Kathryn Meyer Griffith - Memories of My Childhood

Memories of

My Childhood

( Fourshort stories of my poor but loving family of seven siblings in the1950s and 60s. Originally the first three of these were the veryfirst stories I ever had published in my local BellevilleNews-Democrat newspaper between 1977 and 1979, after winning theirshort story contest, along with the original illustrations I drewfor them back thenthe last story, Christmas Magic, was written in2016 but its illustration is also from 1977. )

For my beloved brother Jim Meyerwhowas the best musician and songwriter Ive ever known, and always mybest friend. My life wouldnt have been half as rich without youhaving been in it. I love you, brother! Heres his music: http://tinyurl.com/pytftzc

Other books by Kathryn Meyer Griffith:

Evil Stalks the Night

The Heart of the Rose

Blood Forged

Vampire Blood

The Last Vampire (2012 Epics EBook AwardsFinalist)

Witches

The Calling

Scraps of Paper

All Things Slip Away

Ghosts Beneath Us

Egyptian Heart

Winters Journey

The Ice Bridge

Dont Look Back, Agnes

A Time of Demons and Angels

The Woman in Crimson

Four Spooky Short Stories

Human No Longer

Dinosaur Lake (2014 Epic EBook Awards Finalist)

Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising

Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation

Dinosaur Lake IV: Dinosaur Wars

*All Kathryn Meyer Griffiths books are alsoavailable now in paperbacks and audio books.

Originally written and published in1979.

Sarah stood firm against the cold bitterwind and pulled the woolen cap over her ears. Her long brown hairwhipped across her face. She laughed softly at her son as he fellat her feet in the snow.

Take it easy, sport! Save some of thatenergy for school tomorrow, she said, smiling, but her green eyeswere unhappy. Shed been sad since her husband of eight years hadleft her for someone else. Sadder still, hed left both her andJeremy. He was never around anymore because the new wife, jealousof them, wouldnt allow it. Sarah hated her ex-husband for hurtingtheir son more than for hurting her.

Ah Mom. He grinned as he grabbed at hercoat trying to pull her into his play.

Jeremy, no! She laughed as he dragged herinto the snow. Then he jumped up and ran out of her reach.

You cant catch me! Cant catch me! hetaunted as he ran across the snow-covered field. Come on Mom,catch me!

She stood up slowly. Her son looked so smallagainst all the white.

Sarah sighed. It was so cold and it hadsnowed for days now. She didnt think it would ever stop. Therewere mountains of the stuff. She hadnt seen so much snow since shewas a child.

That one strange winter.

Jeremy, come on, Im too old for this, shecomplained. Yet patience and love was in her voice, not anger.

Ah, mother, he pleaded and stomped hisfeet impatiently in the snow. Youre not that old. Tommys mom istwice as old as you and she goes ice skating with him all the time.She plays soccer, too.

Oh, a Wonder Woman, huh?

No. Shes just his pal, he said in almosta whisper.

Shes just crazy if you ask me, Sarahteased.

Ah, Mom.

Ah, Son. She stood with her mittened handson her hips, her feet planted apart, as stubborn as her seven yearold.

She reached out and patted him gently on hischeek. They were friends. Maybe she sometimes treated him a littletoo much like an adult. Sometimes she forgot he was only achild.

They laughed then and made faces at eachother. Two children.

Look what I found, Mom. Jeremys voiceended her daydreaming. He cradled a sled in his arms. The sled theyhad bought him last Christmas. Last Christmas when her world hadstill been happy and the three of them still together. Dontthink about that now.

I almost forgot I had it. I bet it beatsanything on the street. His bright blue eyes gleamed at her as hewiped his nose with his coat sleeve.

I bet. Where did you find it? Sarah ranher hands along the sleek sides that were so shiny. The new sledseemed flimsy and small to her and not like the giant sled sheremembered sharing so long ago with her six brothers andsisters.

It was out in the shed. Just now. I knew itwas out there somewhere. His tilted face was bathed in a softreddish glow from the setting sun. The whole world, the snow andthe trees, was tinted pink. It was beautiful, but it meant it wouldsoon be dark.

And suddenly, the look, feel and smell ofthe coming evening somehow reminded her of other cold winter nightswhen shed been a child. When her family, all nine of them, sevensiblings, mother and father, had lived in that big old ramblingdrafty house on Concord in St. Louis. The house on the hillsurrounded by endless fields; with her maternal grandparents, acurmudgeon grandfather and a loving grandmother, living nearby. Thememory made her smile.

I thought you said you wouldnt ever go inthat old shed because of the spiders and bugs?

He cocked his head. He was deathly afraid ofthose things, but he wouldnt admit it. Like he was afraid of thedark in his room at night. He said it was too creepy, tooquiet.

Nah, spiders dont like winter, Mom. Itstoo cold. They freeze.

Mom, lets try out the sled now, please? Itwont take long. Theres a great hill right down the road. Itsslick as ice. I promise I wont take long, and Im not even coldyet.

Its late. She peered into the fadingsunlight. And its almost dark and its getting colder.

Please? Just a few minutes? He had takenher hand and was gently leading her down the snowy streets. Sarahgulped in deep whiffs of the sharp winter night air. The smell ofpine and frozen things. A smell full of the past.

She was tired, but yet at the same time,easily persuaded. The night had her in its spell.

And she began to remember.

Shed remembered a night like this one solong ago when shed been a child like Jeremy.

Winter. Night snow sparkling on the roadsand fields. Black nights andsledding.

The sled bobbed in front of her. Jeremyslaughter echoed like a bridge spanning back across the years,stirring thoughts of other children sliding and tumbling down icyhills and then dragging wooden sleds back up again. Their feet andhands had been numb, their breath had been frozen into white smoke.Another winter so many years ago.

Come on, Mom, ride with me?

No, you go ahead. Ill wait here. Theystood at the top of a large hill.

Youre not afraid, are ya?

No.

Please come with me?

She shook her head one last time and heturned away from her firm refusal, undaunted.

Well, then Ill go by myself cause Im notafraid. Jeremy jumped on the sled and, screaming in mock fear,took the hill alone, leaving her to stand therelistening, hearingthe voices of the distant past.

*****

Sis, Sis! Were going down the big hilltonight. Coopers Hill. Want to come? Jimmy yelled at her fromacross their old yard. A young Jimmy she still remembered so wellwith his bright red hair and serious face. He was two years youngerbut always seemed older than that to her. He was her favoritebrother and a real fighter. He would lead and she would follow inhis mischief.

Good lord, tonight?

Yep. Much later tonight when everyones inbed. The folks wont miss us so much then.

In the dark? Are you crazy? She couldntbelieve it. She peeked out at him from under her thick plaid scarf.A skinny freckled face ten-year old girl in an old hand-me-downtattered coat.

No one goes down Coopers Hill when its ascold and icy as it is now, and especially at night. What if a carcomes down it?