I was in the ninth grade before I ever saw the ocean. My daddy had told me about it. He had seen the ocean when he was stationed at Dauphin Island near Mobile, during the war. I wanted very much to see it for myself.
My daddy had a brother in prison near Mobile who had shot and killed a man. He was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison. My grandmaw, although she knew Uncle George had done a terrible thing, never stopped loving her son and went to see him every chance she got.
One day my daddy and my uncle, Lewis decided to take Maw to see Uncle George. "We'll all go, ' Daddy said, "and then drive on to Pensacola and see the ocean. I was wild with excitement. I was going to see the ocean.
The night before we were going to leave, my brother, Fred and I couldn't sleep. After Mama and Daddy had gone to bed , we sneaked up and ran the clock ahead two hours. So the next morning when the alarm went off at six it was really only four and still dark. I remember how the sky looked that morning. It wasn't black but a deep, deep velvety blue and right on the horizon hung a perfectly round big pearl colored ball, the most beautiful full moon I had ever seen.
We loaded the car and drove next door to Evelyn and Lewis's house. They couldn't understand why we were so early but good naturedly got ready and soon we were on our way. Daddy's old Ford was jam-packed with my mama and daddy, Evelyn and Lewis, Maw, my brother Fred and me, and enough clothes and food to last two days.
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