A Mid 20th Century
New ROAD TO WOODSTOCK ‘69
Snippet Three
Woodstock: The iconic American rock festival of the twentieth century
A Untold, ‘ Semi-Fictional’ Rendition
by
Mark M. Lichterman
Copyright © Mark M. Lichterman March 1, 2023
Authors Notation: Other than those that were actually a participating member or members of the Woodstock Festival, all others are fictitious characters and situations created for dramatic effect, and especially at this author’s whim.
Further Notation: I have no intention of repeating my nineteen part Woodstock series as first submitted on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, but digging further into the earlier lives of Sharon and Clyde and her Polish immigrant parents: 'Murray and Sarah Kandinsky and his Irish immigrant parents, Malcolm and Ellen Murphy, and how Henry Ford and World War One brought about a major change in the lives of both families.
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Chapter Twelve
Towards The New
Tuesday: 5/16/39
8:37 AM
Sitting within the rear seat of the tan Hudson, on the right sat Sarah Kaminsky, on the left Ellen Murphy with one year old Sharon between.
Within the front seat, Malcolm Murphy driving, three year old Clyde sat between his father and Murray Kaminsky.
Driving in a south-easterly direction on US 294' within the forty minutes it took the Hudson to pass through Hammond and Gary, Indiana,; all the refuse left by the Murphy and Kaminsky families had been loaded onto a truck bound for Maxwell Street and that next weekends open street market. Within another hour Mr. Meyerson had found two Eastern European, immigrant families to occupy the two recently vacated storefront residences.
10:32 AM
Pulling to the roadside somewhere between Gary, and LaPorte, Indiana in order to change Sharon's dirty diaper, that went into the Moisture proof sack secured onto the handle of one of the suitcases that were secured to the wooden deck of the trailer
Remaining parked, afterwards the four adults and Clyde had a breakfast of peanut butter and jelly on bakery purchased white bread along with coffee
1oo
for the men served still hot— from a large liquid vacuum container purchased on Maxwell Street a year earlier— along with milk for Clyde poured from a sealed glass container. Asleep now, when awake, Sharon will be given a bottle of tepid milk.
Within Sarah's purse was also $146,50— the remainder of their $1,168.50 after Agnes' one thousand dollar down payment, the nine dollars for the trailer and hitch, and the cash Sarah had taken for her trips to Loveland and back...
Within Ellen's purse was also twelve lollipops.
Wednesday 5/17/39
12.05 AM
Twelve hours into the trip from the north-east side of Chicago into mid Indiana..
The night black, the road a dull creamy river of ongoing, apparently a never ending on-flowing substance held to earth by the rotating wheels of the tan Hudson automobile.
Their third stop, on the outskirts of South Bend, Indiana — actually mid way to the outskirts of Cincinnati — Sharon needing changing again, Clyde crying. At Ellen's suggestion they splurge on a restaurant meal. Stopping at the next 'Howard Johnson' . In the woman's room, Sharon had her backside washed in the sink, dried and changed into a new diaper, and moderate weight panamas.
12:46 AM
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Murray now at the wheel. Clyde, his head resting upon Murray's side, sleeps between his father and 'Uncle Murray'.
In the rear, as before: Ellen on the left, Sarah to the right with Sharon between.
So..." Ellen prompted "...you said you'd tell us more about your friend, Agnes, and why she's being so kind to us."
Leaning forward, so the men in the front will be able to hear.
"First off, Agnes told me about a lot of things while we were waiting for my train back to Chicago, so I might be off with some of the dates and times, but 'Pink', her married name wasn't really her husband's name but was changed to 'Pink' on Ellis Island."
Sitting angled on the front so better able to hear Sarah; ""Thought it was something like that. Where was her husband from?" Malcolm asked.
" 'Germany'. And when he came to America, Agnes said that he thought the police might be looking for him, so he always kept the name the inspectors on Ellis gave him."
Cocking his head to the right. "What he do?" Murray asked.
"Apparently Morris' father was a very wealthy man that owned a large whorehouse in Berlin that stocked all kinds of 'Ford Motor Car Companies' parts, and when Henry Ford Came to Berlin to show how to set up production lines, like he had in America to make, of all things, 'Tanks'.
