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I remember a few of the cars we had when I was growing up. A Ford or
Mercury was first choice, our family car would usually be one or the other.  Exceptions
had to be made once in a while, one was the time we had a Nash coupe that didn't have a
back seat. That car was not designed to be a family car. My brother Dub and I had to lay in the back window when we all went
off together. In the summertime it was hot back there and you know you don't
like being that close to your brother touching him and all. I remember having a
1946 Ford sedan and a 1946 Ford Coupe with the little fold out jump sears in the
back. It seems like daddy was always working on our car just to keep it running.
He always dreamed about getting a new one. Remember when the new cars were about
to go on display, they would come in all covered up, the dealership would
hide them and cover the windows of the show room so you couldn't see them until
that designated day of unveiling. We were always some of the first to see
every little difference for the new year. Well the year was 1953 and things were
going pretty good for us at this
time. My father was a mechanic for Bowie Ford in Monroe, NC. It was time to get a new car, it would be our first new
car and it would
have to be a Ford or as it turned out it was a brand new, dark green 1953
Mercury two door coupe, "wow!" That thing was a beauty and with
a flat head V-8 it would run like a scalded dog. My uncle H.E. Hunnicutt and Aunt
Frances bought a new 1953 Ford at the same time. H..E. and my father were very competitive
with each other in everything, I remember one day they even had a tape measure
out
checking just to see which was the longest (the Mercury was). We thought it was
the fastest and the prettiest.
My father was into flying airplanes now. He had a Piper J-3 Cub and spent
most all of his time either at work, or at an airport somewhere. That's another
story. My father had met a man that took him under his wing so to speak. That
man was Johnny Crowell. Johnny was somewhat of an inventor, and a pioneer in
aircraft. He was known for his daring antics, achieving what most would not dare
to try. Johnny and my father were inseparable, they spent many hours together.
When we would go off and Johnny would be with us my brother Dub and I would
fight over which would sit on the opposite side of the car. You see Johnny
chewed tobacco and would spit out the window and some would come back into the
back seat every time. Our car would be streaked down the side with tobacco juice
when we got to where we were going. One day not long after we got the new
Mercury my father and Johnny were going to the airport and my brother Sidney,
(four years old) wanted to go with them. Daddy agreed to let him go. Now you
must know that my daddy would not allow any disrespect for Mr. Crowell and so
you can imagine what he felt when  Sidney told Mr. Crowell that he couldn't be
spitting on his daddy's new car. Daddy was embarrassed and became furious with
Sidney and told him he would have to stay home. Sidney didn't understand and
cried. My mother talked to daddy and he decided to let him go but he didn't tell
Sidney. Moma told Sidney to hide behind the front seat and after he was gone
daddy wouldn't bring him back. Sid hid in the floorboard behind the seat and
after a while became restless and my daddy decided it was time to discover his
presence. He looked over the back of the seat and said "boy what are you
doing here". Daddy stopped the car and told Sid he was going to have to get
out and walk back home, this could be bad! After a minute or so daddy decided
that Sidney could go with them this time. Sidney feeling secure that he was not
going to have to walk back home now felt confident once again. He raised up from
the floorboard and raised a little can up in the direction of Mr. Crowell and
said " "You'll have to use this can so you won't get tobacco spit on my
daddy's new car" ! *@ ^*# |
