress with a head of wispy blonde curls. Fred stared at the framed page and walked over to the edge of his desk and shoved it over. He saw a little square border piece of some dusty pink wallpaper.
Irene stood in the doorway with tears in her eyes. She saw her husband slouching, with his fist resting on the wall in front of him, just staring,
"You kept a piece of her wallpaper….." she whispered and her voice shook. Freddie turned his head and looked at her and he felt tears well up in his dark eyes. He ran a hand through his wavy dark hair and looked at the wall again. "And a decoration…" he whispered quietly, touching the framed page of the little blonde baby girl. "Sometimes I picture her looking like this…is that so stupid…."
"No…" Irene whispered, thought it was barely audible.
"I never meant to mean another child would replace her, Irene…." Fred Jr. said after moments of silence, and they had been just staring at each other at a loss for words. Freddie looked at the framed picture again. "I always thought Jane would be a nice middle name for her…." He spoke up, mentioning the other character in the Dick and Jane book.
"Frederick George….I don't want to name her…" Irene's voice shook and hot tears slid down her cheeks once again. "Why name her now?...she's gone…" Irene was silent for a very long time. "I liked the name Vivian…..or Viola after my sister" she later confessed "…can we…please….save it for later on?" She said softly.
Freddie walked over to her, his slightly stocky form stood in front of her. He looked her straight in the eyes, with a confused look. His swarthy eyebrows scrunched. "I thought you didn't want any more babies…."
Irene breathed out roughly, her short plump figure standing in front of him. "I was angry….hurt, when I said that…." She let out a breath. "Not now….Not right away…" She allowed him to hug her and he caressed her cheek softly. "Please…give me a few years to get close to you again. I want to wait a year or two…..please."
Freddie held her and ended up softly kissing her on the forehead. "I'll wait for as long as you need me to….until you're ready….Irene, I love you…." He whispered. "We will get through this."
Author's Notes: I do not know the exact timeline, but Fred G. Lay indeed worked as a driver for the Dubuque Star Brewing Company, he worked as an ambulance driver and CPR instructor for the Red Cross, and also as a fireman in Dubuque.
I thought of having Freddie and Marlene visit Dairy Queen which is right in the neighborhood of Eagle Point Park, but DQ wasn't there in that location until the 1940s. They did however have a concessions stand at Eagle Point. If you have never been there, I encourage you to visit! It is beautiful. Definitely visit the fish pond! It will not disappoint!
The newspaper articles are from the 1940's. This chapter though, is set in 1935.
Nonna is Grandma in Italian. I think it is so cute. My great great grandfather Fred J. Lay knew how to speak Italian so that's why I put it in there. Much cuter than Oma, which is Grandmother in German. I don't know what Marlene really called her Grandma Frances. Apparently they called Fred, Pop or Pops. Helen referred to him as a "Pawpaw" once in one of her letters as a cute joke. "No, I've never heard of a Pawpaw unless you mean my father." She wrote.
The character Della, known by her maiden name in this chapter is a sweet, 106 year old lady at the nursing home I work at. She indeed walked by the Lay's home every morning on her way to the Fulton school, and would see Freddie and they would just wave to each other and that was good enough for them. I asked her if I could mention her in my little chapter here and gave her my cute idea and she said I could. I love to talk to that sweet lady about how things used to be in my neighborhood of Peru Road. My Grandpa Dale always said, "If you have a dear friend or loved one….write about that person." Della told me the Lay's were good, quiet people who never bothered anyone. They just kept to themselves. Perhaps that's where I get some of my shyness from.
I don't know how Freddie really was with his children, so I used my imagination. I assume he was a family man. It broke his heart when his adult son, William Lay, was killed in an airplane crash. I just used my imagination with him calling Marlene, "Babyface" and the song, etc.
Strawberry ice cream was my Grandpa Dale's favorite! Lol. He is the little unborn baby in this chapter. So I thought to add that.
The song, toys and books 1930's in this chapter were all produced in the 1920's and 1930's.
In almost all his pictures I have seen of Freddie, he has this furrowed brow. So that was my inspiration for that. He was a real funny guy apparently and always had a joke to tell. My Grandpa Dale said he was a hunter, fisherman and a professional mink trapper and the most practical person he ever knew. His sister Helen indeed nicknamed him Moose jaw as his jaw would just out when he would joke or say something funny, according to my Grandpa Dale.
Remember, Paul and Bert's situation is my idea. They never had any children…that we know of. I'm just thinking of what could have happened.
Freddie and Irene went on to have two other children. William "Billy" Lay, (born in 1937) who died in an airplane accident as an adult, which broke Fred Jr.'s heart…..And Vivian Lay (born in 1941)
In Baby Girl Lay's obituary I found online, it said they lived on Summit Street. I just changed it a little. I do not know how she died…I used my imagination with having it be a heart defect which could have happened as heart trouble did run in the Lay family via my great great grandfather Fred Lay and his parents and perhaps my great grandma Helen too. She had to have a pacemaker put in… .….. It seemed like Freddie and his family moved a lot. There were several addresses for Fred G. Lay through the years.
The way Freddie acted and their fight, I took inspiration from one comment of Freddie's. It was said that he said he'd better get back to work so his wife could eat….And called her fat. I thought, that wasn't nice Freddie!...And no marriage is perfect. Everyone fights once in awhile….but what matters is if you can work through it. And with the pain of losing a child, that's real stuff there.
We owned the little red swinging bench Frances had owned. Frances had passed it onto her daughter Helen and then we owned it too. Frances didn't get it till the 1950s though. But I used it here because it is special to me. Our yard is not the same without it.
The official Lovers Lane was a steeply pitched ascent from the south from West 5th. It had a wooden sidewalk with high wooden side walls. A family member though, told me couples would sneak up behind the back entrance Eagle Point Park at night. Scandalous. Lol.