"When the war started..." Malcolm said "...Germany was the first country to ever use tanks."
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"Yes. And Morris hated knowing this American was in a country that hated the Jewish people, that were seemingly preparing for a war with Serbia."
"You seem to be remembering all this pretty good, Sarah."
Shoving her husbands shoulder. "Don't know why she was telling me all this. Think maybe she was lonely, but Listening to what she was telling me interesting so, yes, I do remember most of what she said.""
"And the fact — that we know now... " Murray said "...is that Ford hated Jews because they were attempting to form labour unions."
"What does Ford helping the 'Huns' have to do with...?"
" 'Morris'." Sarah reminded, then going on: "Morris hated Ford for helping this anti-semi tic country make weapons! And besides, Agnes told me Morris was foremost a Communist, but first and foremost 'always' a 'Zionist. So he and his father would have..."
" 'Zionist'?" Ellen asked. "What's a 'Zionist?"
"Zionists believe that 'Palestine' is the God given land of the Jewish people and that they should all be allowed to return to what and where they believe is their God given country."
Though not openly vocal about Zionism, both Murray and Sarah believe in the concept of Zionism.
"Anyway..." going on "...Morris was a Communist and a Zionist while his father a 'German Nationalist' and he and his father would have violent arguments over Ford and the advice he was giving Kaiser Wilhelm to help make these new war machines, and their arguments became so violent that
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one evening his father slapped him. So the next day, and coincidentally — so Agnes told me — it was only a few days before that Arch Duke and his wife...? Whatever their names were, were assassinated that actually started the war.
Anyway, the morning after his father slapped him, having to show his passport, Morris purchased a third class passage — he could afford 'first class', but thought it would be harder for his father to locate him with a third class ticket to America on a ship that was leaving early the next day. So that night, sneaking into the warehouse, Morris opened his fathers safe and stole one thousand American dollars, and that's why he thought the police would be looking for him."
"That's some story!" Ellen said. "But you still haven't said why your Agnes is being so good to us."
Looking at the dark countryside passing by the Hudson's rear-side window. "How much longer you think we have to go?" Sarah asked.
1:17 AM
Guessing. "Oh..." Murray said, "... maybe another two, three hours to Cincinnati and then..? Don't know how long to Loveland."
"Okay,,," Sarah said. "...seeing as Malcolm..." playfully punching his shoulder "...never fixed the radio..."
Responding. "Doubt we'd pick a station up way out here anyway."
"Okay so here's why who you call, 'my Agnes' has been so kind to us.
She, uh, she and Morris had two children..."
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"You say, 'had'. Did one die?"
"Ellen, no! It's almost more complicated than that. Her daughter is — 'Norma', I think her name is, is about our age, in her thirties, and she lives in Atalanta, Georgia and is very sick, so Agnes is moving there to help take care of her..."
Most of the conversation now between Ellen and Sarah.
"What's wrong with her daughter?"
"Agnes didn't say. Only that she plans on remaining in Georgia because the climate there is so much warmer than in Ohio, and her daughter's house — since Morris passed away, seems to be more comfortable with fewer memories to her than the big one she'd lived in with Morris for the last twenty-five years, and..."
"The house we're going to now?"
"Yes."
"Living with her daughter from now on! That's why she leaving almost all the furniture and everything else for us?"
"She said everything's there, in Atlanta that she'll ever need."
"You said she has a son. How's about him? Agnes doesn't want to leave anything for her son?"
"She said her son and Morris were constantly fighting because... Here, in America, Morris became more a 'Capitalist' than 'Communist' but 'always' the Zionist! So when, uh, 'Frank' or 'Fritz'? Don't remember her son's
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name, but when he came home from college he told his father that he thought Morris was a traitor to his 'fatherland' by running from Germany, and that he admired this new guy in Germany:'Hitler,' and would rather be there, in Germany with this Hitler than here in America with that old cripple in a wheel chair: Roosevelt."
"Sounds something like Morris' fight with his father over 'Henry Ford'. Huh!"
