563
16 August 2012
R. Linda:
Have you ever had a flashback where you remembered something that made your skin clammy, and a chill of wrongdoing went up your spine? Something you did or were a part of in childhood that you could have or did get into trouble over?
Well, such a feeling came over yours truly just the other day it did. Indeed! It was last Saturday it was. I was home, and the boyos had playmates over, two of them a brother and a sister, ages 5 and 6, respectively. The young lady was a very domineering child. It was she who picked out what game the three boys would play, who would play what role, and she was busy telling them what to do with wee hands on hips, finger shaking in their faces if they didn't do what she ordered, and a wee bit of stamping of her foot to add emphasis to her displeasure. I was sitting on the porch watching this since Tonya had gone out to grab lunch for all of us.
Before Tonya left, though, the wee child, Mabel Anne McGillis, asked nicely if Tonya had some old clothes and shoes they could dress up in. Well, Tonya did voice she didn't think the boys would be for dress up, but she was told in no way would THAT be a problem. So, complying and leery of this, Tonya got a few "things" she packed for Goodwill, and off went little Mabel Anne, burdened down with her stash.
When the boys saw the girlie clothing and high heels, they were having none of it. Especially small Guido, who shook his fist at Mabel Anne. He was as good at foot stamping as she was. He literally put his foot down R. Linda, BOOM, and to add emphasis of his displeasure, he'd grunt. Yes, the child grunted like a piglet. I sat up on me perch, amused at this. Yes, I was.
As you can glean, this argy went on for a bit. I went inside to get a coke and when I came out, imagine me surprise to see all three boyos in dresses. Oh yes, they looked totally embarrassed, if not a wee bit sheepish about it. Somehow, after a lot of cajoling and threats, they caved! I couldn't believe it.
O'Hare and Samson (yes, the McGillis boy is named that) were dressed in dresses, long ones with high heels that they were trying to cover from me view with the extra long material from the dresses. Guido and Mabel Anne were dressed like I didn't know what, but I soon understood they were Sir Galahad and King Arthur, respectively. No Guinevere or Maid Marion for Mabel Anne, no sir!
Each had a trash can lid as a shield and sticks as swords. Both Guido and Mabel Anne were wearing long vests, each with sequins to add to the chain mail illusion. Mabel Anne and Guido were ordering about the two "maidens" who did not like being ordered about nor poked with sticks. No indeed. I finally put a stop to it, and in the nick of time, because I heard the VW pull in and knew they'd have to quit the play, or more like order and argue, for lunch.
But for a passing moment, I was transported back to a situation that me sister caused me to be put in. A very compromising position with me own sainted Mam. Sheila was all of 10, and I was 7 when, one summer day I had no friends about to play with. Mam wanted us out of the house; it was a nice day, and we should play outside. Since I had no one to play with, I should go with me sister. Sheila, as you can imagine, was not happy about me tagging along, and I must say I wasn't pleased to be stuck with a bunch of girls.
The girls, Coleen, Mary and Sheila, had been doing something covertly that I didn't know about until the day I got stuck tagging along with them. They had gone a few streets down from our immediate neighbourhood to a part of town that was both residential and small cottage industry. Now, here be where the mists of time have clouded me brain, but if memory serves, in one of these cottages on the road lived a Miss Rooney who (shall we say) was of questionable repute. Yes, she had a business that operated mainly in the late evening. In the U.S.A. persons like Miss Rooney are called 'ladies of the evening'. Miss Rooney slept all day and worked all night, so was it any wonder she was tired during the day? Anyway, she got into an altercation with her "manager" who would bring her lovely (lovely according to me sissy) red and black silk gowns, sometimes yellow or royal blue, just gorgeous, gorgeous embroidery, the young ones thought, and as a way of showing her displeasure with her 'manager', Miss Rooney for her part, would throw these articles of questionable but 'gorgeous' clothing in the bin next to the cottage.
