Momsie's Mannequin

When I was a little girl my brother Travis and I would go and visit my great-grandmother. She lived in a little brick house in Silsbee, Texas. I loved Momsie very much, but as I child I remember being very leery and a little frightened of her. Looking back in my memories now I remember why she frightened me so much.

It was sunny and very warm that summer and I remember being so thirsty by the time we arrived. A lot of the times my brother and I would get scared when we would go and visit her. At the time I think she was in her late 80's. I remember always being scared of her because she was elderly.

Her house was very old. I remember she had this ugly musty smelling orange carpet all throughout her whole house. Her house was full of antiques and pretty little trinkets. It was decorated like you would have walked straight into the 1970's.

My brother and I were young at the time and like all children do. We would find ways to entertain ourselves.

One afternoon after we had eaten lunch. Momsie told us to run along and go play. But, with a dark furrowing look on her face she warned us to stay out of her room and the front living room. Looking back now I know why she didn't want us in either of those rooms. The front living room was full of antiques and her room was off limits because we were curious children. There were “dangerous,” scary things in there.

My brother and I decided to play hide and seek. I was first to seek. I counted to ten and then began my hunt for my little brother. I searched the kitchen, the back bedroom, the back living room and even the dining room; but no Travis. I began to worry.

I went to look for Momsie in a panic. I couldn't find her! Then I remembered I didn't check the front living room.

Walking into the front living room was like walking into a dungeon. It was dark and gloomy, except for the light seeping in from the kitchen. I slowly creped my way from the dining room to the front living room. I very quietly tiptoed into the living room. “I hope Momsie doesn’t catch me!” I could hear my mind yelling at myself.

Then as if my hopes were answered I found Travis. I quickly turned around to escape the dungeon and ran into someone or something tall and stiff. In a panic I yanked Travis’s arm and we ran as fast as we could to the kitchen. Light flooded all around us and we were safe. Or so we thought.

Out of breath and still a little scared I asked Travis if he knew where Momsie was. He shook his head “no.” There was only one more place to look, her room the only other place we weren’t allowed to go.

Travis and I quietly opened the door, and tiptoed into the room. It was very dark but the bathroom light left some shadow in the room. We still didn’t see her. Then I had a hunch. I opened the closets sliding door, and I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. There was someone in the closet!

I grabbed Travis’s hand, ran into our bedroom and hid in the closet.

Travis and I fell asleep in the closet and I woke up to Momsie calling our names. She was back! When I saw Momsie I ran up to her and gave her a big hug and told her what happened. Then she said “You silly girl, the “person” you ran into in the living room was a mannequin.” Then I said, “Well what about in your room?” She replied, “That was me I scared you so that you wouldn’t go back in there.”

I remember always being so scared of Momsie as a child up until that visit. I think her scaring me, then her telling me that she did it on purpose. Helped me realize how scared of her I shouldn’t be. Just because she was old and wrinkly didn’t mean I should have been scared of her.

 

Seeing my Father in a New Light

I never expected to see my father in a bright orange jump suit.

When I was 7 or 8 I remember my mother telling my brother Travis and I that we were going to see my dad. The memory that I have of that trip to see my father was a very memorable one for me. It was one of the first times I got to see him since before he went to prison.

I remember my mother pulling up in a big white van that she rented for our long eight hour trip. The anticipation of wanting to get there was unbearable for my brother and me. I remember the drive there like it was yesterday. We left on a sunny summer morning, I can still see the damp grass sparkling from morning dew. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the wild flowers along the highway were so beautiful. I know the trip was not easy for my mother trying to deal with two rambunctious children. I remember being so excited I kept asking my mother, "are we there yet?" I know we must have drove her crazy asking so many questions.

As we continued the drive my brother and I fell asleep until we arrived at our hotel for the night. I remember asking my mom, “what are we were doing here?" She responded with a sweet sympathetic smile, "We can't go see him tonight. You want to spend all day with him don't you?" I quickly shook my head "yes." She replied, "That's why we’re going after we eat breakfast in the morning." My heart was overflowing with joy. I couldn't believe that tomorrow was so close. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep that night. It felt like waiting for Christmas day and getting to rip all of my presents open. Except instead of getting presents I was going to see my dad and that was a present all in its self.

Waking up that morning, I jumped out of bed and got dressed all on my own and sat and waited impatiently for my mother to get Travis ready to go. Pulling into the prison I saw a sign that said "TL Roach Unit." Surrounding the sign and along the pathway to the prison were many different colors of flowers that were so beautiful. Looking back now at that moment I saw those flowers, I didn't know that my father was the one that planted and took care of those flowers. For me it was symbolic in a way. My father was in a place so dark and scary but yet he was able to find something to do that made the prison appear more beautiful.

Despite the beautiful flowers, walking into the prison was intimidating. Tall over powering barbed wire fences, prison guards towering over me with guns and handcuffs, locks turning, metal doors slamming and buzzers buzzing people in and out of doors. I felt so close to the anticipated moment but felt so far away.

We walked into an all-white room with about fifty metal tables. Those few minutes waiting for my father felt like an eternity. My mother, Travis and I were sitting at a metal table when I heard a loud buzz I jerked my head around and there was my father.

With happy tears rolling down my face I ran and greeted my father with the biggest hug in the world.