For
your reading pleasure...a short bedtime story...
From my early days... |
| I
was a pretty shy kid...partly due to the fact that
we moved a lot when I was young. My dad was a geologist
and we had to go where his work took us...and to
be perfectly honest, it wasn't easy, but, I always
felt that my home was with my family, no matter where
we were. I was always very close to my sister and
my 2 brothers. When I was 13, we moved back to the
states from Australia and that was an enormous culture
shock! |
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The
kids at middle school, particularly the girls, made
fun of me because of my accent, because I was quiet
and because I was different. It was never to my face,
but rather, passing comments behind my back as I stood
at my locker in the hallway. And it was always the
same group of girls who did the attacking, never the
boys. My teachers all loved me because I was a very
good student. Actually, back then I was quiet, yet
strong. I was skinny and a bit of a dork, but I liked
fashion. I liked wearing a bit of make up. I liked
boys but I would never go there! And I was a tomboy!
I always was and always will be!!! But back to those
girls... I just thought they were ignorant and although
it hurt a bit, it wasn't worth getting riled up over.
On the other hand, if anyone ever did anything to hurt
anyone close to me...well that was a completely different
story. So here is the story of Johnny B who lived 3
houses down the street from where we lived when I was
14 years old...a year after we moved there.
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As
I said, I was a tomboy and I was the only girl on
the block who was allowed to play street football
with the guys. Marilyn and Sandra who lived 2 houses
down, were not allowed to join in because they were "girls" who
couldn't throw or catch a football. Marilyn was really
a girly girl, very pretty but she didn't seem very
bright. Sandra, her younger sister, ended up being
my best friend and the more we hung out, the more
she looked up to me. We ended up being very very
close friends all through high school. (I often wonder
where she is and how she is...) It's funny, when
I look back, I really see how independent I was.
I guess I was always a loner. When I first met Sandra,
she used to really bother me. She was a year younger
and always wanted to be around me. She thought she
was really cute and she got on my nerves. She was
always trying to get attention from me and from the
boys and everyone found her a bit annoying. The guys
used to call her "Dewildebeast" which I
found kind of funny. After this episode with John,
things would change. As I said, everyone I was very
protective of everyone I cared about. My dad used
to tell my brothers to always walk away from a fight
if it was possible. The toughest man can walk away.
I think my dad is very wise.
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But
on this particular hot, dry sunny afternoon in July,
we were playing street football and Johnny B was being
the block bully, something the little brat was very good
at. Now what I didn't tell you is that there were 3 Italian
brothers who lived across the street...Claudio, who was
16 (who had a crush on Marilyn, the ditzy girly girl
older sister of Sandra), Lazio, who was 13 and Fabio
who was 11. I had a HUGE crush on Claudio (but I was
a skinny dorky tomboy!). Sandra had a huge crush on the
BRAT, Johnny B! I guess teen age hormones were starting
to develp...
So on this particular afternoon, Sandra and Marilyn sat on the sidelines (street
curb) as I played street football with the guys. Johnny B started to pick on
my youngest brother, Eric. Although Eric walked away, Johnny stalked him, acting
like a little prick. I think he was trying to act like a big man in front of
Sandra and Marilyn. My other brother, Terry, told Johnny to "knock it off" and
went into our house. He'd had enough. Marilyn then got up from the curb and went
home, much to the dismay of Claudio...Sandra and the other kids stayed. I was
getting really angry with Johnny B. He kept hounding Eric for, apparently, no
reason except to show off. The game was over but Johnny kept on hounding, almost
stalking Eric as my little brother tried to walk away...All I can remember was
that I saw BLACK!!! My head began to spin. I have no idea how it happened but
the next thing I knew was that I was sitting on Johnny's chest in a schoolboy
pin and he was struggling to get up. He was stunned. Claudio, Lazio and Fabio
were stunned! Sandra was stunned. But to say I was stunned is an understatement...To
this day, I do not know what Eric was feeling....
As I realized what I had done, I became very embarrassed. There was my crush,
Claudio watching me sitting with an enormous amount of anger, on top of my other
neighbour. Nobody said a word. There was no laughter. There was no comment. But
you could feel a thick "SHOCK" in the air! I got up and went inside
our house without saying a word. I felt completely humiliated. I didn't know
how it had happened but I just couldn't take it anymore and I had to protect
my brother. Now I looked like an idiot in front of Claudio! I was the strong
silent type (albeit skinny!) I just tried to stay away from the other kids for
awhile, but that wasn't easy! Johnny B had started to really act up. In fact,
it seemed he was doing everything he possibly cold to irritate the other kids.
He was dying to be beaten up again! He hung around our house every day (still
hanging out with my brother!) Every time he crossed my path, I would turn and
walk the other way. He went as far as to threaten everyone with his BB gun. He
was over the top and making an enormous fool of himself by bullying everyone.
And he was desperate for my attention. The sad thing was that Sandra still had
her crush on him and she was his next target. About 9 days after his first beating,
Johnny B shot Sandra 7 times in the butt with the BB gun, at close range! I wasn't
there when it happened but my brothers came running into the house and told me.
She wasn't hurt (well I mean, it did hurt, but she wasn't injured!) I found the
whole situation annoying!!!!! What was this little brat thinking? The fact that
Sandra fancied this little bully was ridiculous and he used her for target practice
to try and get everyone up in arms! I continued to try to avoid any contact with
Johnny B. Then, one afternoon, he cornered me with that damned BB gun in front
my house. There was no one around this time. I looked him in the eye. I didn't
say a word. I turned to walk towards our front door and I felt a sharp fiery
pain in my right bottom cheek!!!! That damned little brat shot ME at close range
in the bum with his BB gun! I felt the pain, then everything went dark as I flew
at him, throwing him to the ground and pinning him on his back...It happened
sooooo fast that it was a blur...but when I finally focused again, there was
Johnny B beneath me, looking terrified. I was so angry!!!! He got what he wanted!
He had been trying to snare me into pinning him down again and he did it! He
had a very strange look on his face. I felt repulsed. I got up and stormed into
the house. The next day, Eric came home after hanging out with the guys. He announced
to my entire family that Johnny B had a huge crush on me! Uggggghhhhhh!!!! I
was completely embarassed.
For the remainder of the summer, I avoided Johnny B completely. I avoided Claudio,
Lazio and Fabio too. I would quietly run down to Sandra's house and hang out
with her. We never talked about Johnny B. We just did girl things, like bake
cookies and talk about "boys". (But not those boys!) I did go back
eventually and hang out on the block with the guys...We played street football
for about another year or so. By the time I was 16, Claudio had a crush on me
but I was over my crush on him. Sandra and I became best friends until I moved
away to go to college. I have no idea what happened to Johnny B or the rest of
the guys but I often wonder if Johnny still looks for someone to pin him to the
ground on a special occasion! |
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