Norma Jean........1956 If you had seen Norma Jean back in 1956, you would have thought she was sickly and under nourished for she had legs that was skinny, knot kneed and really she was funny looking. but, she turned out to be a very special lady, one day! 1956 Having left the farm and moving into town, going from a small country school to where each grade had it's own classroom was something beyond me! Why, they even had gas heatrers for the winter and did not have to stoak the wood stove for heat. Smith, elemantary was a new school put out by a new tax on the taxpayers for just a short time, untill the bonds had been payed off. It was my 5th grade year when we moved to town, from the farm and a eye opening expirence. Dad and Mom, had bought a 2 bedroom small frame home in a brand new spanking sub division close to the new elemantery school. The house had a bath and 2 bedrooms, no hall, for it was modern. sister and I slept in one bedroom on different beds and Dad and Mom took the smaller bedroom. The back yard was the biggest yard in the neighborhood and here is where many sandlot baseball games were played! It was on a corner lot and had lots and lots of other kids my age or older, younger, living close by. Why, this house even had a attic fan for cooling in the hot Arkansas summers. Many, nights I layed and as the wind blew thru my window, raised my sheet to catch this wind and made my own tent. Each school day was something different and one of the things that caught my eye was the junior patrol who dirrected traffic both before school and after school let out for the day. I would stand at my intersecttion and watch for an hour as these upper classmen directed traffic. Now, to be on the junior patrol, one had to put his name in the cap for the following year as I was told by my graduating 6th grade class members. so, one day before the end of my 5th year of school, I shyly made my way to the school's principal's office to do so. She was a "LADY", spoke to everybody the same. Rich or poor made no difference to this lady, she was a professional educator. Right, before the school year ended in 1956 the names were drawn for the next year's junior patrol and my name came up right at last. I was in the "IN" crowd and just a country hick! Each day right before school let out for the day the next year's patrol got to go with the upper classman and observe what to do for the upcoming year. I liked this for it got me out of 5th grade english class which I thought was a big waste of time. the last day of the school year of 1956 the upper classmen put us all new patrol members for the next year on each different intersections so they could see our mistakes we did! I made many mistakes that afternoon but saw a very skinny girl who was in the 6th grade , hanging close by and admiring my work directing traffic. She, leaned up aganist the big old Gum tree and said not one word, she just smiled everytime I looked her way. She, was from the richy side of town by the main highway. They, lived in a home that had been handed down thru centuries and were very well to do by my standards, being a country boy! Sandlot baseball games came nearly every day or the day after at my backyard that summer of 1956 and sometimes we were short a few players and had to play a game of "Workup"......but, on the weekends, the yard was full and we had to choose sides. Captains, were determined by the most popular as all things go by and stood galantly as they chose members to be on thier team. I allways feared of being chose last of the day, but never was. One day late into summer, Norma Jean and a couple of her friends came over to the yard from several blocks away to watch but became players for we were short handed a few players . Most girls cannot do squat in a game of sandlot baseball but take up space but not Norma Jean............... for after that day everyone wanted her on their team. She could be a first baseman and strecth those long legs out and nearly reach the pitcher's mound with those long arms of hers and field a baseball better than most guys and kept her mouth shut when she made a goood play. Norma Jean that summer of 1956, was a keeper,and she had the eyes for a country bumbkin that did not know what was what! 1957, saw Norma Jean in a different school than the one ,her boyfriend was in but she kept up the note campaign with out abandone. She was now in high school where the 7th --thru the 12th grades went in one big 3 story building! She wrote daily of silly things of poppy tailed blue birds and mushy stuff. She wrote of watching me as a new recruit for the junior patrol and of waters flowing over rocks n the crick, the sounds it makes and.......I thought this stuff was hogwash and ignored her. Every Saturday during the school year of 1957, was a matineee at the local movie house just for the school kids. Now, anyone who