The three trash bin pickers, Coleen, Mary and Sheila, would fish these things out as Miss Rooney slept away inside, take them to Coleen and Mary's house (they were sisters a year apart), and use them to play Ladies of the Round Table until the day I had to tag along.
Now, let it be known that the young girls had accumulated quite a wardrobe, they had. Thus, they left a few articles of clothing lying about. Coleen and Mary's Mam saw a couple of discarded silk dressing gowns, picked them up and looked them over. Well, they WERE indeed of fine quality! She asked the girls where they got such fine clothing from, and instantly, Coleen and Mary thought they be in deep trouble. In their childish minds, what they had done, even though the clothing had been discarded, was akin to stealing. Yes, that's how they saw it -- good Catholic girlies as they were! For a short moment! WHAT TO DO? Well, what they did was tell Mrs. O'Shea that the clothing was cast off from me very own Mam! Yes, they did much to me big-eyed horror, they LIED. Mary ran into the other room with the excuse she had forgotten something leaving me standing there with Coleen and Sheila. Well, Coleen went to help her sissy locate the forgotten something, leaving me and Sheila standing there in front of Mrs. O'Shea with me lips pursed so tightly they ached.
"So Sheila, yer Mam don't wan' dese?" Asked Mrs. O'Shea.
"Uh uh," Sheila uttered, crossing her fingers behind her back for lying.
"Dat so dere, Gabriel?" She asked me, much to me surprise.
I nodded, not knowing what to do.
"Well, dey are muooch too nice fer the galls to be playin' in. If yer sure yer Mam don't wan' em'?"
Sheila nodded, "No, she didn't wan' em'." Then she said something about going to find Coleen and Mary, leaving me with Mrs. O'Shae. I turned to go find the girls, but I could see they weren't in Coleen's bedroom, so I stood next to the wall out of sight of Mrs. O'Shea, totally unnerved. If me Mam found out about this, we'd have hell to pay.
Mrs. O'Shea, with the goods in her hands, went to the window which was open and called across to her neighbour Mrs. Finneran holding up the articles to show her what me Mam didn't want anymore. Well, as you can imagine, the conversation was about me Da buying me Mam tantalising undies and such and oh, to look at the two of them, one would never guess they must have a full and varied uh (and Mrs. O looked around to see where I was, I was hiding behind the door listening), and then she continued in a loud whisper, "Sex life."
Oh, my God! I was too small to understand, but I knew THAT wasn't good. And how did I know that? By the dirty chuckles of the two women in the windows! I lived for years wondering when the other boot would drop and when me Mam would find out what everyone was saying about her behind her back. Worse, her own flesh and blood started the terrible rumour! But it never happened until . . . it was years later after Sheila and her husband, the Dolan person, were one night regaling me Mam and Da about how I lied me arse off so they could sneak off and smoke cigarettes -- that did it, I finally lost it. I was all of sixteen at the time. Me sissy had been married to the Dolan person by that time, and they would come over often and tell what I did to help them sneak around so the sainted parents wouldn't be suspicious. And after each of these tell-all sessions yours truly would get a healthy grounding for months and months for deception! Well, that was the final straw, so I chirped up and told on her I did. I said to me Mam that for years (too many to count), Mrs. O'Shea (whom me Mam never liked and never spoke to) thought she and Da were perverts! Yes, I did.
Me Da laughed so hard he had to get up and leave because me Mam was near livid she was, once the shock wore off! It took a week before she'd show her face in the neighbourhood (even though it had been years since that tale was circulated), convinced the entire area thought she was an oversexed wanton woman! Sheila laughs now, but she wasn't laughing that night. I got her back, which stopped the tell-all stories for at least six months.
Looking down at the discarded dresses and high heels, I shook me head to dispel the memory, but it's been with me for a few days. I wanted to share it with you; I think you'd get a kick out of it. Oh, and the one person I won't be reminiscing with -- be me, Mam.
