Clark lived most of his life as a bachelor. As a child, he accidentally swallowed lye and severely burned his throat. Unable to eat anything with fiber, he loved melons so much he would suck out the sweet juice and spit out the pulp.
He earned his living "rocking" houses in Lueders, a small Texas town south of Abilene. Sometime around '43 or '44, he rented a room from Anna, an unconventional widow who grew flowers and cactus on the south side of town. They soon married and Anna found the happiness that had been so elusive in her previous two marriages.
When one of Anna's daughters dropped off her child for them to raise, Clark found new purpose. He taught the child to cook oatmeal and to make fried donuts. They had ten happy years together before Anna died of lung cancer. Some said it was from the pollution generated by the oil refinery on the edge of town.
The girl couldn't stay with Clark of course, since they weren't blood relations, so she went to live with her father. Over time, the letters grew fewer and shorter, until they disappeared completely.
Twenty later she would decide to write Clark again, once a month, even though he never wrote back. And then one day a letter came from Clark's sister-in-law. She knew what it would say without opening the envelope. She was too sad to even cry.
The girl couldn't stay with Clark of course, since they weren't blood relations, so she went to live with her father. Over time, the letters grew fewer and shorter, until they disappeared completely.
Twenty later she would decide to write Clark again, once a month, even though he never wrote back. And then one day a letter came from Clark's sister-in-law. She knew what it would say without opening the envelope. She was too sad to even cry.
1 comment:
This is a redo to correct a couple of factual errors. It is also one of my favorite photographs, courtesy of my cousin Arla.
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