When I was eight, we left our apartment building to move into this adorable four bedroom house. We lived there for four years. Some of the best times were there. The backyard was huge and I built a fort from scratch, that my folks allowed as an eyesore for two years. I spent summers in those two maple trees, in an extra large 7up t-shirt and baseball cap. I also spent summer vacations trying to capture a grey squirrel! The trap only closed on it twice, but it got out both times. Two of my closest friends lived on my street and a set of triplet boys. The girls and I played Charlie’s Angels. The boys and I got into trouble playing in the train yard at the end of our street, and we once ate a whole box of chocolate covered almonds I was suppose to sell for a school fundraiser. I did go door to door at first, but a doberman chased me! First time I jumped a fence, I guess it was stress eating.
I had an amazing grade six teacher that taught us the Hair song from the Beatles that we performed. I learned to ride a two wheel bike, bright green, flower seat, still have a scar and probably still the gravel in my knee from my first crash. I found a cat on Halloween that was orange and black, right after my Momma received a call that her Grandpa passed away. I raked leaves to make money to buy it food, and mysteriously there was a can of tuna at the end of my driveway! We tape recorded plays we made up. The trains that went by and the planes overhead were perfect sound effects for our elaborate tapes. I wonder if any of those tapes are around?
Then there was talk of a move to Scarborough. Nice townhouse, new community. My parents were all in, I was not! Apparently there was an application process, sorry Momma, not sure if I told you this. They were very excited, they filled out the first application, I stole it, threw it out at school. The second application, I ripped up and set fire to it in the charcoal Hibachi, with the help of one of the triplets. My parent’s had a fight about the misplacement of the document. The third one, I hid under a placemat in the living room. They found it when we packed, the fourth one they were on to me, and did it in secret.
We have lived in our house for 31 years this summer, looked at a few places over the years, but the haunting of that move has always kept us here. That move was life changing. Turning 13, going into eighth grade? Well that’s another story!
Momma Wouldn't Say 