Chapter Two - One Woman's Journey!

Inside the house, she poured the pail of water into the bigger container of drinking water. She loved being the first to get a drink of the fresh water, so taking the dipper she filled it with enough to get a good soothing drink of the coldest freshest water she had ever tasted, and then replaced the dipper into the bucket.

No one thought of how unsanitary it was to drink from the same dipper. Everyone did it. She had learned to stand away from the bucket to drink, so as not to let any droplets that fell from her chin back into the bucket.

"Get from over the bucket!" Mother had warned on many occasions, and each time she seemed to misunderstand. She heard, "Doris, get over the bucket!" When she did as she heard, her Mother would yell again, "Get from over the bucket!"

Eventually she understood what her Mother was trying to say and from then on, she got "away" from the bucket whereas the water dripped onto the floor instead.

It was 1953 when there was no such thing as the lazy days of summer, at least not at the Tanner household. Maybe when the summer chores were done, there might be a time for reading or singing, but not until Mama finally said the word. Today was one of those days. Doris went into the small bedroom just off the living room, and picked up the guitar. The guitar was one of her Daddy's prized possessions, but he had been glad to show her how to cord the keys of G, C, F and D. Even with sore fingers from days of trying, she had a passion for learning to play the guitar. Not like anyone in particular, just to be able to play and sing would be good enough."On a Hill far away," she softly sang stopping to change keys before starting again. "Stood an old rugged cross," she paused once more to place her fingers on the right strings before continuing.

"The emblem of suffering and shame" With each key change it became easier for her fingers to go to the right strings without thinking about what she was trying to accomplish. "And I love that old Cross where the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain!" She sat into late afternoon strumming and singing the same song, determined to get it right. She was not aware of an audience in the dining room. As far as she was concerned, she was alone with the much-loved guitar letting her voice come naturally to the melody she played. There would be time later when her confidence was peaked to show her father what she had learned from his few instructions. Surely, he would be proud of her efforts. She was still unsure of what to do with her right hand while the left held down the strings. That could come later when Daddy had time to stop and show her. As for now, she gently placed the guitar on the bed, where she placed the pick interwoven through the strings to be there when she returned. Daddy did not like it when the pick was gone.

On first meeting, one would be hard pressed to learn she was a loner. There were no signs of a loner when only family was around for she always found something to talk about. Not everyone wanted to hear the prating of a thirteen-year-old girl, but that did not keep her from speaking and adding a thought to the conversation. Often what she said brought a laugh, which made her feel good enough to interject something else in hopes to bring a laugh. Her Dad did not always see the humor in what she said, however his quiet disapproval slowed her down ver little.

Nina was quiet and reserved, but Doris found her easy to talk with. Nina was nineteen months older, and she hung on each word Nina said. It was she who told Doris about the times of a month that comes to show us “we are a woman”. It took Mama to help her prepare the rags for use during those “periods”. However, from her limited knowledge, Nina told her about the birds and bees.

“Don’t get too close to boys”, she said as they were walking down the road toward their Grandma’s house.

“Really?” Doris asked in surprise. She had never heard of such a thing. Other than cousins, she had no frame of reference to a boyfriend.

“Well it is OK to kiss a boy or hold hands, but nothing more than that until after you are married.” Nina stumbled as she tried to explain.

“I don’t fully understand, but I’ll keep that in mind”, Doris said softly as they turned and started back up the gravel road toward home. The uncomfortable subject changed to something more mutually understanding.

The rest of the story she would learn from her friends at school, like Gail or Norma, who had received the information from their sister, or maybe even their mother. Moreover, before too many months after school started, one was about as learned in the ways of the birds and bees as one could be in those days. Misinformation as well as opinionated information.

Nina had done her part so she could report back to Mama that the "talk" was done.