My indian summers...

Growing up I spent most of my time hanging out with my mom and younger brother, we did everything together. My mom always told us, we were the easiest and sweetest kids in the world. She also told us that she had found me in a cabbage patch, and that she found my brother on the back of a pickup truck with a bunch of baby chickens. To this day I still believe her. I was a extremely curious child, I always found my way into things. Both of my parents grew up in the country. My dad in the outskirts of a small mississippi town, and my mom a quiet little town tucked away by the fields and farms of alabama. We spent most of our summers between the two. I always preferred staying in alabama because there were more girls to hang out with. We would wake up early in the morning to go outside, and play with the hogs, chicken, cows, horses. I recall playing hide and seek but often wondering off into the rows and rows of vegetables that my grandmother grew, tall stalks of corn, and sunflowers..covered me. I remember being called in for dinner, my aunt standing by the stove, I hated everything she cooked. Me and my brother were use to pb&j sandwiches, and fish sticks..we weren't hard to please, but she insisted we eat her potato salad, squash, and greens. We couldn't go back outside until we finished our food, while my cousins screamed and ran aimlessly outside free to do as they pleased. My brother and I sat quietly at the table staring at the full plates in front of us, eventually my aunt grew tired of looking at our pathetic faces, told us to put our plates and go. I don't think it took me more than 3 seconds to get out that door. All of my cousins who grew up in the country had this amazing talent of walking around bare feet, on the hot rocks, sand, the shards of grass...anything. I wanted to be just as daring as them, so I would attempt to do the same, but I never made it more than a few feet before hopping around, and running back for my shoes. We would go deep into the woods, looking for berries, making sure to avoid "snake spit" or what my mom called it at least. There was no clocks, or tvs to be watched. Our daily schedules depended solely on the one street light, by my grandmothers house, and even then we dared staying out later, only later being forced in by the insects that ruled the night. One of my cousins had a baby doll that she adored, she treated it as if it were this person, and for the life of me..I just didn't understand it...everyone played along with it, as if "rachel" was this real little baby that everyone just adored. My grandmother going along with it the most. "Rachel" got very special privileges, from getting to take her bath first, to being able to lay on my grandmother's bed. I guess one day, "rachel " just rubbed me the wrong way. I saw her laying there on the bed, nestled between my grandmothers' other dolls and stuffed bears, no one was around. So I made my way closer, she just stared back at me, before I knew it, "rachel" was tucked in my arms and we went out the door. I was so surprised by my actions, I really didn't know what to do with myself, the further I walked, the more scared I became..I begin to wonder how would I get "rachel" back on my grandmothers' bed without anyone noticing, and not getting in trouble. I decided I'd play with "rachel" a little longer, and then take her back. I remember tossing "rachel" in the air, getting higher and higher with each toss. I begin to test my skills by throwing her backwards and forward, until a tree branch decided to join in on the fun. There "rachel" dangled above me, her little doll dress draped over her head, and her soft cotton body, being poked by the smaller branches. What had I done?! I really begin to panic, I searched frantically for something to throw up there to knock her down, after a few minutes, I saw my older brother's football and decided to use that to get her down. After a few missed tries, I finally knocked "rachel" down, and as she fell, I put so much attention in making sure I caught her, I didn't notice the things below me, and I ended up tripping over a tree root. After brushing myself off, I walked over to pick up "rachel" there she laid, her left leg laying beside her. I didn't know whether to smile, or cry. I had to do something..quick...I looked around to make sure no one had seen what had happened. I spotted a tree that stood between my grandmother and aunt's house. It had really thick shrubbery so I decided I'd stick "rachel" in there until I figured out a better plan. As I finished, my aunt called for us to come in for dinner, and I did just that. It didn't take long before my cousin noticed "rachel" missing, she searched frantically for her, everyone got in on the search for the missing doll. I sat back and watched my grandmother console my cousin, I begin to feel a little guilty, and considered telling her what had happened, maybe should would understand and forgive me. But who was I fooling, she loved that doll more than me, there would be no forgiving in this case. So my lips were sealed. The only way my grandmother could get my cousin to sleep, was by telling her, that we would find her the next day....and that is exactly what happened. I remember waking up to my cousin standing over me, with "rachel" gripped in her hands, her little left leg dangling from her body, barely attached by one long string of cotton. I didn't know what to say..how could she have possibly guessed it was me, should I deny it? and blame my brother, or should I just tell her the truth..as tears filled her eyes, I begin to feel guilty and I told her what had happened. That I wanted to play with "rachel" too but I knew she would let me if I asked. I told her I was sorry, and if there was a way we could fix her. She rolled her eyes, and turned away from me. I spent the rest of the day to myself, since no one wanted to play with me. The strangest part is, I'm not sure if I ever truly felt bad about what I did, but I did learn a lesson that day. If you're going to commit a crime, make sure you leave no evidence. Side note: "Rachel" still lays on my grandmother's bed, missing leg and all :)