Edie the Embarrassed
I asked my younger sister, Edie a few questions, including telling me a time she was embarrassed. “It wasn’t extremely embarrassing, but I still am a little embarrassed by it today.” She felt the need to tell of a story where I, her older sister, was included. The story she told me of was a hilarious experience for the family, but must have been embarrassing for her. It included a simple nursing home a year ago, an old lady, our family, and a situation that may never be lived down.
“We were at Little Granny’s nursing home,” she said, starting her story with where we were, which happened to be our great-grandma’s nursing home. “It was just us and a few other old people in the hallway when we were leaving to go home. One old lady was in a wheel chair, and was slowly wheeling really close to us.” As Edie said this, I remembered how the elderly there were very social, and would always smile or attempt a small conversation in the hallway. “The old lady said ‘hi’ to us one by one, and complimented us.” The old woman had smiled and nodded to each of us, saying my mom is pretty and my dad is handsome.
“She got to me. I was wearing a pink dress and had my hair in a ponytail. She stopped rolling her wheels and stared me down almost. She squinted slightly, then her smile grew and made her dimples deepen and her cheeks rise. She opened her mouth and said a sentence that sent my dad laughing.”
“My, what a handsome little boy you are!”
“Dad smiled and told the old woman ‘thank you’, and we hurried out of the hall. As soon as we reached the entrance room with the front desk, Dad burst out laughing and Mom and Hannah chuckled. I stood there angry, and embarrassed. I reached for my ponytail and ripped it out. The whole ride home, Dad would laugh at random times.”
Later that night, after the interview was finished, I put my binder in my backpack and placed it at it’s spot on the wall by our laundry room. Edie approached me in her pajama pants and top, and asks if I want one last quote for my class. I tell her, “Sure”, and we sit on the couch. I take a piece of printer paper and a pen. I listen and scribble her quote. “Old women aren’t always spot on with genders, but they can create crazy memories.”
Category: Features
