Chapter 59: Summer 1949 • Sonora, California ~ Coming out of the Sonora Library (the library and the church tied for first place as Claudia’s second home), one of the nuns recognized Claudia and stopped her and to pat her seven-year-old head. “What a pious child you are!” Sister Bernadette beamed. “You’ll grow up and make a perfect nun.“
Alarmed, Claudia ran home and tore through the screen door. “Mom, I have to be a nun! I have to be a nun!” she cried. Throwing herself against Mother, she relayed what Sister had said. “I don’t want to be a nun!”
“Oh for the love of God, Claudia. You don’t have to be a nun,” Mom pooh-poohed, much to Claudia’s great relief. “You can be whatever you want to be when you grow up. Now go outside. I’m trying to get dinner on.”
My sister took everything to heart, even jokes. “You are such a literal child,” Mom would say to her. And she was. With her soft dimples, upturned nose and innocent cherub chin, Claudia didn’t think people would go around lying about things.
Mother spent much of her time countermanding what the church professed. “Don’t be ridiculous, you’re not going to hell if you eat meat on Friday,” she’d snort, cleaning her glasses and shaking her head. And, “no, you won’t go to hell if you don’t go to Mass on Sunday,” throwing her arms in the air in disdain.
“But those are all mortal sins!” Claudia cried, “Like murder!”
Mom clamped her hands on both hips in scorn. “That’s all a crock of hooey!”
“But they said… ” my sister wailed in response.
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Claudia,” and Mother, rolling her eyes, launched into yet another exposition of hell, high water, and common sense.
NOTE: My brother kept a diary with daily entries from the time he turned 13 until he was 21. I’ve posted them in the Sonoma Sun column as part of this story, and realized that if I continued, we’d be here for another two years. For the sake of moving the story along, newspaper space, and time, I’m now only including those entries pertaining directly to the family.
1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15)
Aug 3 Had a bad cold so stayed home. Took bath and shined shoes.
Aug 6 Carleen called up from Marysville twice to tell us she would stay two extra days
Aug 7 Learned how to stop and start a car going up hill. Drove for about two hours. Had a new priest at church. Short and heavy.
Aug 14 Had Franciscan Priest saying Mass this morning.
Aug 15 Got thousands of records from music store in Virginia City which went bankrupt.
Aug 16 Dad went to city. I got some music stands for the band, also got books, valve oil, and electric trains. Cathy’s birthday
Aug 19 Got all of RCA records put in stock.
Aug 21 Everybody except Dad and I went on a picnic at Phoenix Lake.
Aug 22 Cashed in one of my War bonds and got $19.75 for it. Got it Feb 1, 1946. Got 14 pairs of sox.
Aug 23 Got haircut. Claudia wants to collect stamps.
Aug 26 Saw show Wizard of Oz. Walked out to bowling alley after show.
Catherine Sevenau is a writer, humorist, and storyteller living in Sonoma. The stories in this series are excerpts from her book, Through Any Given Door, a Family Memoir; available at Sevenau.com. A longtime Broker/Realtor at CENTURY 21 Epic Wine Country. Csevenau@earthlink.net
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