Snippet Eight

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.

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Chapter Seventeen

It's Not A Toy

Loveland, Ohio

5/22/39

11: 09 AM

Coming through the rear loading platform, rain water dripping from their long, yellow rain smocks.

"So'd you get that guy's 'pig slop' delivered?"

Hanging their dripping coats on hooks on the back wall. "Yeah..." Lester said "...and we told Mel that from now on his orders and deliveries would be through 'Barry and Mindy'."

"He okay with that?"

"Sure, he's known my kids all their lives and glad you're giving them a boost up."

"How's it looking there?"

Knowing what he means, but; "It's raining."

"Yeah, I know it's raining!"

"Oh..." innocently questioned "... you mean..."

"Yeah."

"Looking pretty good, Murray. Got that last load carried in before rain started..." Malcolm said "...and still have more than enough room for whatever new order we make.'

"That old truck still holding up..." jerking his thumb backwards "...okay?"

"Yeah. Like I said, all it needed was new plugs, an oil change and a basic tune up and it'll hold up for a while now."

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"The telephones?"

"Sarah spoke to Loretta a while ago, and she said they're scheduled to be installed at yours and your kids places this afternoon."

Noting her stocking a shelf. "Oliva!"

Looking up she waved to Malcolm.

"Just want to tell you..." he said "... your kids, Barry and Mildy are really nice! You and Lester did a great job."

"Well, at least with one of them. Barry found Mildy all by himself."

"Well, he did really good."

"We think so."

Approaching the front. "Looks nice, Les, you did a great job!"

From outside appearance, the four and a half foot high, two third room partition— that even in these last two days had become 'Ellen's Hat Boutique'; so much so, that standing in the gloomy rain, two women were hand shading the outside glass to better see inside.

The day before, Ellen had painted the two inside walls and the gate with 'Pink's' pink, along with what would become 'Pink's' new logo:, an expertly, artistically drawn reproduction of the perambulator along with new stylised hand drawn lettering, that in a short while would replace the old outside sign with: 'Pink's Hardware & Associates, Inc.' Centered below would be the perambulator and below, 'Established 1913' all in deep black against a background of 'Pink's' pink.

The gate latch on the outside so it would be harder — at least for a little while — for Clyde to reach it and make his adventuresome escape.

"We're back, honey."

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Coming into his wife's improvised 9X10 work and display partition, Malcolm had the impression that he had left a hardware store, entering into a wholly feminine domain.

With Loretta's assistance, Sarah had made contact with someone wanting to sell a 8X10 rug that— though one foot shorter and of a completely contrasting colour to the pink walls— now lay on the floor of 'Ellen's Hat Boutique' allowing Clyde and Sharon to sit, play and sleep on carpet rather than hard-wood flooring.

Lester had attached three pink painted shelves each on both constructed walls; one shelf containing whatever hats on hand that Ellen had previously made, were displayed in whatever dramatic fashion could be made with — the two hats given to Loretta and Hilda left but— nine hats to be displayed on one shelf.

Pridefully aware that, even in the rain, she was being watched by the two women on the far side of the window. Working on a new design, Ellen sat behind two well lit open card tables laden with scissors of three different sizes, large swatches of felt material of different colours, spools of coloured thread, a red pincushion pierced with, so it looked, a hundred different sized needles and a wooden block he size and shape of a female head.

11:13 AM

About to greet his wife, but catching his approach from the corner of her eye. "Shhh!" Holding a finger before her lips, Ellen nodded her head backwards.

On the floor laying upon a large bath towel, upon the new rug— of which it's inner cleanliness had not as of yet been vouched for— A picture of beautiful childhood innocense                                             
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 Clyde and Sharon, her face upon his shoulder, near face to face, the children slept.

5/25/39

8:15 AM

"Pink's, good morning!"

" 'Morning, Sarah. It's Herb here at the train station."

" Hi, Herb."

"I've a delivery here from 'Automobile Supply Warehouse' that's too much for me to handle on my own."

"Not a problem, Herb." Calling over her shoulder, "Malcolm, your stuff's in and got to be picked up."

"Okay! Great!" Anxious to start his new auto repair service. " Tell him I'll be over in a few minutes!"

"Herb, Malcolm'll be over to pick it up.... Yeah. Thank's, Herb. You want to switch me over to Loretta."

" 'Morning, Sarah."

"Hi, Loretta!"

"You want to make a call?"

"No. No t at the moment, but if you can think of any local people you talk to that could use some auto repair, Pink's is open for that also."

