The Masons, a working stiff family from the other side of the tracks, acquired one of the properties on the Boulevard in the late 60's.
The matriarch, Big Mama Mason, was a hard business woman to deal with. Papa Mason did as he was told, as she would remind him that it was "her money" that put them in the business of selling farm equipment. Papa was just a mechanic, but one of the best and he could tear down a tractor and put it back together in one day, repaired and ready to go. Big Mama was the sole office worker, billing, and collecting debts owed to her.
Having six children, four boys and two girls, they had to be educated and fed. From dawn's early light, til the cows came home, they worked. When the children came home from school, they began their chores, the boys worked with their father; the girls for Big Mama, cleaning house, cooking the evening meal, and washing clothes.
Earl, the oldest, married the first year of college. Big Mama didn't like Ellie as she was a social climber and Big Mama had big plans for her sons. She didn't want them to marry just anybody and Ellie, being raised by "white trash" was a thorn in her side.
Determined to break them up, Big Mama restricted their monies throughout their marriage. Ellie determined to have it all, did what she could to break the family apart, taking in the new girlfriends/fiances, under her wings, filling their heads full of lies. It worked.
Ellie was found out when Big Mama became sick.
Dell, the youngest son married Laurie in 1970, two years after leaving college. Laurie became Big Mama's favorite, as she was from prominent family.
Finally, a son was getting into the social circles the right way, and Big Mama had plans for them.
A house came on the market on The Boulevard which was rare. It wasn't Big Mama's style, but it was on The Boulevard.
Little did Big Mama know that Ellie was taking Laurie in and under her wing filling her ears with outlandish, but somewhat true stories about the family she was getting into.
It seems that the two youngest boys and girls slept in the same room with their parents from birth until they were each 15 years of age. No reason was given, it was just Big Mama's way of control.
Laurie began to find out what this control meant, when she caught Dell making obcene phone calls three years into their marriage. She wanted to divorce, but after counseling by Big Mama, didn't.
"It's just a man's way," she affirmed.
"But Big Mama, I don't know...this was weird. I heard him saying awful things."
"I know honey child, but men do this."
Laurie knew different. Her father didn't do this and when she confronted her parents with the revelations, her daddy wanted her to divorce Dell. She didn't, at least not then.
When Big Mama got sick. Ellie moved in. Not literally, but into Big Mama's office, as though she knew Big Mama wasn't coming back. In the hospital, Big Mama told Laurie that she needed to be wary of Ellie. "Ellie is a snake in the grass and I can just bet what all she has told you. You need to be careful girl, Ellie is not to be trusted."
Big Mama was right. She wasn't cold in the grave until, Ellie was sporting her rings. When approached, she said Big Mama had said they were to be given to her. Not! Laurie knew better. Big Mama would be turning her grave to know that the snake was wearing her treasures.
The day of the funeral, Ellie had Papa Mason moved in with them...that is until he could get over her death. Six months later Papa Mason was dead. Laurie feared that Ellie had done something to cause his death...and she had.
The daughters had come home and left right after Big Mama's funeral. Seeing Ellie wearing their mother's ring, they became furious and let it be known in the big house on the Boulevard.
The strange things about the house. Big Mama lived in the house next to their shop, buying the big house and only going to it on Sundays after church each week and on holidays. Her office was in the "living room" of the house next to the shop and Big Mama reigned from that position.
Now the big house on the Boulevard was full of folks paying their last respects when Ellie was slapped by not one but both of the sisters. Diane and Rae felt their place in the family had been defiled by their sister-in-law Ellie's lies and told their father so in front of everyone.
Two days later, at the attorney's office, more horrendous facts came out. For the six children, the estate was divided in half, one-half going to Papa Mason and the other half divided 7 ways.
The younger siblings looked at one another wondering why it was divided into 7th's...since there were six. Then the bombshell...the eldest would get 2/7ths and the rest 1/7th. When Papa Mason died holy hell broke loose when all of his share unexpectedly also went to the eldest.
Fearing family melt-down, Ellie declared that it was only right since her husband had worked longer at the business.
The estate was quite large and the division of property was substantial, however, it was the repulsion of how it was accomplished. Ellie would gain the most, by becoming the "new" matriarch of the business and no other sibling was asked to remain so.
So split the family. Laurie and Dell divorced as did the other siblings and spouses. Only Ellie and eldest son remain married to this day.
