Before I started school, my grandparents lived communally on the ground floor of a formerly grand old house in Houston. Clearly the growing city was encroaching on the fading beauty.Cookie, Uncle Riley, and Cousin Barbie lived there too. It was on a busy street with nonstop traffic. The noise of constant traffic and honking horns intruded constantly. The air was never free of exhaust. A large grocery store stood catty-cornered from them and a funeral home directly across. An eight-foot wide sidewalk ran from the front steps to the sidewalk fronting the street. A stately porch ran around three sides of the house. Most intriguing of all, what appeared to be a closet enclosed four steps of a staircase ascending to nowhere. An old lady rented the second-floor apartment complete with an identical porch.
I desperately wanted to explore the second floor but Grandma shut me down. “We can’t go up there. Another family lives there.” Everyone I knew lived in a regular house. I’d never seen an apartment or house divided into apartments.
Grandma was overprotective. I was old enough to be trusted not to wander out in the street but she was convinced a passerby would snatch me off the sidewalk. Also, she was worried a speeding car would plow up onto the sidewalk. She stood guard nearby scowling with her trusty broom just in case a foolhardy kidnapper looked tempted. We were free to play on the enormous wrap around porch.
Cousin Barbie didn’t have to share. She screamed if we approached her inflatable wading pool set up in the porch. She kept her skates close by, intending to keep them safe from me and my brother. That was managed easily enough. While one of us skated, the other ran in and out of the pool. We kept her running and screaming till Cookie took her in for fear of an asthma attack. That worked for us.
One morning as Grandma worked in her flower beds, I was allowed to play on the sidewalk a few feet away. To my great surprise, the lady living on the second floor dashed her bucket of mop water onto my head. I thought it a delightful surprise for a hot day! Grandma was enraged. She tore into her upstairs neighbor while Mother whisked me in to wash off the mop water.
To be continued
Nutsrok 
Interesting arrangement. Rather a cross between a duplex and a boarding house.
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Yes. I think they had five large rooms downstairs.
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Ooh, I’ll bet that dishwater smelled LOVELY!!
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Actually, it was mopeater with Clorox. Grandma was livid.
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Aaaaaaaugh!
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What a surprise from above 😂I understand your grandma took good care of you. I think I would have been overcaring with a (grand)child given in my guardianship.
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We went to the park with my granddaughter Fridy evening . I was anxious when they left her on the playground unattended. I wished I’d walked along instead of finding a bench to listen to Mariachi Band.
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It is in us, isn’t it?
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I can close my eyes and picture the house and your grandma out working in her flower bed when you got doused by mop water. Sounds like a wonderful childhood and great memories. Hugs to you my dear friend.
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I loved Grandma so much. I still think of her everyday.
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Awww, I wonder if she looks down upon you from time to time and reads your stories and just busts out laughing telling all the other folks up there, “Yup, that’s my granddaughter.”
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I’ll bet she does. I dream about Grandma a lot!
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That’s awesome that she comes to visit you in your dreams.
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You may have been poor, but you lived a very rich life.
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And I have loved it. The good part about growing up poor is not being jaded. Enough is wonderful.
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What a strage woman. I can see that type of living for older families because they grew up often in close quarters and often were close families. With someone living upstairs sounds a but strange but you think about a regular apartment, you have people all around you. More great family stories.
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Thank you. You’d think it ideal, but the thing was, my grandmother ended up with all the housework and childcare my aunt was a teacher. She thought she’d done her share when she paid the rent. She made it clear no one was to discipline Barbie. She believed in distraction.
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Another fascinating story….as a child I always wanted to live in a commune:)
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I didn’t know about communes when I was a kid. I lived in a rural community where everyone had their own house, unless Grandma or Grandpa lived in.
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I also lived with my Mother and Father in a house, but a commune always appealed to me and in many ways still does. Of course it would have to be made up of like minded people. A lot of people our age are buying big properties and making them into a community for older people…again like minded people. Everyone would have their own space, along with community spaces….interesting:) and of course always animals……
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It does sound appealing and less lonely for those without close family.
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Exactly….
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Looking forward to the next part of this, I have never known anyone who lived in a communal environment, the house you described sounds like a house divided into flats to me, but what do I know, not much, that’s for sure
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You are right. It was the first I’d ever seen.
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As ever, looking forward to the next post! Thank you so much for all your sharing :)
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I am so glad you are communicating with me!
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Haha as I say, I love reading your gems! you’re brilliant!
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You encourage me. Thanks!
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