A memory of childhood

Let me say to start I was never a good sister.

I have so many memories of childhood. Some not so good but many that make me smile with a Grinch-who-stole-Christmas smile.

I have four younger siblings--Erickia, Colleen, Alicia, and Amanda. Here is my simple introduction: Erickia was a conniving sadistic sicko that took pride in the suffering of others. Colleen was the silent killer with blue sparkling eyes and a winning smile until you piss her off--she could kill you, bury you on the back forty, and pretend nothing ever happened. Alicia was a girl of action--quick to the fists of fury. Amanda was legally blond--I mean blind--okay she was an even mix of both.

My fondest memory was the day Erickia climbed way high in the mulberry tree to scale out on its thin limbs to eat the berries at the top of the tree. Mom told us before we went out to play that if we climbed the tree again she would paddle our bottoms. My mom was not a woman who mouthed empty threats--she was a woman of action. Me and Colleen (Alicia was a baby at that time) watched Erickia break mom's one rule of playing outside. Erickia bragged from the top of the tree that she ate more mulberries than we did but me and Colleen chose to ignore her taking the mulberries closer to the ground. We could hear the sound of limbs breaking with Erickia tumbling down from her lofty heights. Me and Colleen stepped back--we didn't want her to fall on us--when out of shear dumb luck her foot got caught in the fork of a tree with another limb holding her steady to form a triangle.

Erickia called out for us to help her but I couldn't push her up high enough to free her foot. Colleen wrapped her arms around her--keep in mind Erickia is in the head down position--and raised her feet off the ground trying to help pull her free. We stood starring at her with our arms crossed puzzled on what to do. Erickia kept screaming, "Don't tell Mom--go get me help!" This was even more puzzling since the only person who could help was mom. So I tried to clarify the situation. "We could go get you help but we will have to tell mom." Erickia responded, "Yes, get me help but don't tell mom!" I scratched my head, "The mail man comes about noon and it's only nine o'clock by that time all the blood will rush to your head--and--and your head will explode!" Erickia cries with her bottom lip quivering, "Don't let me die! Don't tell mom! Get me some help!" I looked at Colleen who was less than amused with the situation. Colleen rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Go get mom before the retard kills herself."

I sighed and calmly walked into the house to mom. She looks at me and I tell her very calmly with no excitement in my voice, "Erickia needs help. She's stuck in the tree." Mom pushes past me rushing out the door then stood for a moment in amazement just as me and Colleen had earlier. "How did this happen?" Mom questions looking at me and Colleen. Without missing a beat Colleen says, "She fell from the top of the tree." Mom approached the situation calmly but had the same problems I did--the one limb had her foot locked in place. Mom pulled and pushed with no luck then she started looking around the side of the house for something. Erickia cried and Colleen gave her confidence, "Yep, if mom can't get you down you'll have to live here." Erickia cried and mom comforts her, "Oh, your head will explode long before you have to worry about living in a tree." I laughed but mom told me to shut up. Mom found the two-by-four in the weeds that Colleen threatened to crease Erickia's head with the day before and handed it to me. "Are we going to beat her out of the tree?" I asked confused. "No--I want you to push up on the tree limb while I pull her foot free." Colleen shook her head and replied, "This isn't going to work she'll have to live here forever." Mom tells Colleen to shut up but Colleen just shrugs her shoulders. Mom got Erickia's upper half onto her chest which raised her foot up through the triangle. I pushed upward on the limb that crossed the fork in the tree and within seconds her foot was free. Mom was happy she was free then broke herself off a switch and spanked her for climbing the tree in the first place.

Believe it or not Erickia hates when I tell this story.

I think its delightful and ends with a great moral--Obey mom or suffer thy wrath.

This has been a glimpse into my childhood--remember this is only a glimpse.