In June of 1945, Ruby is adopted by Ralph and Lucile and given the new name of Davalene; her nickname became Dee Dee.
Dee Dee was whisked off to Iowa on a Greyhound bus. Her second year was filled by new love and adventure. Her new parents were good to her; there was plenty of food; and she soon developed a deep love for them. Everything was wonderful as a doted-on only child, but Lucile was considering adding another child to her and Ralph's family. She felt strongly that she had gained the little girl that she had so desired and it was only fair that Ralph should have a son to follow in his footsteps. Ralph was adamant that he did not want another child and was happy with their family as it now stood, but Lucile, as usual, did not take Ralph's protests seriously.
Lucile contacted another orphanage that was spreading the word about a little-five-month old baby boy (Robert Eugene) who had been deserted by his mother and father. Lucile jumped at the chance to adopt the little boy and she worked closely with an adoption agency. Ralph made his point about not wanting another child, but Lucile "wore the pants in the family" and insisted on pursuing the adoption. Ralph gave in and signed the adoption papers. Shortly thereafter, little Charles Warren entered our family and Dee Dee was not pleased.
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Dee Dee looked inside the new crib, set up in a small room just off of the Living Room, and saw a tiny wrapped-up bundle that emitted shrill cries that disturbed her ears. She decided that she would have to get rid of this bothersome and resented new creature by dragging him out of the crib and putting him in the trash can in the kitchen. She reached into the crib and pulled on the baby's blanket. He began to slide to the very edge of the crib and Dee Dee pulled even harder until he was smack up against the crib bars. He was screaming his lungs out and that made Dee Dee even more determined to get rid of him. Suddenly, from nowhere, Lucile appeared in the room and saw what Dee Dee was trying to do. She smacked Dee Dee's hands and asked her just what was she trying to accomplish. Dee Dee answered truthfully and was rewarded by a spanking at the hands of her father, Ralph. It was her first spanking and she saw that Ralph cried as he was forced to smack her repeatedly on her bottom. The spanking made her resent the baby even more. She now realized that her world had changed, to the negative, because of this screaming new "thing." Now she would always have spankings as part of her everyday life, and Ralph and Lucile were no longer perfect in her eyes.
Baby Charles was to begin his new future as a scapegoat. Ralph never warmed up to him and began to stay away from home as long as he possibly could. Lucile never developed love for the new baby and she was angry that Ralph left her to raise the children pretty much alone. She also worked long hours as a nurse and hired our Anabelle to do the actual work of raising us. Charley (Charles) began to be tortured by Lucile when he began walking and getting into things. There were harsh beatings with a belt, hours lying in his crib with his hands and feet tied to the edges of the crib, being tied up with a dog collar and chain when he went outside to play, restriction of food and drink, and having his fingers held in the stove's flames until he was burned critically and almost lost some of his fingers.
Poor Charley was tortured more than Dee Dee was, but Dee Dee was also given extreme punishments, and one punishment that did not work on Charley and that was being told that she was garbage, unworthy, and unloved. Words punished Dee Dee more than spankings. On top of the punishments both Charley and Dee Dee were expected to clean the house, wash the dishes, work in the garden, and do the laundry. When she was five years old, Dee Dee cooked her first meal for her parents and cleaned up afterwards. It was expected from that point on.
The years passed and Charley and Dee Dee both dreamed of running away from home; but where to run to?
Charley kept to himself and spoke very little, Dee Dee dreamed of a mother whom she would never really know, but whom she was sure would love her for herself. She dreamed of her birth mother finding her after all these years and reassuring her that she was deeply loved and missed. Dee Dee fantasized about this the rest of her life and wrote poetry to her "real" mom. She felt that one day she would find her mother and get to question her mother about her past; she felt in her heart that the results would be positive.
Tomorrow, how Dee Dee and Charley found their birth families and the outcome of their searches.
Dee Dee was whisked off to Iowa on a Greyhound bus. Her second year was filled by new love and adventure. Her new parents were good to her; there was plenty of food; and she soon developed a deep love for them. Everything was wonderful as a doted-on only child, but Lucile was considering adding another child to her and Ralph's family. She felt strongly that she had gained the little girl that she had so desired and it was only fair that Ralph should have a son to follow in his footsteps. Ralph was adamant that he did not want another child and was happy with their family as it now stood, but Lucile, as usual, did not take Ralph's protests seriously.
Lucile contacted another orphanage that was spreading the word about a little-five-month old baby boy (Robert Eugene) who had been deserted by his mother and father. Lucile jumped at the chance to adopt the little boy and she worked closely with an adoption agency. Ralph made his point about not wanting another child, but Lucile "wore the pants in the family" and insisted on pursuing the adoption. Ralph gave in and signed the adoption papers. Shortly thereafter, little Charles Warren entered our family and Dee Dee was not pleased.
_____________
Dee Dee looked inside the new crib, set up in a small room just off of the Living Room, and saw a tiny wrapped-up bundle that emitted shrill cries that disturbed her ears. She decided that she would have to get rid of this bothersome and resented new creature by dragging him out of the crib and putting him in the trash can in the kitchen. She reached into the crib and pulled on the baby's blanket. He began to slide to the very edge of the crib and Dee Dee pulled even harder until he was smack up against the crib bars. He was screaming his lungs out and that made Dee Dee even more determined to get rid of him. Suddenly, from nowhere, Lucile appeared in the room and saw what Dee Dee was trying to do. She smacked Dee Dee's hands and asked her just what was she trying to accomplish. Dee Dee answered truthfully and was rewarded by a spanking at the hands of her father, Ralph. It was her first spanking and she saw that Ralph cried as he was forced to smack her repeatedly on her bottom. The spanking made her resent the baby even more. She now realized that her world had changed, to the negative, because of this screaming new "thing." Now she would always have spankings as part of her everyday life, and Ralph and Lucile were no longer perfect in her eyes.
Baby Charles was to begin his new future as a scapegoat. Ralph never warmed up to him and began to stay away from home as long as he possibly could. Lucile never developed love for the new baby and she was angry that Ralph left her to raise the children pretty much alone. She also worked long hours as a nurse and hired our Anabelle to do the actual work of raising us. Charley (Charles) began to be tortured by Lucile when he began walking and getting into things. There were harsh beatings with a belt, hours lying in his crib with his hands and feet tied to the edges of the crib, being tied up with a dog collar and chain when he went outside to play, restriction of food and drink, and having his fingers held in the stove's flames until he was burned critically and almost lost some of his fingers.
Poor Charley was tortured more than Dee Dee was, but Dee Dee was also given extreme punishments, and one punishment that did not work on Charley and that was being told that she was garbage, unworthy, and unloved. Words punished Dee Dee more than spankings. On top of the punishments both Charley and Dee Dee were expected to clean the house, wash the dishes, work in the garden, and do the laundry. When she was five years old, Dee Dee cooked her first meal for her parents and cleaned up afterwards. It was expected from that point on.
The years passed and Charley and Dee Dee both dreamed of running away from home; but where to run to?
Charley kept to himself and spoke very little, Dee Dee dreamed of a mother whom she would never really know, but whom she was sure would love her for herself. She dreamed of her birth mother finding her after all these years and reassuring her that she was deeply loved and missed. Dee Dee fantasized about this the rest of her life and wrote poetry to her "real" mom. She felt that one day she would find her mother and get to question her mother about her past; she felt in her heart that the results would be positive.
Tomorrow, how Dee Dee and Charley found their birth families and the outcome of their searches.
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