BILL CADY Word Count: 149,227 - At My Friend's Place

Bill Cady, The Early Years … by Bill Cady 68
There were houses priced at over $100,000, and mansions with $200,000 price tags. We
lived in a house my folks bought for $7,000 and paid $58.33 per month to live in it.
Gasoline was priced at 12-15¢ per gallon, to put it in perspective.
Both of us, that David thing and I, had been bugging Mom to get us Banlons for
Christmas. To wear them to school would show we could look as good as any other kids.
We wanted that.
There we were, early Christmas morning, at the tree grabbing our presents, like all
kids. I hoped like hell I‟d find a few Banlons, but they were very expensive. I really
doubted Mom would find a way to make it happen.
However, when I tore open a package, I found a Banlon! Son-of-a-bitch! Man,
I‟ve died and gone to heaven! Two more packages showed the same thing. I had three
Banlons in different colors! I ravaged the clear plastic packages to get them open and
look at my new shirts. Hold one in front of me and see how gorgeous it would make me.
That‟s when I noticed something wrong. My stomach felt like I was going to be
sick for a moment. Both parents were watching us, smiling like crazy. Glad to be able to
bring us something we both wanted so much. They stopped smiling at my remark. “Aw,
they‟re long-sleeved.”
“Real” Banlons were short-sleeved. Mom found these at some big discount place
and managed to find enough money to buy them. They were far less costly than “real”
Banlons.
“Goddamned kids!” stormed my old man. He walked into the kitchen, then hid in
the bathroom and smoked a cigarette. Soon after, he did what he always did when he was
really hurt.
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