Gabe
Copyright © 2012 All rights reserved
16 August 2012
R. Linda:
Have you ever had a flashback where you remembered something that made your skin clammy, and a chill of wrongdoing went up your spine? Something you did or were a part of in childhood that you could have or did get into trouble over?
Well, such a feeling came over yours truly just the other day it did. Indeed! It was last Saturday it was. I was home, and the boyos had playmates over, two of them a brother and a sister, ages 5 and 6, respectively. The young lady was a very domineering child. It was she who picked out what game the three boys would play, who would play what role, and she was busy telling them what to do with wee hands on hips, finger shaking in their faces if they didn't do what she ordered, and a wee bit of stamping of her foot to add emphasis to her displeasure. I was sitting on the porch watching this since Tonya had gone out to grab lunch for all of us.
Before Tonya left, though, the wee child, Mabel Anne McGillis, asked nicely if Tonya had some old clothes and shoes they could dress up in. Well, Tonya did voice she didn't think the boys would be for dress up, but she was told in no way would THAT be a problem. So, complying and leery of this, Tonya got a few "things" she packed for Goodwill, and off went little Mabel Anne, burdened down with her stash.
When the boys saw the girlie clothing and high heels, they were having none of it. Especially small Guido, who shook his fist at Mabel Anne. He was as good at foot stamping as she was. He literally put his foot down R. Linda, BOOM, and to add emphasis of his displeasure, he'd grunt. Yes, the child grunted like a piglet. I sat up on me perch, amused at this. Yes, I was.
As you can glean, this argy went on for a bit. I went inside to get a coke and when I came out, imagine me surprise to see all three boyos in dresses. Oh yes, they looked totally embarrassed, if not a wee bit sheepish about it. Somehow, after a lot of cajoling and threats, they caved! I couldn't believe it.
O'Hare and Samson (yes, the McGillis boy is named that) were dressed in dresses, long ones with high heels that they were trying to cover from me view with the extra long material from the dresses. Guido and Mabel Anne were dressed like I didn't know what, but I soon understood they were Sir Galahad and King Arthur, respectively. No Guinevere or Maid Marion for Mabel Anne, no sir!
Each had a trash can lid as a shield and sticks as swords. Both Guido and Mabel Anne were wearing long vests, each with sequins to add to the chain mail illusion. Mabel Anne and Guido were ordering about the two "maidens" who did not like being ordered about nor poked with sticks. No indeed. I finally put a stop to it, and in the nick of time, because I heard the VW pull in and knew they'd have to quit the play, or more like order and argue, for lunch.
But for a passing moment, I was transported back to a situation that me sister caused me to be put in. A very compromising position with me own sainted Mam. Sheila was all of 10, and I was 7 when, one summer day I had no friends about to play with. Mam wanted us out of the house; it was a nice day, and we should play outside. Since I had no one to play with, I should go with me sister. Sheila, as you can imagine, was not happy about me tagging along, and I must say I wasn't pleased to be stuck with a bunch of girls.
The girls, Coleen, Mary and Sheila, had been doing something covertly that I didn't know about until the day I got stuck tagging along with them. They had gone a few streets down from our immediate neighbourhood to a part of town that was both residential and small cottage industry. Now, here be where the mists of time have clouded me brain, but if memory serves, in one of these cottages on the road lived a Miss Rooney who (shall we say) was of questionable repute. Yes, she had a business that operated mainly in the late evening. In the U.S.A. persons like Miss Rooney are called 'ladies of the evening'. Miss Rooney slept all day and worked all night, so was it any wonder she was tired during the day? Anyway, she got into an altercation with her "manager" who would bring her lovely (lovely according to me sissy) red and black silk gowns, sometimes yellow or royal blue, just gorgeous, gorgeous embroidery, the young ones thought, and as a way of showing her displeasure with her 'manager', Miss Rooney for her part, would throw these articles of questionable but 'gorgeous' clothing in the bin next to the cottage.
