Alameda, California

We live in Alameda, California in Naval base housing. Our building abuts a line of smallish pine trees, which line a chain-linked fence separating the Community College and its tennis courts from the land on which our unit sits. Each building houses 6 families; 3 up and 3 down. Ours faces a building just like ours. It's a lot of fun to play here. Craig and I always find tennis balls; sometimes the players yell to us to throw their balls back over the fence to them, but other times, when the courts are empty, we keep them. We like to climb the trees. Mom does not like us to do this because our clothes get sap on them, but it is so hard to resist climbing them. A lot of times we find a ton of lady bugs higher in the branches. We also like to hide in the trees from our playmates . There are playgrounds to the right and to the left in the distance where we often play with our friends. Craig and I like to ride our bikes, weaving them in and out of the winding side walks.

Meme and Dottie and Tom live in our building, but on the opposite end of us. Tom likes to tell us stories of being in the war and how he would eat raw onions as if they were apples to keep from getting sick. Meme is a cute little old woman [Dottie's mother] who says if you water the grass and then watch really closely, you can see it growing. I like her a lot because she gives me candy. Every morning I knock on her door and she will give me a piece. A couple of times I was not so lucky...Dottie answered the door instead and sent me on my way.

Tasha and John-John live above Dottie and Tom. They are black. Tasha babysits Craig and I and lets us eat Fudgesicles. She lets us stay up later than we are supposed to. John-John is a little bit younger than Craig [who is, I am guessing, about 7 or 8]. Craig won't let him come in the pool because he thinks John-John's brown skin will make the pool water dirty.

There is a little girl who lives directly across from us. I am older than her [about nine-years-old], but I ask her to play all the time because she is allowed to bring her babies and stollers and toys outside to play. I am not. The lady named Terry on the very far side of her--across from Dottie and Tom--is mean. One time, when she was watching Craig and I while my parents celebrated an anniversay at Santa Cruz, a kid swung a board at me and I called him a "Fucker." When my parents came back from their trip, she told my mom and dad and my mother washed my mouth out with soap. I was so mad because noone had any sympathy for me almost getting my head bashed in--and I got punished days after the incident happened. I do not like Terry very much at all!

The lady who lives above us is Japanese. She cooks a lot and I always smell it. Sometimes it smells terrible. But a lot of times she brings us some of her cooking. I love the fried egg rolls! And I love her wonton soup! She even brings it to us in pretty blue and white bowls with blue and white spoons. It's like we are eating in a restaurant!

One time I snuck my Mrs. Beasley doll outside to play and I lost her. A long time later, I found her in the playground and she was filthy!

In another building, there lives two Asian women. They each have baby boys and they let them run naked outside. One time one of them peed on my coat and I tattled on him. His mother gave me a pair of Little LuLu earrings as an apology. A couple of times when I went to their house, they were on their knees praying to a statue. They burn incense while they pray.

I had a birthday party. I am nine. I am mad because it is my birthday and Dottie gave Craig army men. It is not his birthday and he got a present. That never happens to me.

I have a dachshund named Snookey. She is black with red eyebrows. She is awesome! She lays in my lap or Craig's lag if we sit Indian style. When I am ten, my mother puts her to sleep because her back is bad and she is suffering. I cry and cry and cry.

~Mama