My father's journey from the south

[Beth470]

As I watched the shadow of my daddy disappears not knowing where he was going, only knowing why he left. I don't remember what month he left. I know it was in the summer of 1955 because there was an added member of the family on July 4th 1954.
His journey led him to the north in Chicago, IL. Where most of the blacks went to be free. A place where they could go and come as they please without being discriminated because of their color.
A place called the windy city. It had a smell in the air that made you want to throw up. Because we stayed near a stock arena where they slaughtered cows and there was rodeos being held there too. As I got older I never ask him what he had to go through to get here. Now, I wonder, did he sleep in the woods, did he go hungry or beg beg for food to eat.
I don't know how we made it without him because he was the one who worked to take care of us. I was only seven at the time, but I can remember that my mother tried to bootleg moonshine. That didn't last long because some white men wearing long trench coats was coming to the house and she threw it out the back door and broke all the bottles of whiskey.
Then she poured flour over it, but that didn't do anything for the smell of it. They came on in looked around looking in each little room The shotgun house didn't have but three rooms. A sitting room, bedroom and a kitchen.
When thinking about it now, I wonder how we made it.
But, my dad found a job saved some money sent to us so we could leave this place . When we arrived in Chicago he was staying with some folks that knew from Mississippi. We only had to stay with them, but a little while and we moved into our own place.

[Ameerkhan]

Is this story true? Does it relate to your real life?

[Beth470]

Yes, it does.

[DATo]

My respect to your father for having both the courage to endure the hardships he suffered as well as for the sacrifices he made for his family. My father had different but equally challenging obstacles to overcome for his family as well. Both our fathers were heroes each in their own way. I admire you for memorializing your father in this story. I have often attempted to do the same for my father but could never find the talent to describe my feelings of respect for him.

Thanks for sharing!

[Beth470]

Thank for your reply. I was very young then, but I still remember.

[Ameerkhan]

Heart touching. Your father deserves respectful salute

[Beth470]

Thank you to me he was the best. He died 1990.

[RG bondo]

Mine he died in 2007,when I was 12 years old I know what we are living after the death of a father ,the good times of the past spend with our fathers is always to stay engraved in our memories to me ,when I think of it as if he is at my side.

[jennawash]

This is a great story! Would you ever considered continuing it? It brought up many questions for me when it was over. Did your mother continue to make moonshine? Who was the new family member? A new brother or sister? How many children were there altogether? Great job!

[Beth470]

I wrote another" when my father left the south" that was my first topic. No, she gave that up and at that time my mother had six children one died at birth and other one was a year old. The new addition to the family was a girl . She died in 1978 at the age of 24.