The three trash bin pickers, Coleen, Mary and Sheila, would fish these things out as Miss Rooney slept away inside, take them to Coleen and Mary's house (they were sisters a year apart), and use them to play Ladies of the Round Table until the day I had to tag along.
Now, let it be known that the young girls had accumulated quite a wardrobe, they had. Thus, they left a few articles of clothing lying about. Coleen and Mary's Mam saw a couple of discarded silk dressing gowns, picked them up and looked them over. Well, they WERE indeed of fine quality! She asked the girls where they got such fine clothing from, and instantly, Coleen and Mary thought they be in deep trouble. In their childish minds, what they had done, even though the clothing had been discarded, was akin to stealing. Yes, that's how they saw it -- good Catholic girlies as they were! For a short moment! WHAT TO DO? Well, what they did was tell Mrs. O'Shea that the clothing was cast off from me very own Mam! Yes, they did much to me big-eyed horror, they LIED. Mary ran into the other room with the excuse she had forgotten something leaving me standing there with Coleen and Sheila. Well, Coleen went to help her sissy locate the forgotten something, leaving me and Sheila standing there in front of Mrs. O'Shea with me lips pursed so tightly they ached.
"So Sheila, yer Mam don't wan' dese?" Asked Mrs. O'Shea.
"Uh uh," Sheila uttered, crossing her fingers behind her back for lying.
"Dat so dere, Gabriel?" She asked me, much to me surprise.
I nodded, not knowing what to do.
"Well, dey are muooch too nice fer the galls to be playin' in. If yer sure yer Mam don't wan' em'?"
Sheila nodded, "No, she didn't wan' em'." Then she said something about going to find Coleen and Mary, leaving me with Mrs. O'Shae. I turned to go find the girls, but I could see they weren't in Coleen's bedroom, so I stood next to the wall out of sight of Mrs. O'Shea, totally unnerved. If me Mam found out about this, we'd have hell to pay.
Mrs. O'Shea, with the goods in her hands, went to the window which was open and called across to her neighbour Mrs. Finneran holding up the articles to show her what me Mam didn't want anymore. Well, as you can imagine, the conversation was about me Da buying me Mam tantalising undies and such and oh, to look at the two of them, one would never guess they must have a full and varied uh (and Mrs. O looked around to see where I was, I was hiding behind the door listening), and then she continued in a loud whisper, "Sex life."
Oh, my God! I was too small to understand, but I knew THAT wasn't good. And how did I know that? By the dirty chuckles of the two women in the windows! I lived for years wondering when the other boot would drop and when me Mam would find out what everyone was saying about her behind her back. Worse, her own flesh and blood started the terrible rumour! But it never happened until . . . it was years later after Sheila and her husband, the Dolan person, were one night regaling me Mam and Da about how I lied me arse off so they could sneak off and smoke cigarettes -- that did it, I finally lost it. I was all of sixteen at the time. Me sissy had been married to the Dolan person by that time, and they would come over often and tell what I did to help them sneak around so the sainted parents wouldn't be suspicious. And after each of these tell-all sessions yours truly would get a healthy grounding for months and months for deception! Well, that was the final straw, so I chirped up and told on her I did. I said to me Mam that for years (too many to count), Mrs. O'Shea (whom me Mam never liked and never spoke to) thought she and Da were perverts! Yes, I did.
Me Da laughed so hard he had to get up and leave because me Mam was near livid she was, once the shock wore off! It took a week before she'd show her face in the neighbourhood (even though it had been years since that tale was circulated), convinced the entire area thought she was an oversexed wanton woman! Sheila laughs now, but she wasn't laughing that night. I got her back, which stopped the tell-all stories for at least six months.
Looking down at the discarded dresses and high heels, I shook me head to dispel the memory, but it's been with me for a few days. I wanted to share it with you; I think you'd get a kick out of it. Oh, and the one person I won't be reminiscing with -- be me, Mam.
Gabe
Copyright © 2012 All rights reserved
