A Story About John

I’ve told you stories about other siblings as they became pressured into blogging. Now is time for a story about John.

John is the second oldest of my siblings, and as such is twelve years my senior. Like a senior citizen. Meaning OLD. He also has a afro he refuses to cut. But this story is not about his hair; it is about his glasses. And the fishing boat. Now all of my family members know what story is coming.

I was very young, too young to be doing anything on the boat other than playing and being adorable. Five years old, maybe six. Which puts him in the last years of high school, 17 or 18.

And he was picking on me relentlessly. Teasing me, calling me names, tickling me, poking me, hanging me from the boom. My mother told him at one point to stop it or he would deserve whatever he got.

I’ve had to combine different accounts of this story because I was so young I do not remember all the details.

I was six, you see. Five, maybe. But what I do remember with crystal clarity was the feelings of anger and frustration and the need to make him stop.

I turned around and, right outside the cabin door, slapped him as hard as I could.

I was young and not very strong, but I had grown up tough. Being the fifth child after a gaggle of boys, you learn to be tough. Even though I was not strong, I was accurate. A smaller person can overcome a larger person if she places her attacks precisely.

And precisely is just how I slapped him. My hand made contact with his face and his glasses, his glasses they flew.

Off his face, over the side of the boat, and into the water. Where they promptly sunk with a satisfying bloob-loob-loop sound. After which I only remember silence from his stunned face and my mother saying that she had told him so.

21 September 2005 · 15:06:20

2 love notes

that sounds like a John Boy

love, Anna at 21sep05, 23:30:38

Love your blog site..so computer creative…is that a term??? Well it should be. Guess he had a hard time telling salmon apart with his eyes 20 feet down.

love, Shana Baxter, Anchorage Alaska at 26sep05, 08:17:48

leave me a love note


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