A Baby, A Pitchfork and 2 Awfully Mean Sisters

I was reading my niece to be's latest blog and it brought back some memories from my childhood. Her post is about being aftraid of the dark. Let me tell you, I am absolutely and completely afraid of the dark. Always have been. Always will be. I'm afraid of everything, really. A big ol' scardy cat. Seriously. I scare so easily. Since Jen is engaged to my nephew, her post reminded me of a time when he was still a baby. I was in the 5th grade when Eric was born. And he was the light of my life. Michelle still lived at home at the time, so all of us took part in taking care of him until she moved out and on her own.

Me in 5th Grade. (You don't have to point out that I look like a boy. I already know that. I used to pass this picture off as my twin brother "Chris" who lived somewhere else. The kids at school all believed me too!)

Anyhoo, one night, Michelle, Sandee and I watched one of the Friday the 13th movies. It was number 3 or 4 or 27....I don't remember which. It was 3-D and took place on a farm and involved a pitchfork. Well, I absolutely love scary movies. But, being the scardy cat that I am, they scare the crap out of me. No matter how dumb they are, they still scare me. Even now, at 37, I still can't watch a scary movie by myself. No way, At All!!!! Anyway, the movie scared the crap out of me. And Michelle and Sandee took great pleasure in making fun of me for it.

Sandee and Eric, circa 1982

When the movie was over, they both decided that we needed food of some sort and they were going to the grocery store to get some. Eric was upstairs sleeping, so I had to stay home to babysit. I begged and pleaded to let me go. They just laughed and told me how rediculous I was being. That nothing was going to happen. It was just a stupid movie. They were so mean! Big sisters!!

Michelle and Eric, circa 1982

So off they went to the store, leaving me and Eric alone. I was so scared that I parked my butt on the couch and never moved the entire time they were gone. Every noise I heard, scared me to death. I was absolutely certain that I heard footsteps upstairs where Eric was sleeping, but did I go check it out? ARE YOU FRICKIN KIDDING ME? Sorry Eric! Obviously my life was more valuable than yours. I just sat there, frozen with fear, waiting for Michelle and Sandee to return from the store. There was no way I was moving. If I moved, whoever was making those footstep sounds would know that I was there and would undoubtedly come kill me. Then, all of a sudden, there was a loud knocking on the sliding glass door (which was right next to me) and I jumped up (and out of my skin) and pulled back the curtains only to find Michelle and Sandee standing there with scary looks on their faces and HOLDING A FRICKING PITCH FORK!!!!! O.K., maybe it was a rake, but they scared the freaking crap right out of me. I screamed so loud I woke Eric up. They laughed and laughed and laughed. They scarred me for life with that one.

SISTERS!!!!!!