Page 31 - BoringStoriesPolyKidswArtwork_Neat

We ended up, finally, in Austin, Texas, where we set up residence at Rankin
Court on one of the highways into Austin. Rankin Court was a predecessor
of what we call motels today. There were cabins arranged on either side of an
open-air central commons area. The cabins were nothing elaborate, just a
very small living room, kitchen-dining, bedroom and a bathroom. Most of the
residents were, like us, semi-permanent and not just traveling through.

Our father had to get up very early in the morning to get to the University of
Texas, so he set an alarm clock to awaken him. Unfortunately, the alarm also
woke up baby Elaine. She would begin crying and that would then wake up
all of us. Our father thought on the situation and eventually rigged up the
alarm so that the bell would not ring, but, instead, the apparatus would turn
a switch that would turn on a light by his bed. The light would awaken him
without bothering anyone else!

The stay in Austin was a mix of experiences, most of them very good. There
was not much to do at Rankin Motor Court, only a scrubby dirt and rock field
behind the courtyard, and Edda and I soon exhausted all the exploration we
could do. There were other children at the court, but, for the most part, they
viewed us as “different”. They would not readily associate with us. Perhaps
it was the fact that we spoke Spanish among ourselves, but it may have
simply been that we were the “newest” kids at Rankin Court. It was our first
taste of discrimination, something we simply did not understand. The kids
would taunt us and yell ugly names at us. Once, when a group of children
were taunting and throwing rocks at us, I picked up a small rock, and, in
frustration, threw it back at them! Oh, gosh, wouldn't you know it? The rock
landed on a girl’s head! I never heard such wailing! For a moment or two, the
thought went through my mind that I had killed her. The other kids warned us
that we would “really get it now!” I was reprimanded, all right, but it was
nothing compared to the terrible feeling of having deliberately hurt another
person. A reprimand, after we knew she was going to live, was really quite
comforting!

We saw our first catfish at the court. The owner of the court liked to go
fishing and would often come home and clean his fish outside his cabin. He
did not mind if Edda and I looked on. Once he came home with a huge
catfish! It was taller than we were! I could not imagine a fish being that big!

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