1221 Green Street

1221 Green Street! That address says a lot to any Jarrett kid. I remember the day we went to look at the house. We were moving yet again , and needed to view the place. I had been living with Grandmother and granddaddy on Central Ave. We had an efficiency apartment, and mom and some of the boys lived several blocks away on Milledge Road. I spent the night with them one time and almost had a heart attack! Their apartment was a second floor apartment in a run down antebellum style house. At one time this had been a beautiful place and today it is, as someone renovated it about 20 years ago.  Mom's place was small, and I had to sleep on the sofa. I never minded bunking out on the sofa so ..no problem.  Really!!? In the middle of the night something kept waking me up, but not enough to come completely awake. Eventually it was so worrisome I did fully awaken to find..... a large roach had been crawling all over my face! I did what any female would in this situation. I screamed bloody murder and started crying uncontrollably. Larry, Jerry and mom came running to see what was wrong. I was crying so hard I couldn't talk. I know I was like this for at least 10 minutes or more. Finally, I stammered, " a roach was crawling on my face!" Sob, sob, sob. You need to know I was hysterical not just upset.  The boys kept asking me " Did someone come in? Did you see someone? Did someone try to break in? "
" No, no, no. A roach was on my face. Crawling all over me." "For crying out loud!" Larry said. I don't know what my mother said only that my brothers were giving me no sympathy. They both turned around and went back to bed. I, of course, stayed up the rest of the night patrolling the room for the roach. YUCK! I never spent the night at that house again even though I wanted to. My paranoia about bugs, specifically roaches, continues to this day. I have spent a virtual fortune to have my house sprayed over the years and  those d--m things still get in and torment me, but that's the South for you.
We did moved to 1221 Green Street ( we never say just "Green Street," but 1221 Green Street ) just before school started. To my absolute delight Bobby, Rusty and Chris came home from the orphanage to live permanently. Jerry and Larry were already home and in high school. I was 12-13 yrs old ,and I was going into the 8th grade. When we visited this house to decide if we could move there I was so happy. For the first time since I was seven we would all be together again.
Anyway, when you walked into the house you entered what use to be the front hall of a elegant home. To the right was a french door. This door led into our apartment. I can remember so well Bobby's reaction to this room. There was a window seat that ran wall to wall across the front of the room facing the street. It was at least 15 feet across. Bobby exclaimed, " A stage! Look ya'll, a stage." Yes, every raised platform was a potential stage to my brothers. They all liked to perform especially Bobby and Jerry. Those two were at their best in front of an audience. The rest of us stood by and enjoyed their talent.
Living at 1221 Green Street was the most difficult time of my childhood.  The gifts of music and humor kept us all afloat many a time.