Growing up I was never sure quite how I felt about having so many brothers and sisters. I mean being the oldest of seven kids pretty much meant that I was working full time by the age of 6. I did quite a lot of cooking, cleaning, diapering, and babysitting. I used to be envious of the other kids in the neighborhood who never seemed to have much going on in the responsibility department.
At our house you learned to eat fast and if you were lucky you might be the one who got the extra spoonful of macaroni or sloppy joes that was left at the bottom of the pot in the center of the table. I really don't think I am exaggerating when I say that 99% of the meals we ate were made in a big pot and served with a giant spoon. I am sure this was due to necessity. Feeding 7 kids on one teacher's salary could not have been easy!!
I'm not claiming to have gone hungry...but it seems like we all were always on the hunt for a tasty snack of some sort. We did not get soda pop and store bought treats EVER. Little Debbies....NO. Cheetos....NO. Candy bars...NO. But one time a box of twinkies made it's way into the house. I have no idea how it happened or what the special occasion was...but there they were in the bread drawer with the sliding lid.
What happened next is subject to speculation and hushed whispers of she did it....no SHE did it. I had to have been around 9 years old and my sister Lara....who my brother Sean called Ra-Ra was 8. My mom had been judiciously doleing out the twinkies with whatever system of fairness she had devised. We were all like Pavlov's dog. Dangle a sugary treat in front of our nose and we would have volunteered for an eternity of extra chores. It got down to one twinkie being left in the drawer. Who was going to get that darned twinkie?? We'll never know who would have earned it because someone STOLE it !!
It happened in the middle of the night and no one would confess. In my house thievery and lies were not acceptable. I don't know how it all went down exactly...but it was narrowed down to Lara and myself. Neither one of us was budging on our heartfelt and passionate pleas of innocence. I think my parents were leaning towards Lara as the culprit all the while she kept insisting it was me. Well all I can say over 30 years later is.....I slept in the same room with her and that night I smelled twinkie breath and it wasn't mine!
I stumbled across this picture of the two of us in our matching nightgowns today and it made me remember this story and even if she did steal the twinkie and try to blame me....I still love her...she's my little sister!
Just look at her....can't you see the mischievious look on her face. I on the other hand look completely innocent.
Recent Comments