Susan: Ok, Daddy, tell me about when I was born? Daddy: I remember when you was born Susan: Where were you at? Daddy: I was a working, but I don’t remember where. Susan: What kind of work did you do, when I was born what kind of work did you do? Daddy: I was running cornice. Susan: Ok, so where were you at, and how did Mama get to the hospital? Daddy: Uncle Jack carried her. Susan: Did Mama live near Uncle Jack or Uncle Jack’s house? Daddy: Na. Lived down on Fairburn Road just right out of Red Oak, just about a mile east of Red Oak. Susan: Where is Red Oak at? Daddy: Over there where 70 Hwy 29. Roosevelt Highway. Susan: Ok, so how far away was Uncle Jack from her? Daddy: He lived over on 23 highway. He was a good ways, came out of Atlanta where he was a working at. Ina called him and told Jack that Martha was in labor, go see about her, Said, J.C.’s off somewhere out in the county working, don't know how to get in touch with him just about thru Alden Hayes. He had phone in his car. Susan: Daddy, he had a phone in his car in 1958? They didn’t have car phones back then unless it was a policeman. Daddy: Yes he did have a phone in there too. Susan: He had phone in his car?? Daddy: Ya. Susan: Ok. Daddy: Cause it was hooked up to his horn, that horn started blowing and he would come off the damn house to go get it. Susan: Ok, anyway go ahead. Daddy: Jack come out there and Martha was already ready, she done had her bags packed and clothes on, done bathed and jumped in the car. Susan: Mama’s going thru contractions and pain and she took a bath. Daddy: Yea, wash, I called birdbath. Susan: Ok, go ahead. Daddy: Next door neighbor knew Martha’s time has come. Susan: Mmm Daddy: Natural they were out there when Jack was getting her in the car. Jack done bad driving like I did when she was in the hospital, it was something else he done, I forgot what it was …. Susan: Police ever try to stop him? Daddy: No. Something he told Ina that he done. Susan: So he got to the hospital . Daddy: The nurses said you was in labor when your got there. Susan: I wasn’t in labor Mama was. Daddy: Ya. Your Mama was in labor and they was gonna see if she couldn’t have it natural ya know. So I done got there. They told me at the house that a Martha was already in the hospital having a baby and a I told the boys, I had 4 or 5 boys working for me, you might remember 2 of them Rufus Heasley and old Red . Susan: McDaniel? Daddy: Ya. And a said “I told them, I ain’t got time to carry you home, call some of your people and let them come and get you or stay here till I get back it would be in the night, maybe way into the night and a they got home. I got to the hospital, nurse come down the elevator into the waiting room where I was at, I had papers to sign just like the piece of paper you have holding in your hand. I ask her for what, “To give Mrs, Card a spinal shot.” I didn’t know what a spinal shot was, said, “We got to paralyze her before we can take that baby, cause the baby is hung in the birth canal and she is smothering to death”. Susan: You know what they gave her, don’t you? An epidural. Daddy: I don’t know what the hell it was? Susan: The same thing when I had Jason and Justin. Go ahead. Daddy: I signed it, about 30 minutes later, here she come downstairs holding you wrapped up in a blanket. First thing I ask her, “Is it a boy or girl?” She said, “You too.” Susan: Who ask before you? Daddy: Martha did. Susan: Oh, Ok. Daddy: They had to pull the blanket back and show them. She pulled the blanket back and showed me. I said, “I’m satisfied.” Cause that’s what we were always counting on you being a girl. Martha bought you all the clothes didn’t buy no boy clothes, everything girl, everything she could think of. You had more clothes there when you was a baby than a damn store got. All kind of pretty dresses . You had all kind of clothes: dresses, pants, pajamas, pull-ups. Susan: Was this the time that Mama died several times on the table? Daddy: Ya. Susan: Tell me about that. Daddy: Well, I went up there to see her twice, upstairs and she was having one. Susan: Having one what? Contraction? Daddy: Ya No. Made a monster out of her. Susan: Didn’t you tell me all these years she died on the table 5 times. Daddy: No she had a stroke. Susan: You told me she died on the table five times and they brought her back. You don’t remember that? Daddy: No. Susan: You always told me that she died on the table having me and they had to do things to bring her back to life cause her heart stopped. Daddy: The only thing I heard her told me was one Sunday evening and she had one or two that day, they told me if she had another one she gone. Susan: No Daddy, you mixed up the story, they said she could never have another child Daddy: I know they said that before cause a wasn’t nothing right with I call her “baby machine” inside of her stomach and her tailbone was about that big around, they didn’t spread open like a regular woman did. They told me and ask me where does her Daddy and Mama and live? I said Covington, a little town called Starville. She said you better go notify them, let them get up here. I hauled tailed downstairs run out in the street, got in that old white Fraizer, cranked it up, I burnt rubber till I got to the Memorial Drive. I was scared. Susan: Now, was she having these problems while she was still carrying me in the hospital or she already have me? Daddy: No, she did not have any problem while she was carrying you. Susan: When she was in the hospital and you said she was making “these monster faces”, has she already delivered me? Daddy: Ya. She hadn’t delivered you they had to taken you. Susan: Oh yeah, I had a C-section. But I’m saying these monster faces, was I still in her or had she already had me Daddy: uh huh. Susan: Daddy, when she was making faces, had she already had me? Daddy: Ya. Susan: So she was making those faces after she delivered me? Daddy: Ya. Susan: Ok. Why did they she was making those faces? Daddy: They got blood in the fluid in your backbone. Susan: How did she get my blood in the backbone of her ? Daddy: Well, it’s not your blood. They got blood in the fluid in her backbone. Susan: How did they do that? Daddy: That needle they were trying to hit the spinal cord there. Susan: This was St. Joseph, so there was nuns there and you told me, the nuns were preparing for her to give her the last rites. Daddy: Ya.