thought thier stuff did not stink went there on Saturday's. With a date or not. I DID NOT have the 25 cents to go and stayed home. One Saturday the phone rang and it was Norma Jean asking me out on a genuine date. It seemd like that "ANNIE OAKLEY" with coleman milk was going to be in town at the local movie house and give a show with Johne Wayne playing in the Settlers! Annie Oakley, was also going to do some skits before and after the movie, with her pearl handled 6-shooters. Now no one in his right mind is going to turn down a chance to go see ANNIE OAKLEY twill them 6-shooters around and prance around in her short leather skirt, no sir yeee ! I acepted the date and said I would meet her outside the movie house. No, she said, but that her Mother was going to drive us and come get us.........I WAS UPTOWN PICKKING COTTEN. here I had a upper classmen picking me up on a date and bringing me home in a car, when every one else would be walking! to be cont'd Norma Jean........1956 It had been the talk of our school all week about Annie Oakley coming to the Ritz theater on Saturday and I like most 12 year olds were just a little excited. Norma Jean's Mom picked me up and I slid in beside that long legged girl. Why, she even had on a touch of lipstick and in those tight jeans of hers, she did look different all of a sudden. Norma's Mom liked me a lot but her Dad, was a President of a local town Bank and he acted like he did not like anyone unless they were rich or had a popular name. For this presentation of John Wayne starring in the "Settlers", the kids were lined up with money in hand all the way up the street and around the corner whenNorma's Mom pulled up to let us out. Then, we had to walk all the way to the end of the line, up the street. As, we walked she reached down and took a hold of my hand and gave me one of those funny looking grins as we walked by all the other kids. I tried to ignore her for I had to keep my image in front of all those guys from school and all the other grade schools were there also. It did not matter that we would probably get in last for with her really thick glassess we would have to sit on either the first row or the second one for she could not see anywhere else. The movie house was packed as we made our way to the front and took our seats on the very front row, me on the outside and she on the second seat in. I could have harked and spit on the stage we were so close. I even had to lean my head back against the seat to be able to look up at the screen, but it would be the best seats in the house for the Annie Oakley presentation. There on the stage was 2 rows on each side of the stage of ballons tied right beside each other all in different colors, looked to be about 12 on each side. Then there were some old bales of hay and some jack-o-lanterns with funny faces carved into them. Annie Oakley back then was just about every young man's heart trob, for she was very cute and good looking, even though she was a lot older than we were. Annie, probably did not weigh a hundred pounds and not very tall, but she sure could twirl and shoot them 6-guns of hers. I hoped this would be part of her show. Now something about Norma Jean I had not ever noticed before as I sat there looking around first at the crowd behind me as each seat filled up, but Norma was getting some ornaments on her!. I even thought they were cute and could not take my eyes off of them. She would catch me looking at the closest one, the right one and just give me smirky smile. I wanted to so bad reach out and touch one of them for up untill this time, I had allways thought she was skinny and flat-chested. If it had not been for her excellant personality and the way she treated everyone the same no matter who they were or what thier last name was, Norma would have been a geek. Or, in other words the girl that everybody picked on or made fun of, but her friendly ways made her very attentative to other people. she, got lots of attention and was a good student, making the honor roll all the time. I caught her twisted around whispering to some girls in the rows behind us and those ornaments were real close to my left arm with her doing this and I looked at her face and she could not see me so I thought: I wonder if she will know that I touched one of them things. The adrenalin flowed up and down my spine as I got the nerve and with my index finger just lightly reached over and really meant to just lightly touch where it was pointed but just as my index finger got there to her white blouse,she turned her body back around in her seat and I got a hold of it more than I meant to. If she had not turned around I really think I would have not got caught. Norma looked at me with a cold stare with her bottom jaw dropped. she just sat there starying a hole in me and if looks can kill someone. I was getting the full brigade. Then she done