Answer:
He had little respect for anyone who had not survived as much hard luck and asperity as he had in his long life.
Their mother's aloofness and asperity made a close relationship impossible, but they knew she loved them and vice versa.
In the past, the asperity of the pavement in that area made it bad for skating, but now that it has been repaved with smooth cement, kids are crawling out of the woodwork to skate there.