In
Bus Stop,
Ruby Fay Burford, a Black domestic worker employed in the homes of wealthy white Texas families, shares her amazing life story. She vividly recounts her early family life as an African American woman growing up in rural East Texas, one of the more staunchly segregated areas of the Us. She begins her story with the accidental meeting at a bus stop of the man she would marry, Frank Burford. She knew from that day that he was going to be her husband-her life partner in everything.
They soon fell in love and were married five months later in Dallas, where he had moved for his work. Ruby tells the story of their joy-filled lives together, of their lives as domestic workers in the homes of some of Dallas's most wealthy families beginning in the 1940's. Throughout the entire story, their love shines through-for their two sons, for their families, and for their friends. Ruby also recounts the struggles, agonies, joys, and everyday miracles that tested and ultimately enriched her.
With her positive outlook, strong work ethic, and the warmth of her beloved husband, Ruby Fay Burford was able to live the life she had dreamed of, with a home and loving friends.
Bus Stop
a memoirBy Ruby Fay Jones BurfordiUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2012 Ruby Fay Jones Burford
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4759-3489-2Contents
Chapter 1: At the Bus Stop....................................1Chapter 2: No Longer Strangers................................7Chapter 3: Life in "Big D"....................................11Chapter 4: "Big D" Segregation................................15Chapter 5: Live-in Servants...................................17Chapter 6: And Baby Makes Three...............................21Chapter 7: My Childhood Reminisced............................25Chapter 8: A Home of Our Own..................................39Chapter 9: Our Social Life....................................43Chapter 10: Mother Goes Home..................................47Chapter 11: A Slap in the Face................................49Chapter 12: The Elitist.......................................51Chapter 13: New and Difficult Adjustments.....................55Chapter 14: Losing Frank......................................57Chapter 15: "No Rest for the Weary"...........................61Chapter 16: Chariot Stop......................................65
Chapter One
At the Bus Stop
As my cousin Minerva Anderson, and I headed down Palace Street to the bus stop that hot summer evening in Tyler, Texas, I had no inkling, that I would meet, in just minutes, a man who would be so handsome, and one who would become the love of my life.
Minerva, and I were on our way to the corner of Queen Street to catch the bus that would take us across town to the church where quartet singing was held every Thursday night. We tried not to miss any of these events, and were happy that on this day every week we had that day off from work like most domestic workers in Tyler.
The singing was always upbeat and there would be several groups at the church competing for applause as they sang, mostly old Negro spirituals. We tried never to miss an event for we loved each groups rendition. Everyone had a favorite song, and the entire audience would go berserk when "Dry Bones" was sung, usually near the end of the program. We would shout, stomp, sway, and clap hands to the beat, and then head for home to get some rest before going to work the next morning.
Minerva and I were giggling as we hurried to the bus stop, for we had pulled a good one on our little sisters: my sister Mary and Minerva's little sister, Katy.
The kids had been playing games in the next room, and had been too busy to notice that we were dressing, and getting ready to leave the house. We decided that maybe we could get out of the house before they were aware we were leaving. Those kids were pests, always begging to go with us- whenever we went!
Quietly, we whispered to Mama that we were leaving, let ourselves out of the house, and hurried down the street, walking carefully so that we would not trip over the dry, dirt clods in our high heels We crossed our fingers as we glanced back every minute or so, to make sure the kids were not following us.
We made that mistake of allowing them to accompany us before, an obvious brain-lapse, and allowed the two to go with us to the quartet singing. It turned out just awful: the singing went on and on, and as the kids were not used to being up so late, they turned grouchy, and once we were on the bus the bus, they fell asleep. After getting off the bus, Minerva and I had to practically carry them the rest of the way home. We then made a vow that this would be the last time we take them anywhere.
The walk to the bus stop was an ordeal. The sweltering heat beat down on us, even though the sun was on the verge of setting. I removed my hat and gloves, and used my hat as a fan, trying to stir up a breeze. Minerva and I agreed that this day felt like the hottest day ever.
As we approached the corner, we could see two men standing there. Even from a distance we recognized that one looked familiar- he was a regular rider. The other one-the tall one-well, he was a stranger to us.
"Who is that man? He doesn't look like anyone I know," Minerva whispered to me.
"Me neither," I whispered back to her.
When we reached the corner, we were able to see the tall stranger clearly. I took one look, and almost fainted! The man was gorgeous, the most handsome man I had ever seen. I reeled, and steadied myself as my heart pounded.
"Wow!" I thought.
He looked very much like Jeff Chandler, the movie star, and even had a gray streak of hair down his head like the actor, and I would learn later that he was born with that streak.
"Good evening." He said to us, while letting his eyes glide over Minerva. Minerva is high yellow, with good hair, and all men look at her that way when they first meet her. He barely looked at me, and I felt a twinge of jealously for I was already smitten by his good looks.
Suddenly Minerva blurted out loudly:
"Oh Lord Ruby, look! Here come Katie and Mary"!
My thoughts of the tall, handsome man were disrupted, and I came down from the clouds
"Oh no," I moaned. I thought we had given those kids the slip, but here they were, visible, but barely, in the twilight- a half block away! My thoughts were that we would have to take them back home, and if so, we would surely miss the bus, and it would be an hour before another one came along. I was thinking that we might as well give up the idea of going to the quartet singing. Crazy kids!
I had an idea: Boldly, I asked the two men if they would mind standing side by side, to allow Minerva and me to hide behind them. That way, I explained – when the two little girls failed to see us, they would decide that we had already caught the bus.
The men took positions, and smiled. They seemed to be happy to join with us in the little game. They stood shoulder to shoulder as I hid behind the handsome stranger, and as I told Minerva to stand behind the regular rider.
The four of us watched quietly, as I peeked around the guy's side, for he was too tall for me to see over his shoulders.
Abruptly, the kids ceased running in our direction, paused for a minute, probably wondering how their sisters could have disappeared. They then turned and headed back to our house. We all laughed, for we had outsmarted those two clever kids.
"Sure is hot." The stranger complained, and indeed it was; it was August in Texas, the hottest month of any year, and 1947 was no different than any other
The regular rider only nodded at us, but the handsome guy introduced himself, saying that his name was Frank Burford, that he was from Calvert, and had been in Tyler only a year since he was discharged from the army. He added that he was living with his sister and her husband, here in Tyler and was working in the warehouse at the Cotton Belt Railroad Company.
That was interesting, I thought, for I worked in the home of a woman whose house was not far from the rail -road station, and the warehouse.
Minerva and I introduced ourselves, and he asked where we lived, and we were surprised to learn that we all lived on the same street. In fact he lived only a block and a half from me and my family, and a bit further from Minerva's home. We said that it is a wonder that we had not met before.
Other people walked up to the bus stop-people who were friends of the regular rider, and they began to chat. Finally, he moved to the side where they were standing. The stranger kept his grounds beside Minerva and me.
"Where are you on your way to?," he wanted to know, and before we could answer, he said that he was on his way to downtown...
