FATHER - I GOT IT

Many times my father verbally expressed what he thought I needed to know, at times it was
through his actions and there were many times I just got lucky, by being in the right place at the
right time...Each a learned event.

After my father's death, I was going through some of his papers for my mom and ran across his
birth certicate. The last name on the birth certicate caught my eye. It was not the last name my
father used. My eyes were widened. What does this mean?

We as a family accepted my father’s last name as our own. The last name he used currently was
different than the legal last name listed on his birth certicate, marriage license, and several of my
older sibling's birth certicates where he was listed as “Father”.

I asked my mother months after my daddy’s death for his last name explanation. She stated, he was
raised by an uncle and it was his uncle's last name my daddy felt most comfortable with.

I never questioned or inquired again. He had his reasons and that was ne in my camp. It didn't
appear to bother my elder siblings that the last name on their birth certicate was different than
the last name they were accustomed to.

We as a family never openly discussed that fact. We cherished the name he chose and we equally
accepted it.

As a young man, I remember staying clear of any young lady with that surname. I thought It was
important to be very precautionary because of the severe consequences. It is a small small world
after all.

I remember my rst recollection of my father. I was 4-5 years old. It was the night our home burned
down from an accidental kerosene heater spill.

I don’t know if that is of any signicance to my psychological prole...Everyone survived the re
intact that evening. The wooden row house burned very quickly. Our family stayed at my father’s
best friend's home for about 2 weeks after the re...

No one was hurt. We were all good. no horror memories. My sister, number (4), saved my life by
carrying and passing me through the bedroom window to my father. I only remember the freezing
breeze of that night. I had been asleep only a few moments before the re started.