the strangest thing, she took both of her long fingered hands and reached for my face, placing a hand on each side of my face and I thought she was going to choke me, but she all of a sudden just pulled my face towards hers and planted a big "KISS" right on my lips and then the cheeks, the chin and my nose of all get out. I know I turned 3 shades of beet red when she let go of me and leaned back in her seat. All the back rows had seen her do this and some were laughing and some were sending cat calls and some were even clapping. I knew not to turn around for her girl friends back there would be laughing at me. Just , as she started to say something the curtains opened and all the lights went out except for the spotlights on the stage. Music went to playing like Ok corral, or shoot um up western style music. the curtains were nearly open and out she came......there was Ms Oakley and wow was she ever dressed nice. to be cont'd Norma Jean........1956 Annie, came to the front of the stage with the big ear to ear smile she allways wore when on Television and welcomed everbody there. She looked right at Norma Jean and me sitting on the fron row. My heart fluttered a beat or too for if she would have taken another step she would have fallen off ther stage and into my lap. If, her leather frillssy skirt had not been so darn tight to her body, I could have gotten a glimpse of maybe her knees. But, her cowgirl boots went up under the skirt a preety good ways and the only skin showing on Annie that day was her face and hands. she was a true cowgirl in her dress and her voice was really high pitched for a cowgirl. She told some corney jokes and said she would have to cut her presentation in half this week for she needed to get back to Little Rock for some serious family business and decided to come out before the main movie started and give her presentation of her spinning those pearl handled 6 shooters of hers. Everything would have been cool up to this point but there must have been some trash in the alley onfire for all of a sudden I could smell something like rotten eggs or soured garlic but it did not last long. I soon forgot the smell as Annie started her performance. Annie went over to a table that had a big suitcase on it and opened it up. This was where the guns were and wow were they shure enogh preety as she straped them on. The leather holsters was darker tanned than her frilly laced outfit and she buckled them to her waist. Then the spot lights went right on Annie Oakley as she started prancing around on stage, first this way and then back the other way with her palms of her hands on the pearl handles. She sashed over with a little scooting danceing jig and stopped right in front of me and Norma again. I saw a "Flash", is all I saw for Annie had drawn those pearl handled 6 shooters so fast I never saw them leave the holsters. I was mouth wide open amazed at how fast she was. Then she twirled them each both forward and backwards and then holstered them without taking her eyes off the crowd of kids. Quite impressive she was and started her bootscooting little dance again and drew those guns out at lighting speed and went to twirling them so fast I could not even tell they were 6 shooters. One of the guns was going one way and the other was in reverse. Darn, she is good and looked over at Norma Jean and she was green eyed wide attention and had a cute smile on her lips as she watched Annie dance first this way twirling them guns real fast and then turning her back to the crowd she suddenly stopped, holstered the guns, turned towards one row of ballons and drew those guns with lighting speed and fired 2 shots....."BAM-BAM", and 2 ballons blew out. It was utter stillness in the movie house, for Annie had ever kid in there that Saturday afternoon 's attention. She started her dancing around routine again and stopped in front of the other row of ballons and never quit twirling them 6 guns this time, they just seemed to stop where she wanted them to in her hands and fired 2 more shots..."BAM-BAM went the pearl handled revolvers and 2 more ballons went out. I was amazed at how they let her use live bullets in front of a crowd of kids. I know my eyes had to been as big as alien space ships for I was totally into Annie Oakley at that time and watched as she dropped down to one kneee in front of the other set of balloons and fired one revolver real fast, hitting the hammer with her other hand......bam-bam-bam, bam it went and 4 ballons blew out..... Norma Jean elbowed me and looked me in the eyes and leaned over and whispered in my ear.....She, is out of bullets in that gun. I had not payed attention and counted back and sure enough she had to be out of bullets in that one 6 shooter. We both watched as Annie went back into her routine a prancing around twirling those guns back and forth as she danced and scooted, back and