You Can't Control The Soul

CHAPTER ONE- NEAR DROWNING.

I WAS A LITTLE GIRL LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY IN THE YEAR 1960. MY FATHER WORKED AS A STATIONARY ENGINEER AT A HOSPITAL IN THE BRONX CALLED BRONX LEBANON HOSPITAL. MY FATHER WORKED THE NIGHT SHIFT 11 PM TO 7 AM IN THE BOILER ROOM OF THE HOSPITAL. HE WORKED THE NIGHT SHIFT SO HE WOULD BE ABLE TO BE HOME TO TAKE CARE OF ME DURING THE DAY WHILE MY MOTHER WORKED AS A FILE CLERK AT A COMPANY IN NEW YORK CALLED JOE LOWE CORPORATION. THIS COMPANY EVENTUALLY MOVED TO NEW JERSEY. JOE LOWE CORPORATION MANUFACTURED ICE POPS. NEW YORK CITY WAS A VERY VIBRANT TOWN WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. I HAD MANY FRIENDS AT SCHOOL AND ACHIEVED AN EXCELLENT GRADE AVERAGE AT THE SCHOOL I WENT TO IN NEW YORK. THE SCHOOL WAS ST. CATHERINE OF GENOA IN NEW YORK CITY TAUGHT BY OUR LADY OF MERCY NUNS. ONE DAY AT SCHOOL I WAS OUTSIDE TALKING TO MY GIRLFRIENDS AND THE BOYS WERE PLAYING BASEBALL. I GOT HIT BY A BALL RIGHT IN THE FACE. MY NOSE STARTED TO BLEED AND THE NUN THOUGHT MY EYE WAS BLEEDING. SHE IMMEDIATELY TOOK ME INSIDE THE SCHOOL AND WASHED MY FACE TO SEE IF I WAS ALRIGHT. THE PRINCIPAL SISTER UNA CALLED MY FATHER AND LET HIM KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT I WAS GOING HOME. INSTEAD, I WENT TO MY GIRLFRIEND’S HOUSE WHERE HER MOTHER HELPED ME CLEAN MY CLOTHES BECAUSE THEY WERE COVERED WITH BLOOD. I CALLED MY FATHER AT HER HOUSE AND HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT ME AND TOLD ME TO COME RIGHT HOME IMMEDIATELY. WHEN MY MOTHER ARRIVED HOME FROM WORK SHE CALLED MY FRIEND’S MOTHER AND THANKED HER FOR HELPING ME.
MY PARENTS WERE QUITE STRICT WITH BRINGING ME UP AND I WAS TO ALWAYS CONDUCT MYSELF IN A PROPER WAY IN MY HOME. I ATTENDED CATHOLIC SCHOOLS AND DID VERY WELL THERE AND RECEIVED EXCELLENT GRADES. THE GRAMMER SCHOOL WAS ST. CATHERINE OF GENOA AND MY HIGH SCHOOL WAS ST. CATHERINE’S ACADEMY. I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AT ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL IN NEW YORK CITY. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL CHURCH! TO CELEBRATE MY GRADUATION WE ALL WENT TO MAMA’S LEONE’S RESTAURANT IN DOWNTOWN NEW YORK. THEY GAVE EVERYONE ENORMOUS PLATES OF FOOD AND OF COURSE WE TOOK HALF OF THE FOOD HOME.
THIS NEAR DROWNING INCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN AUGUST OF 1960. I WAS INVITED TO GO TO A PRIVATE POOL IN UPTOWN NEW YORK CITY WITH A BUNCH OF KIDS. I HAD TO RETURN BOTTLES AT A LOCAL GROCERY STORE TO GET ENOUGH MONEY TO GO WITH THEM AS YOU HAD TO PAY TO GET INTO THE POOL AREA. THIS ONE BOY WHO WAS ABOUT 16 YEARS OLD LIKED ME AND TOLD ME THAT IF I GO TO THE POOL HE WOULD WATCH OUT FOR ME. I TOLD HIM I COULD NOT SWIM AND HE SAID THAT’S OK I WILL PUT YOU ON MY SHOULDERS AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO INTO THE WATER. I SAID OK AND PROCEEDED TO GO WITH HIM SINCE MY FATHER SAID IT WAS FINE. WE WENT ON THE BUS TO THE POOL AND I PROCEEDED TO PUT MY BATHING SUIT ON IN THE LOCKER. WHEN I CAME OUT HE PUT ME ON HIS SHOULDERS AND HE WAS WALKING AROUND IN THE POOL. ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMEONE FROM BEHIND PUSHED HIM DOWN AND I FELL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL. I GOT UP AND TURNED AROUND AND I SAW A HAND COMING DOWN IN THE WATER GESTERING FOR ME TO TAKE THIS HAND. I GRASPED THIS HAND AND IT PULLED ME UP WITH SUCH FORCE THAT THE WATER WAS GUSHING INTO MY FACE. I CLOSED MY EYES AND TRUSTED THIS HAND OR PERSON TO HELP ME. WHEN THE PULLING STOPPED I FOUND MYSELF AT THE EDGE OF THE POOL SAFE. I PULLED MYSELF UP FROM THE EDGE OF THIS POOL AND SAW THAT KID THAT BROUGHT ME TO THIS POOL LAUGHING WITH HIS FRIENDS. I TOLD HIM WERE YOU THE ONE THAT PULLED ME UP AND HE SAID NO – WE WERE ALL LOOKING FOR YOU. WHERE DID YOU GO? I IMMEDIATELY WENT HOME AND WAITED FOR MY MOTHER TO COME HOME. I TOLD HER THE ENTIRE STORY AND SHE TOLD MY FATHER WHEN HE GOT UP FOR WORK WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE NEXT DAY MY FATHER WENT LOOKING FOR THIS KID AND HE FOUND HIM OUTSIDE ONE OF THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS JUST HANGING AROUND. MY FATHER APPROACHED HIM AND WAS VERY ANGRY AND TOLD HIM “ DID YOU TRY AND DROWN MY DAUGHTER ? YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER DO YOU HEAR ME”! HE NEVER BOTHERED ME AGAIN.
THERE WERE MANY INCIDENCES IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I WITNESSED AS A YOUNG GIRL GROWING UP IN WASHINGTON HEIGHTS. ACROSS THE STREET FROM 9 FORT WASHINGTON AVENUE WAS A HOTEL. I USED TO PLAY OUTSIDE THE APARTMENT HOUSE WITH MY FRIENDS AFTER SCHOOL. I SOMETIMES SAW A BLACK MAN OUTSIDE THIS HOTEL. HE WAS ALWAYS DRUNK. AT ONE POINT HE CREATED A DISTURBANCE OUTSIDE THIS HOTEL AND THE NEW YORK POLICE WERE CALLED IN. THEY TOLD THIS MAN TO LEAVE THE AREA AND HE REFUSED. ALL OF A SUDDEN I SAW ONE POLICE OFFICER HIT THIS MAN OVER THE HEAD WITH HIS STICK. BLOOD WAS GUSHING ALL OVER THE STREET. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO FAINT AND IMMEDIATELY I RAN INTO MY APARTMENT HOUSE. WHAT A TERRIBLE THING FOR ME TO SEE!