Cousin Robert Stokes and Bananas

One of my older Balk cousins related this story recently.  He is one of the few who can remember Grandpa Joseph Balk.

At that time bananas were sold not by the bunch but by the stalk.  One day as he and Grandma were headed to town to buy groceries,  he told Robert do not eat any bananas while we`re gone because Grandma needs them for something.  Robert being a onery kid helped himself to a few bananas.  When the grandparents returned  not much was said about bananas,  Grandpa told all within hearing that someone told him poison was put in the bananas and anyone eating them would kill over dead.  Robert spent the next several hours getting sicker and sicker.  Of course it was all a made up tale and it was Robert`s conscience hurting him.  Grandpa made him suffer more that way than whipping him for disobeying.  Ole Joe tho not highly educated had child psychology down to a science.

Learning to Drive

I learned to drive a standard because the folks thought if I could drive a stick shift I could drive anything.  My driving gave Mother gray hair but she was presistant.  I would not be like a couple Balk aunts who never drove because of early mishaps learning to drive.  Dad would not go with me.  I remember once driving over a steep culvert on a turn toward home.  It was on the highway about 3 miles from home for all to see.  Rumors flew that the car was really messed up.  Car and passengers were unhurt and I was taken out that evening for more driving.  Anothe time I remember Mother stomping on my foot and brake going around a sharp curve and over a hill.  I didn`t react fast enough.  This made them realize I needed glasses.  I remember one time driving the farm truck with many gears to town before school for servicing.  I was a bit embarrassed but saving gas was the name of the game even back then.  I drove 12 miles home alone many nights after school obligations.  I was not afaid even tho for about an 8 mile stretch I passed 1 house and a couple of male classmates swore they had seen lights on Long Creek on that stretch on more than occasion.  I didn`t get my license until about 17 1/2.  I didn`t take the driving part of the test the first time and drove with a permit for a long time.  I think all of the above makes me still not like to drive in traffic particularly if I don`t know where I`m going

I remember Mother relating how she got her license in the mid 1930`s from the court house for 50 cents without any sort of test.  She also told of driving her Dad in a car without a working speed odometer.  If she drove too fast he would say "I know you are speeding look how fast the fence posts are flying by." 

Bill`s early driving was with Grandpa Nat Davis.  He let him drive him to another county to pick up hootch but wouldn`t let him drive home.  Nat would get mad if he brought the keys in after a trip.  That way he always knew where his keys were.  Dad still doesn`t like to bring keys in from his pickup.  Dad was also a little older when he got his license but he drove alone in Matador at 13 and some in Dallas at an early age.  Grandma Pearl Davis never drove.  "Why did she need to learn she always had someone around to drive her?"  She regretted that when everyone was gone from home yet she was still spry enough to drive around little Matador.