The summer of 63 had us spending part of the summer in Gatesville, Texas where Cec was working as a general superintendent for Holland Page Construction, installing a new sewer system all around town.

The apartment we stayed in while in Gatesville that summer was really a duplex with another smaller unit that was directly above each lower unit. The upstairs had a set of stairs that you used that went up the outside, along the side. Very reminiscent of the way you went up to enter Doc Adam’s place on Gunsmoke.

Kenny Jackson (or Big Kenny as most everyone in Smithwick called him) lived upstairs and worked for Cec. He and Vicky Gilley were still a few years from marrying.

A common practice was Little Kenny and me to go with him up to the A&W Root Beer Stand every night and watch him flirt with the girls. It was like we were in training, I guess.

One night when we got back, as like most nights, we went up to Big Kenny’s to mess around for awhile, with Bonnie and Cecil directly below us.

Big Kenny like to stage fights or wrestling matches between us.

One evening things really got to going with Big Kenny hollering “twist and turn, twist and turn” as Kenny was about to pin me to the floor.

Suddenly Cec busted through the door with belt in hand saying, “I’m fixing to twist and turn some butts right now”.

I think Big Kenny must have thought his butt was going to get it too, because he hit the door and in about 3 long steps had reached the bottom landing.

By the time we all 3 had finished our business and made it downstairs Big Kenny had fired up his little Rambler and was headed back to the A&W.

Twist and Turn became a common saying between us all after that.