forth, back and forth and was very impressive, untill she drew those guns so fast she dropped the empty one on the stage and it went Bam! really loudly "BAM" and 6 ballons went out. Luckly that 6 shooter barell was pointed away from the crowd of kids when it was dropped on the stagebut then Norma reminded me with a hushing whisper that was the gun that had done shot 6 times before. Frowning I looked at her and thought well she was right, but whispered back how did one shot blow out 6 ballons...and then that gosh awfull smell appeared again.......this, time only rough. It smelled of burnt onions and a pot of beans that had boiled dry Annie soon after dropping the 6-shooter finished up her presentation and wished everybody good wishes and before the movie was to start there would be a refreshement break. Annie had been on stage a good 30 minutes or so and it was real good untill she dropped that beautifull 6 shooter. Norma Jean, stood up right in front of her seat and started to clapping at Annie's performance and the rest of the kids did like wise aftertaking Norma's lead. The main lights came back on as the curtain closed and the clapping stopped. Norma turned around and bent over her seat reaching for a small handbag called a clutch she had with her, but as she bent over, Norma Jean farted....now, this was not no slipper outer or one that slips up on you......it was a full fledged with honor Sailor fart.........varoooooooooooooooooom, A rip snorter in my book and the smell of the things came back to my mind,.......I tried to breathe thru my mouth for after living on the farm one learns to hold thier breathe and breath thru thier mouth. I swear I got so tickled at Norma for she was just killed and totally embarresed for several of the other kids heard it to and were giggling, untill the smell hit them and for the back several rows it was a clean house........the more I laughed, the more Norma got mad..........and the madder she got, the more I laughed, I had tears running down my cheeks There we stood side beside each other with my laughter slowly dying down with the embarressement of my friend and I could see she was hurt. I reached down and took her hand and pulled it up to my face and lightly kissed the back of her hand ........to be cont'd Norma Jean........1956 Now DAD for years had a old 14 foot V-bottom aluminium boat locked down with chain and lock at a close by lake . He on Saturdays, as weather permitted would take Norma Jean and I up to the lake in the old 53 Chevrolet pick-up and let us out at the boat. Dad, payed the marina Guy who owned the land $12 a year for this privilige. We had to put the 10 horsepower Western Auto Wizard in the the back of the truck and then mount it on the boat when we got there after right siding up the boat and un-locking the lock. Then, DAD would come get us both right at dark. Norma Jean and I would fish for whatever was biting, we dug our own worms and searched the local cricks for crawfish. Minnows was a luxury and cost a fortune back then. After we had spent our allowances on gas for the boat motor there was not much left for minners! Darn her hide she could run the boat motor better than I could. She never failed to get it started on the 3rd pull. Then she would sit down and just grin at me and ask where we going? we spent several summers in this old aluminum fishing boat and had a grand time Norma Jean and I. No matter what that gal did , she was fun to be around, why she even became my best buddy, even though she was a girl. Zebco 33 had just came out and DAD had bought one of them for himself! I could not beleive Dad let us take it with us the next time we went out alone. I tried it out and it was so smooth. After fishing for years with the old Langley's open faced and the River rats, this Zebco was uptown mojo! Why, one couldcast for days and never backlash I showed Norma Jean how to cast the Zebco and she chose to tie on a yellow number 4 spiiner bait in cold yellow! this, was a good artificail bait in the springtime and Dad had caught lots of fish on it......he, only had one Zebco 33 and one yellow spinnerbait. As I scull paddled us down a bank one afternoon as Norma Jean cast to shore and retrived the bait, I saw up ahead on a point that shot out into the lake a small bird walking the banks of the lake right at the water's edge. Norma casted that spinner like a professional. Plop -plop she would go as I paddled the big heavy boat. Now, I know Norma Jean did not mean to throw the spinnerbait at the small bird on the bank that afternoon but, just as she released the trigger and the bait went towards the bank....why, that small killdee looking bird ran right under the bait at water's shore. And, the line from the Zebco went over the bird's neck. I really thought Norma Jean had overshot her throw but really the bird had challenged the bait in mid-air. the line went