While reading the L.A. Times over breakfast this morning, this headline caught my eye: “Coronavirus Outbreak Infects Inmates at Calipatria Prison.” I was so surprised to learn that a prison exists there.

I know Calipatria from my childhood as “Calipat.”  Dad’s sister, Aunt Jackie McCoy and her children, Joyce, Sonny, Greg, and Sheila lived there. Her husband, Clint, had been cleaning his shotgun after dove hunting when it accidentally went off and he was killed. 

Dad and Mom took the four of us kids (George, Cal, Phyllis and I) to visit the McCoy’s at their home for the weekend.  They had a swimming pool, so we were all fired up and couldn’t wait to be on the road for that long drive from our home in East Los Angeles.

I forget our ages but recall that sister Phyllis was the Benson’s toddler. The rest of us must have been of grammar school age.

I’ll never forget seeing cousin Sonny (brother George’s age) literally dive off the roof of their house into the swimming pool! It was so dangerous, but awesome, and evidently something that was second nature to him. Aunt Jackie, too, just seemed nonchalant about it and took it in stride while the rest of us held our breath and probably prayed.

This was also the weekend that Phyllis jumped into the pool to be with Mom. Mom reached down to pull her up. It was touch and go for awhile, with mom holding Phyllis up and the weight of Phyllis pulling her down; they bobbed up and down a few times before “someone” took Phyllis from her hands.  

Mom told me she never knew who it was that took Phyllis from her hands to safety. She spoke of the incident quite often over the years.

Aunt Jackie and all her McCoy children are gone now, but in my memory remains that long ago enjoyable weekend with Mom, Dad, my then siblings, the McCoy’s, and our visit to their home in “Calipat.”