Waverly Court
By Kurt ~ Fall 2018
memories, imaginings and reflections
This was not normal. Something was going on. But whatever it was it was beyond my ability to figure it out. But when you’re one of the little ones that can sometimes happen.
“Get the little ones into the yards!” One of the big girls was saying
The big girls were acting funny. They were kind of full of themselves, rounding us little ones up, wanting us to sit in the grass. They wanted us in the last two yards at the end of the court. They acted like they were playing at being our mothers. You could tell what kind of mothers they would be in the future.
Some were sweet. . . .”Come on now honey, let’s find you a nice seat next Margaret, okay?”
One or two of the big girls had a more direct manner, “You best not be gettin’ too big for your britches mister! Now sit your little behind right there!”
One of the big girls wanted me to sit in Mrs. Powell’s front yard. I didn’t want to. It wasn’t my yard. I never sat in her yard, what would my mother say? My yard was right next store, the last one on the court. The one that was right next to the railroad tracks.
When a train went by our yard would tremble. When a train went by our house would “Shake Rattle and Roll” my big brother would say.
When the big girls stopped looking for a moment I scooted over into my yard. It was okay to be in my yard. The big girls put some other little ones into my yard. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. They weren’t part of my family, and part of me didn’t feel comfortable about it. But then too, I felt kind of big inside, I wanted to say,
“This is MY yard. But you can sit here.”
But I didn’t.
The big girls insisted that we “KEEP BACK! Keep BACK children! Keep BACK from the SIDEWALK!”
They’re making me a little worried. Why are they so bossy? Is this a game? I’m supposed to listen to grown ups but these aren’t grown ups, they’re big girls and they’re not my big girl sisters either, very confusing.
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