around and round that bird's neck right behing his head, just if Norma had planned it that way. It went around and round and the poor bird could go no -where Norma Jean looked at me with a grin and started reeling that bird to the boat. I looked with earnest for I had no-idea what to do, but got the dip net just in case, Norma told me what to do! That, bird might have not been very big but it was highly pissed off with that fishing line wrapped around its' neck and when the bird got in the boat........poooped everywhere, down my britches, across Norma Jeans blue blouse, down her jeans and every where in the boat and never quit squaking! Norma Jean looked at me and said: "What now"? I just told her to hold that silly bird still and I would cut the line from it's neck and then we would release that critter, but just as I reached for it with pocket knife with blade open it struggled free from Norma Jeans grasp and into the water it went. then, without paying attention the bird took off, line Zebco and spinnerbait and all. It flew about 50 yards and went into the water. We both stood there in amazment, not knowing what to do next when all of a sudun the ZEBCO went over board, hook, line and everything all became very quite....very, very quite between Norma Jean and I to be cont'd Norma Jean........1960 Dad, only went on one fishing trip with us both and by the way he descibed it later on. One beating by a lady fisherman is enough. Dad, ran the Wizard outboard that day and I chose the middle seat, so Norma would have to take the front and skull paddle us around. But, it did not work to well in our favor for every where we went Norma would catch all the crappie. She had us 10 to our one apiece and Dad said to put her in the middle of the boat that she was too darn lucky. So, no more than she had moved to the middle and we went to another cove and anchored. Norma Jean continued her lucky streak and had her limit of crappie sitting in the middle of the boat. Dad, looked at her over his glassess and told her if she caught one more fish before he did, he was going to pitch her out in the lake. With what he said , just barely out of his mouth, Norma latched onto a huge crappie and brought it to the boat. She just kept playing with the fish when it got upside the boat and did not make any more effort to bring it on in. Dad, looked at her and said: "Girl, you better get that trophy in here!" She said it was too cold to go swimming and DAD, got tickled and told her forget what he had said in a joklingly manner and put the fish in the boat. Norma Jean was just that way. She did not boast about catching all the fish that day or anyday. She, was just a good natured all around city girl who had never been around anyone who fished and had the natural luck about her. No matter where she went, she never met a stranger, allways ready to talk if someone started a conversation with her. She was very outgoing and was becoming very popular in school, especially I guess for her looks seemed to have changed overnight that year. She had not only became beautifull, she was preety inside, she let her warm soul shine thru her face. She and I shared several summers together fishing the local lake as we grew into teenagers and when her Dad the banker bought her a 4 door Rambler for Christmas in her 16th year, she did not let the new car change her one bit. She would put the old Wizard outboard in the trunk along with the minnows and red worms and away we would go. Sometimes days and days were spent searching more and more spots to catch big ole slab crappie and if the bream were bedding, it was a fish every cast. Dad, bought her a small tackle box that Christmas and in it he put a few worm hook packages, some corks, stringer,and 2 number 4 willow leaf spinner baits in cold yellow. He had me bring her over at Christmas and he presented it to her. Never, will I forget the way her green eyes, sparkled at seeing her own tackle box and thanked him a thousand times. Dad, said a lady as good as she is fishing deserves her own tackle. She was an excellant female buddy, for when the fish were not co operating, we would hit the shore somewhere, tie the boat up and go exploring in the mountains, along the stream beds that ran into the lake and just goofing off. A place I now call "Storybrook"! A personell place I go to write and be alone or just get away from hustle,bustle was discovered one summer day on one of our many exploring jaunts. She could hear the water fall in the distance and just kept on wading, farthur back into the mountains, following the sound. She was stunning with her hair tucked up under a ball cap I had given her one day to shield the hot sun off. With jeans rolled up to her knees, she just kept wading, going up the stream. We discovered that warm day a water fall about 20 feet tall with a small cave under neath, coming out of the