Roughneck Daddy: A memoir

My daddy's daddy is my Big Papa, Leroy Percy Volmar.
That's where this story begins since I never saw the face of my great grandfather, James Joseph Volmar, who's buried somewhere around Etoil, Texas; except for one picture where he's lined up with members of the Masonic Lodge, upright dignified men in aprons, embroidered cowls down to their waists. And that's not a picture to be passed around to average folks or women. I expect that at my great grandfather's wake, a Mason sneaked the picture out from under his coat and gave it to my Big Papa who wears the black ring too.
My grandfather had a big bunch of brothers and two sisters. Well, you might as well say one sister. My great-aunt Edna got TB when she was a girl and they sent her to Boonville, Arkansas, to a sanatorium for a twelve-year quarantine. When it was time to get out, she'd been there most of her life and decided to stay.
Big Papa's wild brother Bill got the Volmars from Texas to Louisiana. They had to hotfoot it out after Bill went and killed a man during an argument. Leroy, Eb, and Bill ran to North Louisiana hoping the law would give out before they did. That dead body changed just about everything for the Volmars.
Recently at a family reunion my brother and I were talking about our great-uncle Bill. "Donna, do you think he was saved?"
"Well, I know he was saved one day from the law when he made it to Louisiana where he married five times, a younger woman each time."
Jim, my daddy, was a roughneck and picked up where his wild Uncle Bill left off.
From Chapter 9 Blow Out

"I was up in the derrick and I heard a rumble down in the hole. I don't think the driller realized when he heard the kick what was happening. Before I had time to yell down, there was a flash, and then a blast jarred my feet off my board. The well was gonna go.
I reached out to cling onto one of the steel shafts when I was knocked from one side to the other in that derrick. Thank God I didn't have on a damn safety belt up 120 feet high. Sounded like a freight train when we hit that gas. I leaned out and pulled the soft line close. Had to get ready to leap out on the damn thing. I hung out there seemed like forever while that rope swung me back and forth, banged me up against the derrick. I pushed away with one foot until I could get my legs around the rope and slide down. The whole shebang was about to blow. I was flying down that rope by the time my feet touched the ground. Looked up to see the god damn tubing bust clean off. Oil went spewing everywhere, shot way high in the air. It felt like hail until I looked down and saw grease plastered all over me. We fell over each other trying to get away. After we jumped in the car, we looked around at each other, 'What in the shit just happened?'"
"Are you hurt, Daddy?"
"I'm okay, but look at my arms, they're already red and burning. I don't ever want to be caught up in that derrick again when some god damn driller isn't paying attention. Or maybe he'd never seen a well come in. I won't ever work for him again. You can get fuckin' killed. Honey, I've got to hurry up and get in the tub. Find my lye soap and Petroleum Jelly."
"You're a sight. Have you looked in the mirror? I'm scared."
"Baby. I'll be alright."

From Chapter 10 Greyhound to Cincinnati

I see the faces of smutty, ragshag men watching me from all the rows clear to the back. Guess they decided they didn't need a shave to ride a Greyhound. Any one of them could be that serial killer on the news. There's a bad smell in here, too. Granny says 'bouquet' for smell. She says it's more ladylike. But I think she'd even agree there's no sweet bouquet on this bus.
One day, I'll get me a ticket on an airplane.
"Hey, Bubba, I wonder what Mother will have for us to eat."
"Probably some of those store-bought cookies she sends for Christmas in the tin, crumbled up by the time they get to us.
"I do like those candies she sends, the chocolate ones with tiny white beads on top. Nothing comes close to Granny's tea cakes though. I think I'll have a tea cake right now."
"Don't eat your lunch already, Fat Girl."
"Shut up."
I'm a little worried that Mother will be drunk, but not enough to keep me from going. I want to find out why Mother thinks I'm so special. Nobody else seems to think I'm very special, except Daddy because I'm one of his 'three good kids.'
While Jimmy naps I have the driver's ear for miles, enough time to tell him my whole story, leaving out the bad parts. "My Uncle Benny is bringing my mother to the bus station to meet us." I don't mention I hardly know my own mother. "Would you like one of my Granny's tea cakes?"
"No, thanks."
"Well I guess that was stupid of me. You can't drive a big bus like this and steer and watch the road and control everything and eat tea cakes."
"Uh huh. Don't you think you need to take a little rest like your brother?"
My lunch is all gone after a few hours and I'm nibbling on Jimmy's.
"Hey, stay out of my sack, Donna."
In the middle of the night, we have a layover in Tennessee, both lunches have been gone miles back. We get off the bus with our riffraff and go in the dirty, crowded bus station and stand smashed up with the Memphis riffraff. Jimmy hears a man ask me for a cigarette, "Come stand close to me, Donna. Did you see a vending machine? I'm hungry. Don't any of these places have a café?"
No place to sit and we have an hour. I'm not going through that filthy door to the woman's restroom and get caught in there alone. I'll wait until I'm back on the bus.
No matter how hungry I am, I'm not moving from this spot. I'll make a racket if somebody tries to grab me. Facing the station door I figure I can kick somebody right out on the street with my big legs if I have to. I'll make them sorry they picked on me.
All at once I look over in a corner and I don't believe my eyes, there's Elvis smiling at me. Well, truth is, I know he's not Elvis, but the closest thing to him in that bus station. He has on a black western suit, snaps on the curvy pockets and red embroidery at the shoulders; a guitar slung over his back. I'm not gonna smile at any stranger even if he is Elvis. In a minute he walks over, "Are you two alright?" in a gentle voice. "We're fine," Jimmy assures him.
"Where ya goin'?"
"Cincinnati." Jimmy sounds a little scared.
"How long you been on the bus?"
"About 12 hours."
"Have you two had anything to eat?"
"No!"
"Hush, Donna. Yes, Sir, our Granny packed us a lunch. But we would like to get a bite if there's a café close by."
" Let's see. I'll be back in a minute."
Elvis is going to save us. I know he is. He's the handsomest man in the world.
When he gets back, "There's a bar across the street that serves food. Come on. You have thirty minutes until your bus leaves."
"No, thank you, Sir. Don't think my Granny would find that place suitable for my sister."
In a minute, he comes back with a policeman. "I've known Jake here for a long time. He's on street patrol every night outside this downtown station. You'll be safe. I'll buy you something to eat. He'll be right outside the bar."
I look up as we walk across the street and see the red letters "EAT" blink across the black sky.
"I've never sat at a bar before," I start to try to smooth things over since Jimmy is being short with the man like he thinks he's a convict.