Who read me stories and took me to the library.
Moving west, after many years, my sister and I have reunited our sisterhood and friendship. Not to say that we didn't see each other or communicate over the years; but with each of us raising our families and living our lives, it was far and few between.
Now that we are getting together more and discussing our aging mother, the stories from our childhood keep coming up. Before I go any further, let me tell you that my sister is five years older than me. So she has a lot of information and memories about us that I was too young to remember.
Recently we were going through some pictures from our childhood and I started asking questions. "Where was this taken? Who are these people? Do you remember going to the library in town with Mom?" To my surprise that last question brought up a story that I had never heard before. My sister told me that she was the one that took me to the library and sat me
down with a stereoscope and a box of pictures, while she looked for books.
I was born during WWII, during a time, when most all families were struggling to get by. Unknown to me for all these years, our mother went to work in a tile factory to help support our family. So that left my sister to care for me while our parents were at work. As I am sure you will agree, that was a lot of responsibility for a young girl to have. And as I understand it, I was not the angel that I always thought I was. I was sassy, headstrong and didn't mind my sister very well. I'm sure she lived in fear that something was going to happen while she was watching me. No wonder years later she would complain about what a pain in neck I was.
My memory of the library is one of going to a place that I loved; climbing several large steps up to the door, smelling all the wonderful books, and getting to look at the 3-D pictures with the stereoscope in a quiet, safe place. The reason she took me to the library was because we were to meet our mother there when she got off work.
And after all these years, I thought it was my mother that took me there and read me all the many books at nap and bed time; but it was my sister.
It's not surprising that these are my first and most loved memories of childhood, because these are the things that have shaped my entire life; the love of books, pictures and a quiet, safe place to be with family. I know she did other things while she watched me, but these are what I remember.
As we grew up, we did a lot of things together, mostly in my teens and her early 20's. I remember one trip we took to Catalina Island. I was 17 years old. One evening we went to a street dance in town. It was summer and of course, the island was filled with college kids. I met a guy who told me he was in a fraternity and wanting him to believe I was older; I told him I was in a sorority in California. Believing my story we danced and talked the biggest part of the evening. When the dance was closing down, he asked me if I wanted to swim out to one of the buoys in the harbor. Dumb question...right? It's summer and we're on an island. When I asked my sister, she threw a fit and said absolutely not! I could drown going out that far. She told me if I did, she would tell Mom and Dad. I was really mad at her, but I knew she was right. She was always right and always looking out for me.
Another time, again when I was a teenager and she was in her early 20's. She worked for the space program in California and belonged to an office bowling league. Needing a substitute one week, she asked me to fill in; which I did. Afterwards we all went over to some ones house for a few drinks and snacks. Being under age they wouldn't let me drink anything other than soda.
This is true, honestly.
As the night went one, one of the guys picked me up, swung me around, hitting another guy, who was holding a full beer. You guessed it, it went all over me. Now, I smell like a brewery and haven't even had a drink. Oh man, my sister is a nervous wreck, afraid Mom and Dad will smell it as soon as we walk in. So we worked out this plan. If the lights are on in the living room when we walk in, I am to go straight through, going directly to our bedroom. I am to take off my smelly clothes and put them under the bed. Put on my pajamas and say hi to mom and dad on my way to the bathroom. Proving that I am sober and nothing is out of order. She will stay in the living room, telling them what a great evening we had and how bowling went. Then, once I come out of the bathroom she will come to bed as well. The next day my beer scented clothes went into the washer as soon as they left for work. To our knowledge they never suspected a thing.
Again, my sister protected me and made everything okay, just as she always had done. Even though through the years she has complained and reminded me of things I did wrong; she has always been there for me. Knowing how she had to take care of me when I was so small, has made me understand her better and I feel bad for some of the things that happened so many years ago.
My only hope is that none of her childhood was taken from her because of her responsibility for me. I'm not sure if she knows how much I have always looked up to her and admired her many talents and kindness.
Now in our golden years, we are equals and the five years difference in our age means nothing. I hope she knows how much I appreciate what she did for me; and how much she influenced my life.
" Enjoy the little things in life....for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things." Robert Brault
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