Ron and I
were living in Demopolis , Alabama
After much figuring, which Ron loved to do each
evening, he decided that if I continued to work and with our savings, he could
go back to school for his Masters degree.
That meant a move back to Montgomery , Alabama to attend Auburn University
Ron gave notice and I gave notice
and our plans were set. The house behind
his parents was empty and it would be nice to have the children close to their grandparents. Ron’s grandfather, Daddy Jack, was also
living with them at the time so we had a wonderful extended family. We were well aware of how to get settled in a
new place…we had done it many times before.
Ron registered for the spring term,
Kristen got started in school, and I applied for a secretarial position at
First Alabama Bank downtown. My job
interview was with Mr. Darcy in the Trust Department. I would be his secretary. The interview went smoothly. He informed me that his two previous
secretaries had taken maternity leave and both had decided to stay home with
their new babies. I assured him that
there was no chance of that happening with me.
I was thirty-one years old, had a son and daughter, and didn’t plan to
have any more children. As this
statement was crossing my lips, I was sitting in front of him already pregnant
with my third child and didn’t know it yet.
Soon the morning sickness began and
it seemed my clothes became ever so much tighter in just a matter of days. A trip to the doctor confirmed it . . . so to
celebrate quitting our jobs and uprooting our family, I had gotten pregnant
with our third and very unexpected child.
After we recovered from the shock and moved into a delight mode, we went
up to Gran and Daddy Kline’s and sat at the kitchen table grinning as we
glanced back and forth at each other.
Gran, as usual, picked up on our silent communication. Nothing got past her! She finally asked, “What’s going on?”
“Well,” Ron answered, “Danna has
gone and gotten herself pregnant!” . . . like he had nothing to do with it.
I informed
Mr. Darcy that I would continue to work until my seventh month but would
officially resign thereafter. I did not
intend to be a working mother with three children at home.
Later that day his wife called and when I told her my news,
she commented, “When he comes home tonight shell-shocked, I’ll understand why.”
The rest of
my time in this position was half-hearted for everyone knew I would be leaving
in a few months so they were reluctant to train me. I became the go-fer and did menial typing
while everyone else learned the new computer system, which was just being
implemented in 1980. They were all gracious
and kind but I felt like a fifth wheel.
A few weeks before my last day at work, my co-workers gave me a
wonderful baby shower.
On the morning of September 15,
1980 my water broke and Ron and I trooped up to his parent’s house to tell them
we were on our way to the hospital. He
grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table leisurely sipping
like it was any other morning that he had coffee with his folks. After about twenty minutes I insisted that we
better GO!!!...NOW!!! Aaron Matthew
Shirley was born at Maxwell Air Force Base four hours later; weight eight
pounds, six ounces. My bill at time of
discharge was to cover meals—$12.50.
When he was a month old, I took him
by the Trust Department to show him off and there sat Mr. Darcy’s new secretary
behind my desk . . . she was in her fifties.
Thrice bitten, four times shy!
…three months later we were on the
move again—to New Jersey —but
that’s another story.
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