A Friend in Need

Shirley, age 14, really needed a friend because she had no mother. Her father it seems was a

little dim-witted and her older sister was married and not living at home anymore. So no one

looked out for Shirley back in 1939 and there-a-bouts.

I used to walk home with her in the extreme cold weather when we missed the bus. I could see

she didn't even have all the underwear she really needed. Her daddy probably was too embarrassed to buy her a bra. And she really could have used one. She was well-padded, so I

guess that helped to keep her warm.

Well, Shirley got a mastoid infection and was in terrible pain, so she was taken to the hospital.

Surgery was performed on the mastoid infection, but she died on the operating table they told me.

I went to the funeral home to view the body. I was shocked!! Here was this young girl who had

never worn as much as a pat of powder on her nose, made up to the gills with bright red rouge, lipstick and eyebrow pencil! It was awful. That's when I made up my mind to be cremated.