Billy: The Early Years
He’s happy. I think so. He’s cute. He’s got something good in the bag (Neale). He’s not afraid of anything. He’s having fun hiding from his parents.
“Good morning, this is going to be a good day,” he says (Wilma).
Where’s his mother? (Dorothy)
The baby is peeing and that’s why he feels good.
He’s getting in the suitcase and going on a trip. He’s going somewhere. To a wonderland to see Disneyland (Yvonne).
He probably has something in the bag. A little puppy is licking his toes (Olivia). There’s also diapers and toys. Small toys, because they don’t let them have big ones until they’re bigger (Roberta).
It’s a boy – a happy boy, but you couldn’t tell any more by the hair whether it’s a boy or a girl. He’s one year old, maybe it’s his birthday (Dorothy). You know how babies are; they always get into everything (Georgia).
His mother is fixing dinner – chicken and dumplings, an ordinary dinner (Helen). Someone put him in there (Sol). He climbed in, or he didn’t. He’s curious and wanted to know what was in the bag. His mother had to keep him out of the way. We all know how mothers are! (Neale). He was watching her packing for a trip. That may be the way she’s going to carry him. He’s playing peek-a-boo with his mommy (Olivia). He wants her to take him. He wants to hide in the bag so when his mother opens the bag she’ll be surprised. He’s a stowaway!
His name is Joseph JoJo Jackie Harold Jesus. Harold is too stiff a name for him. Whatever his name is, he’s awful smart (Dorothy). Mother calls him Darling – that’s his nickname (Wilma). Aaaaw (Yvonne)
It’s in Los Angeles, in the bathroom or the baby’s room. He likes to be in the bag. His mom’s in hurry, but he’s in a playful mood (Emily). There’s a kitchen towel behind him and a ladder. There’s a table in the back with a lace cover.
It’s not a good thing, with those little hands and feet, something bad’s going to happen. (Roberta – “I’ve worked with babies.”) The mother backed away to take the picture. He doesn’t have the same number of fingers on both hands (Neale).
Babies will be babies – first they crawl, and then hide so mom can’t see them. Then children get all full of bedevilment. My seven children, if they don’t come out, they don’t eat! (Georgia)
