Page 98 - my-people-abbie-harris-beck

THE WRECK OF MY LIFE

I started driving at the age of 11. I would take mama to the farm and to get water
from Lake Geneva when Laura was not around. We had a preacher, Mr. Tomblin who
worshipped his new car. He would not let any of his girls learn to drive. Two of the girls
were 4 years older than me. Brother Tomblin had been in a revival almost a week when
he was asked to stay for another week. He had five children and they were running out of
clean clothes. He was to be home in time to pick up the wash. He called Mrs. Tomblin to
tell her he would not be home. She told him that they needed the clean clothes from the
wash woman. He said to ask Abbie to take his car and to get the wash. Mama said for
me to take our car. Mrs. Tomblin said no, Mr, Tomblin wanted me to do it because the
car needed to be driven. So, I take one of the older girls, Inez and a friend, Bertha Frill, to
pick up the clothes. I picked up the clothes and decided we would go another way back.
The city had just made new roads in a new sub-division. So we decided to go that way.
Mama warned me to be real careful with Brother Tomblin's car. I wasn't going but about
30 miles an hour. The first thing that I knew we had landed upside down in a huge ditch.
All four wheels spinning and clean clothes all over the car. We crawled o u t, and no one
was hurt. Would you believe where the car turned over was where we bought our home
on Trinity. I walked down the road to the Samson Highway. There was no other Samson
Highway at this time. I waved a car down and asked them to tell my brother to come get
us. He came about the time we had shook the clothes and folded them back up. He took
us home and went to get help for the car. It was Thursday afternoon and every thing was
closed and gone. No one to help. Brother took the key out of the car and called the
Chevrolet place the next morning. There was not a dent in the car, but the battery had
leaked during the night and ruined the upholstery. Brother and the one that came to pick
the car up, said that the road had been washed out under underneath and the car just slid
over. These roads were not paved, they had just been put in. Mr. Tomblin came to see
us and said it was his fault. He had worshipped his car and didn't want his girls to drive or
anyone to bother his car. He let the girls learn to drive after that. One was in college the
other one graduated from high school and working. Mama paid for the upholstery to be
replaced. I kept saying it wasn't my fault! Mama said the Tomblins have five children and
Mr. Tomblin doesn't make very much. It was my first and only wreck.