5/27/39

10:05 AM

"Thank you for shopping at Pinks." Handing the man that looked as though he's just finished shovelling coal his fifteen cents change.

"I'm an old customer of Pink's. Been playing poker with Morris for years. Well, since before he died, that is

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Name's Willie Bartock."

'Pleasure meeting you Mister..."

"Name's 'Willie'! And glad to meet you, too, Miss..."

"Sarah. Please. Sarah will be just fine."

"Bye, Sarah." Holding the door open as a moderately older, moderately well dressed woman entered. "'Morning, Mrs Malarkey."

Nodding, the banker's wife acknowledged, William Bartock, whom, indeed, supplied most of the coal used in Loveland's furnaces.

Approaching the counter, the woman assuming; "Mrs. Kaminsky?"

Catching her name. "Mrs. Malarkey, good morning. Yes, I'm Sarah Kaminsky. How can I help you?"

"Actually..." her tone softening "...I'm here to invite you to join our 'Business Men's Association'."

" Business'Mens' Association! They allow women in?"

Noting Sarah's streak of independence, which Beatrice Malarkey appreciated and liked. Smiling. "My name's Beatrice, by the way, and yes. We've a number of female owned and operated businesses here in Loveland. You meet Betty Hutton yet?"

" 'Betty Hutton'?"

Laughing, "No, not Betty Hutton the actress. Betty Hutton the ice cream store lady."

"Oh! I'm sure I'll be meeting her..." pointing over Beatrice's shoulder "we've got a couple of kids there that'll l be more than happy to know your ice cream lady!"

Looking over her shoulder. "Excuse me a minute." Walking to Ellen's partition.

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A little boy and toddler sitting on the rug playing with Lincoln Logs, blocks ant other toys. Looking up as Beatrice, approached, standing, the little boy ran to the wall.

Looking at the beautiful boy, then up. "You're the 'hat lady'!"

Thinking, I'm the hat lady! Standing, Ellen walked to the half wall.— Moving Clyde's hands from the top of the wall which he attempted to scale. Holding one hand forward, the other clenching the squirming boy's collar. "That's me..." Ellen said "...Ellen the hat lady."

"Ellen, so glad to meet you..." turning her head, glancing at Sarah "... both of you.!" Back to Ellen. "It's all over town that you're here and..." motioning to the window "...letting who ever wants to watch you work. What a wonderful idea!"

Returning to Sarah. "Now you've..." motioning to Ellen and back to Sarah "...just 'got' to come to our next meeting!"

"Okay to bring our husbands?" Sarah asked.

"Oh..." the banker's wife said "...only if you 'must'!"

Glad to realise that she was about to become a 'known' active member of this wonderful town. "Haven't had much time to meet anyone... other than customers yet." Adding, "I'm Sarah, by the way."

6/20/39

Three weeks bringing forth acquaintance and acceptance by the people of Lowland, Ohio for the new proprietors of 'Pink's Hardware & Associates, Inc.'

'Ellen's Hat Boutique' having pre-paid orders for four new summer hats by older women, along with the request to

hold a weekly hat designing and making class by a number of the younger women of Loveland.

'Malcolm's Automotive repair Service' presently having two Ford AA models waiting for him to find time enough too get to.

The '27 Chevrolet Long Bed repainted a glossy black with Pink's new lettering and perambulator logo — in brilliant pink— hand painted by Ellen Murphy on both left and right doors.

Discovering that there was no shoemaker in Loveland, and still having all the equipment and leather goods needed, along with a vacant far corner with space enough to do it; What the hell! Murray thought and asked Loretta if she knew of anyone wanting to make some 'side money' that possibly might want to learn the 'Shoemaker' trade.

Two days later, impoverished sixty-five year old Tomas Bellingham, an out of work tool and die maker approached Murray.

Three days later, after a crash course with, when needed, Murray's future assistance, Ellen had painted — on the outside window, beneath 'Ellen's Hat Boutique' and beneath 'Malcolm's Auto Repair Service' went, ' Tom's Shoe Repair'.

As for accounting and money?

Payments for Ellen's Hats and Malcolm's Auto Repair, and recently Tom's Shoe Repair, and, of course, for all hardware purchases to be carried to the front counter and entered into and through the National Cash Register. Cash, or in extremely few insistences, checks paid for the purchase of 'feed products' to be brought to Pink's the next morning by Lester or Oliva

Harris to be placed into the green, 'Loveland National Bank' drawstring canvas bag to be brought to the bank

   

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that same morning.