mountains. We climbed up on top of it and sit there for hours, watching the water come out of the mountains and glisten with sparkle as it tumbled over the rocks heading for the lake. That day she taught me how to kiss among other things and I taught her how to chew brown mule plug chewing tobacco, and spit without showing any teeth. So, every time we went fishing from then on, we would before we went home, tie up the boat and wade back into the back of the cove and climb to out secret hidden spot far,far, away and away, way far back into the Boston mountains. One day, she floored me after we had been kissing for a extended time. She asked me wonder how many kids we would have. Now here I was just fixing to be 16 and she had allready turned 17 and just did not know how to answear that question. So, I just layed there on the grassy knoll beside the water fall and looked at her. As we started to leave that day and sat up a butterfly lit on her left shoulder. A yellow winged with black spots butterfly. As caring a person as she was, she calmly stuck her right index finger up to the butterfly and as if given a command to get on, the butterfly hopped over on her finger. We both sat there looking that beautifull butterfly raise and lower it's wings, it was looking right at us, as if to somehow give some magical intellect on life! First, I heard a small sniffle and I looked and out of those sparkling green eyes of Norma Jean came moisture slowly creeping downward across her cheeks. Norma Jean and I watched as the butterfly with yellow wings and black spots, turned on her finger and flew off back and forth, up and down sideways, like a butterfly will fly and headed out towards the lake. Norma, had been real close to her Grandmother and she was at her failing health bedside holding her hand when she went to heaven. Her grandmother had written her a poem for reading after her death along with a small love note from a dear older lady to her grandaughter. In this note and poem, her grandmother mentioned to Norma Jean, that she would allways watch over her from heaven and appear someday to give her solitice as a yellow winged with black spots butterfly and the tears poured like rain. to be cont'd Norma Jean........1962 Where normaly Norma would have run the motor back to the landing, she chose this day to take the middle seat. I shoved the boat off from shore, jumped in and scooted around her. She just sat there facing me all the way back to the car and every time I would lean right to look around her, she would lean left, still flirting with me. Her eyes were puffy from the sentimental visit of the yellow winged butterfly. she pulled her ball cap down closer to her eyes and as the boat slid into shore back at the car, she reached for her rods and tackle box to start loading the car. She, stopped and looked back and said: "You know something Snookums, I am glad you were with me when the butterfly made it's visit"! You know Snookums, shesaid leaning up against the Rambler before starting towards home some 20 miles away. You and I have had many fantastic days together, just being buddies right? ?? now, Dad is presurring me to start seeing other boys, he thinks we are spending way to much time together but I do not want to do this and we will have to start slipping around to get around DAD. Driving home that day, I had an awfull heavy sinking feeling inside of me after the short conversation at the landing. Where Norma thru the years had taught me how to cross-reference the Holy Bible, to get different books ideas, and I taught her in return how to get dirt under her finger nails and warm mother earth in between her toes. As time slowly stands still, so does the days of our lives as we drifted apart not from our choosings but from the wishes of her father. Norma Jean would see me in the hall during classrooom changes and allways flash the thumbs up gesture and that great ear-to ear smile of hers. As the days went into weeks and then months, I knew it was bound to happen as I walked home from school one day, I saw her sitting close , very close as they drove up the street, the hero of the football team, the quarterback and just a few more weeks she was wearing his Letter Jacket! this, was very hard to take and the empty hard gut wrenching feeling came in my stomach. She had become more than popular at school, she was a good student making excellant grades, she lost that tomboy look, she lost the geek ness, I saw in her in grade school. She became a beautifull woman, outgrowing the teenager years very quickly. She could have been a Ms. America, even when she was still in high school and it was no quessing that year of her 12th grade who was going to be the football homecoming queen. A early fall cold front had moved thru the area and it was too cold for her and her homecoming court to have to sit thru, especially as the football