The Bounce — Part II: Collapse in Bakersfield

By Cliff Potts
Bay Bay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 24, 2026

This is a serialized installment from the autobiography of Cliff Potts.

Not Stable

Bakersfield did not stabilize us.

My mother was getting weaker by the day — pale, unable to keep food down, exhausted. She tried to work. She could not keep the job. Without income, the apartment could not last.

We had barely arrived before we were preparing to leave again.

The Breaking Point

The night before we left, I broke.

We had just settled. I had one friend. I owned very little. And now we were leaving again.

I cried. Loudly. Without restraint.

One of my mother’s friends told me to stop — that my mother was sick and I needed to behave. That may have been true. But no one acknowledged that I was worn down by repetition.

Geri had remained in Chicago. Geri had stability. Geri had choice.

I had none.

I was expected to absorb it and move on.

Wheatland

My mother reached out to her brother-in-law Russell and his wife Shirley in Wheatland, California. Shirley was a teacher. They offered space and time until the school year ended.

Wheatland was a foothill town — rolling hills, scattered oaks, softer air. It felt different from desert or valley.

Russell had built his own home with one arm. He was steady, deliberate, devout. His pre-meal grace ran long. It was sincere.

Their son Linus included me in everything he could — fields, creeks, simple boyhood exploration. Their daughter Molly was quieter but welcoming.

For the first time in months, the ground felt stable.

Two Weeks

I was placed in school immediately.

A few days in, my teacher asked quietly:

“Your name’s Potts, right? Do you have a relative who teaches here?”

I said no.

Of course I did. Aunt Shirley was on staff. I had no explanation for the omission.

After roughly two weeks, the school year ended. I was advanced automatically.

We packed again.