5 x 365

August 1990

"Her toys, once again, are all over MY bed. I am seriously tired of this routine. It seems like no matter how many times I tell her to keep her toys off of my bed, she doesn't listen. I tell her she doesn't need that many stuffed animals on her bed, and she doesn't listen. Whatever. I don't know how she finds room to sleep up there. I swear her whole bed is covered with them......

Hmm.....

It's bedtime now... "

This is my brain working at 10 years old.

Quickly I stacked pillows beneath my blankets on the bottom bunk and I turned out the lights. My sister - who was almost 7 - was coming to bed at any moment. I tossed the irritating stuffed toys back onto her bed and climbed up. Squeezing tight against the wall beneath blankets at the bottom corner of her bed, covered in toys.... I waited.

I heard her enter the room and feel the bed move as she climbed up.

Thinking about her potential reaction I fought back my laughter.

"Goodnight Krissy."

Did she know I was there?

"Are you sleeping? Krissy?". She sighs.

I reached over slowly and tickled her foot.

She bolted up in bed.

"Kristina was that you?! That's not funny! Knock it off!"

She looked over the side of the bed.

"I know you're not sleeping! Stop it." she said as she lay back down.

I wait about 5 minutes more... and then.....
I grabbed her leg.

You should have heard that kid yelp as she literally leaped off the side of her bed and ran out the bedroom door.

Laughing hysterically, I climbed down the side of the bed and got into mine before she came back with my mother.

When they came into the room and turned on the light, I was as calm as could be. As my sister explained what had happened, my mother simply looked at me and said, "Behave." Then she left.

"I know it was you!" said my sister as she climbed back into bed. ".....wasn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've been asleep."

There was silence for about 10 minutes before I began laughing. "Keep your stupid toys on your own bed from now on. Maybe you should get rid of some of them.... you never know what might be hiding in them next time."

"I knew it was YOU! MOOOOM!"

The next day she cleared most of the toys off of her bed.

*****

This is just one instance of many in which I found humor in scaring the hell out of my sister when we were younger. Fortunately she has forgiven me.... mostly. It's been quite some time. I believe the last time.... I was visiting her in Washington a few years ago. We drove past a cemetery which had no fence surrounding it like most do.

I remarked as we were stopped beside it at a light, "OH MY GOD! That cemetery has no fence! How do they keep the ghosts in!?"

I swear she wanted to hit that gas pedal as fast as she could for just a moment.

Then she realized what had just happened - as I started to laugh. She smacked me in the arm, called me a tard, and we went on with our day.



Amazingly enough... she's not permanently damaged...

Love you Sister!