team was taking a beating right and left on the gridiron. A light rain started falling making it more misserable to the homecoming court and I watched from the stands as she sat there shivering in the cold night. I eased down behind her pulling off my duckback coat which was very warm and water proof and gently eased up and wrapped it around her shoulders. She jumped with frightfullness as the coat touched her shoulders, turned her head sideways and saw who i was standing there smiling at her. She said thank you Snookums, I was about to freeze and as she turned back around to sit down I noticed that she favored her right leg. I reached down and whispered in her ear, not going to make a scene here with your Dad watching every move I am making tonight but oh how I want to kiss you right now but will let it pass. thumbs up buddy, she exclaimed me too, me too! In the next few weeks at classroom changes every so often I would get a short second or two glimpse of her as she scooted in her shuffeling walk to her next class and she was still limping favoring her right leg. So, one day I waited for I knew where her next class was and I was not even supposed to be on that side of the building being I was in the 11th grade. she came around the corner and was face to face with me and she was limping more than ever. I stopped her and said ok, what's with the limp winnie the pooh? Norma Jean told me that she did not know, only that she had woke up one morning with her right knee hurting and that her Dad was taking her back to the doctor that very afternoon for it had become more swelled than ever. She, looked up and down the hall for most of the kids were allready in thier classrooms and the halls were becoming empty. She reached down and pulled up her skirt and even with the sprain bandage, I could see it was huge. She had no business being on it. She got to missing more school days because of the leg and a specialist was located 6 hour drive away in Memphis, Tenn. Her Dad, did not like what his high school buddy the doctor was diagnosing this and turned to a specialist. Norma Jean called me one night right before bed and told me they were going to Memphis the next day and she would let me know what's what when they got back. Three days went by and she was not in school or had even called. Word spread thru the school and the commmunity like wildfire that the football homecoming queen had bone cancer and it was located under her right knee. Surgery was performed as they were in Memphis for it had allready spread upwards and downwards in the right leg. The surgeon removed her right leg, right below the hip and just barely left a nything there. It was weeks before I got to see her and hear her voice. Norma Jean was strong, and she was not going to let this stop her from becoming a School teacher. She still had her plans to go to college one leg or two. Norma relied heavily on the teachings of a book that she knew inside and out, the Holy Bible! This book gave her stength she said and knew all would be well at the end., But, what is planned in life sometimes has to take a detour to be able to see the colors of life! Chemo-therapy back in 1962 was not un heard of, it was just not perfected as close to it is now and she and her parents were making the long trip to Memphis once every 3 weeks for chemo treatments. they, would shoot her with one medicine and her body would reject this and be deathly sick for weeks at atime while that medicing got out of her body, then the doctor would put another kind of chemical in her and try again... One time when she and just her Mother made the trip to Memphis for just a check-up and after leaving the doctor's office heading home they drove around and found a new rock star's home who lived in Memphis. Norma Jean was stong and hard headed as she was, stood there that day on crutches, taking pictures of this man called Elvis Presely's home, with a scarf over her head from being nearly bald from all the chemicals passing thru her body, she was very week. As she stood there that late evening right before sunset, she snapped a few pictures and noticed someone from the second story window waving at her. She, waved back and said look Mommy, someone is waving at us. A bottom door opened and down the long concret walk came a very handsome, tall young man, dressed in blue jeans and a sweatshirt, with a big smile across his face he invited Norma Jean and her Mother inside for some refreshements with his own mother. they sat as Norma told it to all her classess later on, in the kitchen area and had cokes and cookies homemade by Elvis Preseley's mother.. Elvis got out two or three guitars and sang some songs to them that would later on down the road go off the charts of a new thing called rock-n-roll. Elvis, was impressed with Norma's courage and as they started to leave to drive back to Malvern, Elvis walked them to thier car and reached down and placed a big kiss on Norma Jeans right cheek and thanked them for stopping by to visit, smiled with his eyes and soul and went back up the long walk as told to me by Norma Jean and her mother. to be cont'd Norma Jean........