Incoming bills for hardware replacement and Automobile repair items and bags of 'feed' supplements, all paid by check in no later than five days.

Agnes' one hundred dollar a month payment along with the hundred fifteen dollar a month rental payment, and Oliva and Lester Harris' combined thirty dollar weekly salary all easily made...

'Amazingly'!Surprisingly at the end of the month leaving a hundred, ten dollar cash balance.

The four— including Sarah and Ellen— had been applauded, approved and wholly accepted as new members by and of all members of the 'Loveland Business Men's Association'.

And 'naturally', as foretold by Beatrice Malarkey, 'Betty Hutton', the ice cream lady very quickly became 'Auntie Betty'.

7/4/39

11:00 AM

Waving back to everyone! There's Uncles Tom and Lester and Auntie Oliva, and Sharon and Clyde's new cousins: Barry and Mildy in the crowd bunched along Main Street's curb.

How appropriate! Planned by Sophie and Murray Kaminsky?

But how could two—proud to be American— Polish immigrants possibly, 'actually' plan such a thing?

But how appropriate!

'The 4th day of July'...

...being Sharon Kaminsky;'s second birthday, the town of Loveland— 'Very nicely'— made a wonderful, flag waving, band playing parade in honour and celebration of   

 

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Sharon's birthday, and when the shiny black long bed truck, with all the red, white and blue streamers rumbled by with Sharon and Clyde safely ensconced within the secured perambulator, it must have been because Sharon s 'Auntie Ellen' had painted funny red, white and blue stripes on both their faces, that every one clapped and waved their little red, white and blue flags at them.

11:55 AM

All business coming to a stop on this holiday except for Lovelands three restaurants which were open for breakfast and lunch only.

As home cookouts, and the towns fund raising BBQ held in Loveland Park starting at four PM— with the whole town awaiting the fretwork display beginning at nightfall.

This night, the first Pink's 'entire' family get together at the Loveland BBQ included Lester and Oliva, and their son and daughter-in-law, Barry and Mildy Harris, and old Tomas Bellingham; with the cost of fifty cents per adult—no cost for children— for all the home-made potato salad, BBQ baby-back ribs, chicken, hamburgers and red, white and blue frosted chocolate or vanilla cake, one could possibly eat with 'Pink's and Associates' absorbing the entire cost.

11:58 AM

Betty Hutton's 'Frozen Delight Ice Cream Palace' also remaining open,

where the Kaminsky and Murphy families wait in line outside anxiously awaiting entrance; and for Clyde ans Sharon, 'very' anxiously...

No longer in the perambulator, now both five year old Clyde and, as of this day, two year old, tottering Sharon having a squirming struggle against the restraint of their father's tightly held hands to wait their turn to get to their     huge scoops of, chocolate for Clyde and strawberry for       Shaton off, once outside, rapidely melting ice cream.

 
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Walking the three blocks back to 575 Placid Street, Murray had attempted to carry Sharon, whom resisted any effort to be picked up and carried or transported by means of the perambulator.

Allowing one sticky hand be held by her mother, Sharon insisted on stumbling on, on her own two rubbery like legs.

Wet drips along with melting blobs of chocolate and strawberry ice cream streaming from both red, white and blue streaked faces, onto whatever clothing Sharon and Clyde had been wearing on this day.

"Think these two..." ruffling her son's hair "...could use a bath.

Attempting to loosen their sticky hands. "You think?" Sarah questioned.

12:30 PM

Near her entire life, Sharon and Clyde had been given their baths together. Now, at their size and age, considering it safe enough if in shallow water, leaving the two a minute to check the heat on a baking cake to be donated to tonight's BBQ festival...

Hearing loud childlike laughter and baby like giggling.

Returning to the bathroom, Clyde and Sharon facing each other. Clyde's pudgy legs spread side to side and, as though being tickled, he's laughing.

Sharon before him, giggling, as with her forefinger, as with a light switch,

she's flicking his little boy's penis up and down... on and off.

Astonished and at the same time a bit amused: "Sharon..." the only words coming to Ellen's mind "...stop that! 'That's 'not' a toy!"

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                                   So far ?

Authors Notation: I 'don't' know? We've Thanksgiving and Christmas and even WW Two to get to. Wonder if we'll ever get to Woodstock '69?

Actually, we've still thirty years to get to 1969.

And what about that light switch play in the bathtub? Possibly a sign of 'things to come'?

Possibly!!