THIS
IS
RICHARD
MESEROLE
PART I
"...WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE SHE HAD BOTH HANDS READY AND WHEN THE BLOOD CAME OUT OF MY NOSE I HAD ENOUGH......"
BORN ON DEC.13, 1926 TO JOSEPH AND HELEN MESEROLE,
EDWARD OLSON WHO WAS A VERY WEALTHY MAN, THE
OWNER OF STANDARD TILE THOUGHT THAT MY MOTHER
HAD A AFFAIR WITH ANOTHER MAN AND HE WAS NOT GOING
TO HAVE A SCANDAL IN THE FAMILY, SO WHEN I WAS ONE HE
TOOK ME AWAY FROM MY MOTHER AND PUT ME IN A PRIVATE
BOARDING HOME, WHERE I STAYED FOR 15 YEARS ,I NEVER
SAW MY MOTHER FOR THAT 15 YEARS. JOSEPH MESEROLE DIED
IN 1951 AND MY MOTHER REMARRIED IN 1952 TO A MAN NAMED
WILLIAM THOMAS. MY MOTHER HAD FIVE CHILDREN, 4 BOYS
AND A GIRL. I DID MEET THEM BRIEFLY, BUT NEVER HAD A
ASSOCIATION WITH THEM. ALL THIS INFORMATION WAS GIVEN
TO ME BY MY GRANDMOTHER WHO I MET WHEN I WAS
SIXTEEN. BEING BORN WITH THE GIFT OF A FANTASTIC MEMORY
I HAVE THE ABILITY TO REMEMBER ALOT OF MY CHILDHOOD
HOWEVER, FROM THE YEARS 0-3 IT IS BLURRED BUT THEN THE
MEMORIES KICK IN. I WAS IN A ROOM WITH A LITTLE GIRL AND I
HAD A APPLE AND A ORANGE. I LIKED THE APPLE MORE THAN
THE ORANGE, BUT GAVE THE APPLE TO HER. THIS WAS THE
BEGINNING OF SHARING WITH PEOPLE DURING MY LIFE SO FAR.
I WAS PICKED UP BY A LADY(MRS. BERG) WHO LIVED AT 315
66TH STREET IN BROOKLYN, N.Y. WHO I WOULD LIVE WITH FOR
THREE YEARS. SHE WAS SWEDISH AND HER HUSBAND WAS A
CAPTAIN OF A CRUISE VESSEL. HER MOTHER TOOK SICK IN
SWEDEN AND SHE HAD TO RETURN. SHE COULD NOT TAKE ME
WITH HER, AND SO ENDED MY STAY WITH HER WHICH I DID NOT
WANT. SHE WANTED TO ADOPT ME BUT ACCORDING TO MY
GRANDMOTHER MY GRANDFATHER WOULD NOT ALLOW IT.
THE NEXT PEOPLE THAT I WENT TO WAS TWO WOMEN IN
HEMPSTEAD, L.I. I HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THEM. THEY HAD A
OLDER GIRL THAT TOOK CARE OF ME. SHE WAS A GREAT
PAL. I WAS WITH THEM FOR ABOUT A YEAR. WHY I WAS TAKEN
AWAY FROM THEM, I NEVER DID FOUND OUT.
I NOW FOUND MYSELF IN BELLMORE, L.I. WITH PEOPLE BY THE
NAME OF SMITH. I LEFT THERE AT THE AGE OF NINE DUE TO THE
FOLLOWING EVENTS. SHE LOVED TO HIT ME LIKE I WAS A RAG
DOLL. ANYTIME I DID NOT DO EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTED ME
TO DO I WOULD GET HIT. THERE WAS A LADY WHO USE TO
CHECK ON ME NOW AND THEN BUT I NEVER TOLD HER OF THE
BEATING AS I WAS AFRAID OF MRS. SMITH. THE LADY WHO USE
TO CHECK ON ME HAD GIVEN ME A NICKEL AND A PHONE
NUMBER TO CALL HER if THERE WAS ANY PROBLEMS. FINALLY
ONE DAY SOMEONE TOLD HER I WAS PLAYING STRIP-POKER
WITH SOME GIRLS. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE SHE HAD
BOTH HANDS READY AND WHEN THE BLOOD CAME OUT OF
NOSE I HAD ENOUGH. I RAN TO THE STORE, CALLED THE LADY
AND IN A LITTLE WHILE THE LADY CAME AND TOOK ME BACK
TO THE HOUSE, PACKED MY CLOTHES AND AWAY WE WENT TO
HER APT. SHE MADE ME FRIED CHICKEN WHICH I LOVE, HELD ME
AND HUGGED ME AND TOOK CARE OF MY BRUISES. IT WAS A
TREAT TO SLEEP WITH HER .1 FELT SO SECURE WITH HER, I
WISHED I COULD STAY WITH HER. IT REMINDED ME OF THE
YEARS I HAD SPENT WITH MRS. BERG AT 66TH STREET.
BUT MY DREAMS ALL VANISHED THE NEXT MORNING AFTER
BREAKFAST. SHE DROVE ME TO A PLACE CALLED KINGSLAND IN
SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. IT WAS A RESIDENCE THAT HOUSED 60
BOYS AND 60 GIRLS AND~SOME BABIES. I SPENT SOME OF MY
BEST YEARS AS A BOY GROWING UP THERE. IN HIGH SCHOOL I
WAS INTO EVERYTHING, MUSIC, FOOTBALL AND MATH. I
DOUBLED UP IN MATH, MY FAVORITE SUBJECT AND DID 4 YEARS
IN 3 AND GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL JUST AFTER
TURNING 16. THE HIGH SCHOOL HAD TWO GRADUATING
DAYS, ONE IN JAN. AND ONE IN JUNE. I LEFT THE SCHOOL IN JAN.
I RECEIVED FROM THE TEACHERS A GOLD WATCH FOR BEING
THE FIRST STUDENT TO GRADUATE AT 16. ALSO WAS AWARDED
A SCHOLARSHIP. WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL MY BUSINESS MIND
WAS ALREADY WORKING FOR ME. I HAD FORMED A GRASS
CUTTING BUSINESS. I HAD TWO GUYS WORKING FOR ME AND I
HAD SAVED $142.00. IT WAS A POLICY THAT WHEN COMPLETED
HIGH SCHOOL YOU HAD TO LEAVE KINGSLAND. THIS PUT MY
GRANDFATHER OFF THE HOOK AS HE PAID FOR ME ALL THIS
TIME. THE YEARS OF GROWING UP WERE NOW OVER AND IT
WAS TIME TO PUT ALL I HAD LEARNED TO WORK.