-1962 the next chapter Of course this story went thru school the next week like a rumor but it was truth and Norma Jean would not even wash that side of her face for days and days. She, told of how common a man that rock star was and how handsome he really was, that his kitchen looked no different than anyone else's. Class act that Mr. Presely had to have been to have taken the time out to greet and invite a lady standing at his yard's end taking pictures leaning on crutches. This man I gave the thumbs up signal too. this was a true southern gentleman. Norma Jean started calling again every single night right before bedtime and sometimes I could hear in her voice a very hollow and far away sound. She would allways wish me a goodnight Snookums and we made plans for me to escort her to her senior prom less than 2 months away. With an excited voice she called late one night right at 9 and my Dad answered the phone. I could tell by his weathered face grin who it was. he handed me the phone and said it is the lady fisherman. With reserved and excited voice she started in telling me something and then for some reason just got very quite.. She, said she had not had any pain for 3 whole days, but felt like something good or great was fixing to happen. I could feel her excitement even over the phone. Norma said this afternoon when she went to open the window to let the springtime air into the window , what did appear on her window ledge? Oh Snookums, I wish you had been here with me when I saw it, for you were with me at the falls one day when the first visit came from the yellow winged butterfly with black spots. then , she said goodnight Snookums, thanks for being my best buddy! The next morning was bright, clear, sunny and warm but Norma Jean did not wake up. B efore, this beautifull person both inside and outside even finished high school, she gave into the battle of her cancer during her sleep. the date: march 15, 1962. Not only was I devastated at the phone call from her mother, both me and my parents went over to the 2 story old home on the main highway to pay our respects.....when Norma Jeans Dad saw who my DAD was, one of his best customers , he changed his outlook towards me, just a logger's son.....but, it would have been nice if Norma Jean had seen this before she.. Now, I did not even own a dress suit and wanted to dress nicely for her departure celebration, so Mother double starched my best pair of jeans and white long sleeved shirt and put a bow tie on me.but it would not clasp for my neck had grown so much that year....when, we arrived at the funeral parlor, we were setback at all the cars and people attending. The big old church seated over 500 and even into the balconey it was full. It was standing room only, in the foyer and the halls. Right before the funeral was to start, I looked and coming form the back down the long isle was Norma Jean's DAD. He walked up to us and said come with me I have seats for you 3 fine people. And where did we sit, right behind Norma Jean's parents in the family room. At the graveside later on in the day the huge crowd went along and was slowly drifting off one by one after paying thier respects to Norma's family. I stood way back hidden from view, choosing to lean up against a old Post oak tree for I was biding my time to approach this hallowed ground. Her parents were the last to leave that evening as the clear, warm March day had turned into a coolish evening. A low rolling thunder could be heard back in the south. In the distance I could across the meadow hear a dove's mating cooing sound, one of the first true sounds of springtime in the south. As her parents started out of the long drive in thier new car, I slid around the tree, so I would not be noticed, but her DAD had allready seen me and pulled right up beside the tree, rolled down his window and handed out to me in a gesture a envelope with my name on the front. He said, he had been given stern instructions when to give this note to me. As they drove out of sight, and with trembling fingers I opened this note, in part it said: Snookums, my best buddy  Please do not stand at my grave and cry  For I am not there  I am the wind in the willows  I am the sun upon your face  I am the smell of the fall rain  I am the thunder in the distance  I am the sparkle on the snow  I am the dirt between your toes  I am the song in your heart.  All these things you taught me to love in this life  I just wished I had more time to have been your wife! Please, do not stand at my grave and cry  For, I am not there  I am the whipporwill in May  I am the dove, far, far away.