It was 4:00 and I had to be home by 6:00 for supper. I flipped over the tape and Thankful continued her stories.
"Well Tommy...you are so young to hear these old wild tales but someday I think you will look back and understand a little more...Jimmy tried to come back a few days later and I ran him off again....The 20s was a bit blurry...I drank a lot....partied way too much and was married again in the winter of 1923...His name was Edward Jackson."
As she poured us more tea, she said,"Good old Edward...he was a Vaudeville actor who came to Hollywood to claim his fame and fortune.....Edward could do everything but act...his biggest achievement was being an extra in the Hunchback Of Notre Dame...I did get to meet Lon Chaney through him though...President Coolidge died and Harding became president...Edward was into politics which totally bored me."
"Edward and I did the whole Hollywood scene thing...he begged for parts in movies and the producers glared at my cleavage while he was begging.....I was married to Edward for three years.....he convinced me one night to smoke some opium and drink whiskey...the next thing I remembered was waking up with a strange man's hand on my breast...he was passed out....I sat up and saw naked bodies everywhere...a blond woman was throwing up in an ice bucket."
She chuckled as she said,"Edward's head was resting between a woman's legs....she was wearing nothing but a top hat...Edward was holding an orange in each hand...they were both asleep....I found my dress draped over an RCA radio...I didn't even look for my shoes...when I opened the door, I realized I was on an old movie set...it was the back lot...I made my way out of the gate...barefoot and feeling sick."
I went to our apartment and called mum...it was time to go home...back to Sunrise...I left Edward a note and told him I was going to get a divorce....I packed my bags and left for the train station."
Thankful stretched her arms and said,"I'm feeling pretty tired Tommy...these memories are wearing me down...could we continue tomorrow?"
I said,"Sure Thankful...there's no rush...it's getting close to my leaving time anyway.....don't get up...I can let myself out...see ya tomorrow....I'll just leave the tape recorder here."
As I went out the door, I turned to see her smile...I was thinking," If mom knew some of the things Thankful told me...I would be grounded forever!"
