Childhood Flashbacks: The Escape Route

When I was...hmmmmm...four-ish, possibly going on five? I remember we lived in this house. (Of course we lived in a house, but this was a particular house). I remember, there was a trap door and it was under my bed. Now why my Mom put me in there is to this day a mystery....I guess, I've never thought to ask her because I've never had the thought at the same time I'm conversing with her. Anyhow. The cool thing was, I'd always plan how I'd drop off the side of the bed, roll under it and escape from the bad guys via the trap door. Of course, it lead down directly to the dirt below the house and you had to crawl through the dirt, insect, snake?, ridden path to where it exited at the side of the house. But, from the outside....no one would ever know it was there. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, unless for some reason you were scared and the escape door suddenly became a possibility of bad guys and monsters to enter through...and unfortunately, but obviously, through the same door in which was your hidden escape route. Anyhow. I remember, practicing my drill daily. I also remember there were grape vines in like four long rows. I'd go pick the grapes (usually, eating them before they were ready, still bitter -- but you know kids. We have to find it out for ourselves). I also remember that was where I first discovered those little pincher bugs that make an inverted funnel into the sand. So that ants will fall in and as they trickle dirt in their effort to escape the bug's neck shoots out with it's fanged head and then he EATS the ant. I used to play with the little critter and trickle sand down. Sometimes I'd throw an ant there and watch and wait. (Hey, those ants were always biting me so I thought the "good bug" deserved a little help. I'm not a meanie person and I wasn't a meanie kid). We had a german shepard and she was pregnant and got hit by a car. She delivered 12 puppies (all still born, except for one little guy who was sick and weak but survived.) My mom apparently, had to assist our poor dog with birthing the still borns as they would get stuck since they were...without life. Our dog's hind leg had been split and stitched and she couldn't really walk on it or use it very well at that time either. Lastly, I remember there was like a little alley way at the very back of the yard of this house. Across the alley way were two little girls who lived there and played all the great fun games. I used to climb up on the fence and watch them. They'd often come over and climb up on their side and we'd talk. We didn't have a lot (any) money back then. The girls parents were so nice. They invited me to one of their birthday parties (kinda' last minute but being nice parents and probably feeling somewhat sorry for, lil'ol, fence climbing me.) Mom said I could go. Only, I didn't have a gift. So I gave them/her a few of my favorite Dr. Suess books...but, I remember...Mom sent them with me in a bread bag so I wouldn't drop them. Apparently? We didn't have any wrapping paper. [Now days? I cover kids birthday gifts with banner paper, or paper sacks, and let my kids color and decorate the wrapper themselves. Economical, the kids really enjoy it, it's more personal...and secretly, I always remember this event in my life.] F.Y.I.? The Mom was so nice and wrapped the gift of books and let me give them to my "across the fence" friend. The party was a blast. We played cheerleaders way into the dark of sunset. "Fire Cracker! Fire Cracker!! Shish! Boom! Bah! One, for the MONEY...Two, for the SHOW....Three to get READY! And, four to GO!!! Yeah!!!" And we did all those made up little jumps young children do. Funny, sometimes I wake up in the morning and I can't for the life of me remember what I had for dinner...until I make it to the kitchen cuz' I am extremely curious. Yet, I can remember every little daily events of my childhood. Oh, that reminds me. That was also the first place I ever played dominoes. I played with the grown-ups and they were very impressed because I totally got it, played well, and new how to count by fives at that age. Shortly after that, I learned to play chess... Happy Thursday, and I hope you have Happy Childhood Flashbacks!

Childhood Flashbacks: The Escape Route