My name is Izzy and we came from a small town in Pennsylvania, traveled here with just our cloths all stuffed in our station wagon, we arrived in a small town of American fork. Moved in to a small home where we got a bed room in the basement. It was one long trip, seems like we drove for 3 days and hardly ever stopped. My brother Johnny was shorter than me and but he was so tough, I hoped one day I could be like him but taller. My other younger brother was Tommy; he was quiet, blond hair, skinny and always smiling.  My dad was uncaring and mean to me and my brother, my mother didn’t seem to care very much either. Neither of them read to us or tuck us in or want to do much with us. My dad had a job at the Steel mill in Provo, he was some kind big boss, only reason I knew that was listening to him talk to my mother. My mother had long black hair and she wore apron all most all the time, she did not talk to us much. Just get in here or get a bath or was fixing our dinner she was kind of short tempered to us.  My dad was tall and wore glasses and he had a sneer on his face all the time, like he was mad.  Johnny and I ran all over the small town, the park and the church were our favorite places in town.  Sometimes we would sneak in and play the organ in the church and then run away before they caught us. How I loved American fork, and Lehi. We spend our summers swimming and laying under the trees at the Mill pond. And also playing around the rodeo grounds there were always animals there.  Johnny and I would take some food from farmers’ fields and gardens. We were always hungry at home there ate oat  meal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and some beats, calfalurs or things that normal kids would never want for dinner. If we got milk it was just a tiny bit here and there. If we complain and then we get told to go to our rooms, but we are hungry I say or Johnny word say, just get going he says to us.  We then sit in our dark room staring up at the tiny window that let in the smallest amount of light into room. We had no power in our room, or a light and a wool blanket that was so scratchy you had to wear your cloths to keep it from itching you. We talk about how come we don’t get treated well, or have a dad and mom that liked us being around. Tommy had a room upstairs because he was younger, Grace and Vera lived down stairs with us, my sisters were pretty and nice to us, they sneak us food, a roll or anything that we might enjoy. They got better cloths to wear then us, dad like them a little more, but we did not know why. We kids would get to work the fields if we could find a farmer who needed help weeding or pulling. I did not understand as I was growing up why we did not have much food, or clothes and my friends had lots, I would stay at Nolin’s house, his mom was so pretty, and she smiled every time I came over, I noticed that she look at my clothes. I was always dirty and wore the same clothes all week long. Nolin’s mom would give me some other cloths to ware and wash mine; she fed me till I thought I would explode glass after glass of milk.  I had one pair of socks and mom would repair them over and over, our shoes had holes in them me and Johnny would put card board in them, and they buy us hand me downs that did not fit us good.  Dad was always in a suit, he looked like a prison warden we thought. As we went into junior high my fitness teacher Mister Clark would give me tennis shoes that were worn but always in good condition and he give me lunch money couple times a week, he say put these things  away  or can you help me clean this up and then say here you go Izzy I really appreciate the help. I knew he was being kind, I was glad to have lunch money. I and Johnny would get lunch money maybe two days a week.  Dad would say I don’t have enough to go around, and had our sister’s money. That hurt me and Johnny’s felling but we were glad that our sisters got to eat. We began to hate the old man, Johnny was liked by almost everyone he was funny and he was tough as nails, he take bets that he could do things that most kids could would not try, like he punch a car window and break it, he would hang on to jumper cables that the shock would knock you down.  Johnny would do tons of pushups for a dime, or a dare. He once took this giant needle threw his arm, pinning it to his biceps for some food.  I was not as tough as Johnny; the neighborhood kid Danny punched me over and over in the 7th grade as I walked into school. I was afraid of him he was bigger and I thought stronger. One day my brother saw him hit me and he ran over and clocked Danny, Danny said what you do that for. I don’t like your brother, Johnny asks me what did you do to Danny, his girlfriend likes me, but I have not touched her.   He been hitting me the whole year I said to Johnny. Johnny said what, turned to Danny, get up and Danny looked scarred, then he said get up to me, I wonder why,  then he said you are going to fight Danny or you are going to fight me. I was scarred but I did not want to fight my brother he was tough, I hated Danny for hitting me, so I swung at Danny and my punch hit, then he hit me and the madder I got, punch after punch I landed and then we wrested on the ground and then I got on top the anger poured out and I beat his head into the ground. Then Johnny pulled me off, as Danny got up I said you want some more, with my bloody fists in the air, his head and nose dripping with blood. He said no more your win, and headed home. I was shaking but I had done something that I was afraid to do, and fight back. Johnny said did you feel good standing up for yourself, yes, I
He gave me a hug, I said stop it and gave me a push. Johnny changed my life right there I started to question my dad,  he did not like it, I say why do we have to have dumplings for dinner, why not ham and potatoes like my friends have  . Why don’t we have milk in the fridge or shoes that don’t have holes in them or clothes?  My friend’s mom says you make more than anyone almost anyone in the town. He said don’t you talk to me like that, don’t you talk to me again unless you do it with respect. From that day around the eighth grade we did not talk.  I ask my mom why you don’t you help me and Johnny. Mom would say Izzy you need to not bother your dad, I say mom we are not poor but we live like we are poor, Pat and Stan both have clothes and food. Their dad takes them places and talks to them. Why doesn’t dad love me and Johnny? She starred at me and then gave me a hug and, I seen tears in her eyes and I hugged mom. That night she made a cake that night and she slipped me and Jonny the last two pieces. We sat in our rooms eating white cake with chocolate icing on top of it. That has never happened to us. Mom must have felt bad and tried in a little way to make us feel better. But she never answered the question why does dad not love us. Dad told me to pack a bag when I was 18 he drove me to the bus stop and said here is some money and said if I was you I join the army.  I said why do you hate me and Johnny, he said nothing, and then he said I don’t hate you I just don’t like you, and please don’t come back.  That day was the worst day ever for me, I did not go to the bus stop, I had a friend that let me live at his house that winter, it was a small farm and I helped out anytime I could. That summer I hitch hiked to Colorado where I met the most beautiful girl in the world.
I am now 28 and I moved away to a small city in Illinois, met the love of my life Kay; she has long blond hair, slender, long legs, beautiful in every way.  I have a construction job and am learning to be a carpenter. Each night I come home to our little house, my two boys come running up to me daddy, daddy your home. I scoop them up in my arms and kiss them and hug them. How was your day I ask Jake and Greg, they both tell me stories, and I say bet that was fun? Mom took us swimming or she flew a kite with us. We helped her make a cake and got to lick the bowl.  Then we go in and my wife would kiss me, I kiss her and she smelled so good, we would then talk the kids and about our day. We always get an icy bottle of coke, or coffee and sit on the back patio holding hands. The boys would swing we talk about how great they both are and what they might turn out to be. Inside all that mattered was that those two boys were loved and got all they wanted to eat, and that they would never fell that they were not loved by their parents.