Turning from her stomach onto her back, little Sharon's head lay against Ellen's outer right thigh and her legs onto her mother's left thigh.
Gently caressing her daughter's foot, "Agnes doesn't look at it that way." Sarah said." And when the two got into an actual fist fight over Hitler and 'the Fatherland', as his son called it, Morris told him if he loves 'Adolph' so much, he should go! Told his son he should go to Germany and his Hitler."
"And he did?" Murray asked from the front seat.
"Yes. Packed a suitcase and left their home in Loveland that very same day. And Agnes said Morris was at their lawyers office early the next morning cutting 'Frank' or 'Fritz' completely from their will, and demanded that if Agnes should out live him, she was to promise not to give the 'Nazi' a penny!"
From the front seat. "When did this happen?" Murray asked.
"Agnes didn't say exactly, but my guess would be about three years ago."
"They ever hear from him?"
"Again, Agnes did not say, but from her tone, I think not."
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"So everything's being left to us because of Adolph Hitler?"
1:42 AM
The slight green glow of the dashboard enough to cast a eerie shadow onto the face of her friend. "Or maybe because of Henry Ford." Sarah replied.
1:40 AM
In the approaching distance, a large billboard sign appearing fifteen feet above the dark ground highlighting a huge green dinosaur announcing 'Sinclair' Gasoline'. and below '3 miles ahead'.
Three miles from the outskirts of the north-eastern Ohio city of Elyria, "Think we ought to stop for fuel?"
Awaking. Sitting up. "Got to make 'we-we', daddy!"
Tussling his son's hair. "Sounds good to me." Then to Clyde. "Hold it, baby. Be there in a few minutes."
1:50 AM
In the men's room, holding Clyde as he stands before the urinal making 'We-we' like a man'. Then handing Clyde to Murray as Malcolm uses the urinal, then Murray.
In the lady's room, Sarah once again changing Sharon's diaper as Ellen used the toilet, then, holding the baby, Sarah used the toilet.
1:58 AM
Checking the air pressure in all four tires, then cleaning the windshield. Looking beneath the hood, checking the Hudson's oil. "Could use a quart."
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The 'Sinclair' station attendant suggested to Malcolm.
Nodding his head, "Okay, put it in."
Malcolm behind the wheel now. Clyde once again seated between his father and 'Uncle Murray.'
In the rear: Ellen on her usual place to the left with Sharon now held upright awaiting— as Sarah had the cash— her mother that was outside...
"Ten gallons..." the attendant said "...at five cents a gallon and ten cents for oil will be sixty cents."
Into her purse. Into her change purse, removing two quarters and one dime, Sarah handed the three coins to the attendant, whom thanked her for using 'Sinclair'.
2:32 AM
Off of US 70 onto US 75
3:02 AM
The women and child on the rear seat asleep.
Off of US 75 onto US 275
3: 37 AM
Malcolm still at the wheel. Clyde's head upon 'Uncle Murray's' thigh, both man and boy are sleeping.
3:51 AM
Northeast of the of the Cincinnati city limits...
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'US 2 75' skirting the outskirts of Cincinnati, no need to wake Murray to ask further directions as written by Agnes and given to Sarah as a directional road sign reading...
'Exit 52—Loveland, 15 Miles.'
4:05 AM
"Murray!" Shaking his shoulder.
"Huh?"
"Sarah..." Slowing, as reaching behind, shaking Sarah's knee.
Sarah's eyes opening. as...
Dawn still an hour away...
Though difficult to see...
Sarah and Murray did see...
'Welcome to Loveland' The sign along-side the road read, and beneath, in smaller lettering: 'Population '6,500'.
"Ellen!" Shaking her friends knee.
Opening her eyes. looking out the rear-side window.
"We're here'!"
Malcolm's eyes forward, on the road.
Murray, Ellen and Sarah watched as— fading into the darkness — the 'Welcome to Loveland' sign passed by.
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Chapter Thirteen
Under New Management
Authors Notation: This is as far as the two famalies, and this author got today and as it is now 2:30 p.m., I think this old guy is going to take a nap... See you in Snippet four.
