THE OTHER SISTER

YOU KNOW, WHILE WRITING THIS BLOG, I HAVE MENTIONED THAT WE HAD JESSICA, BUT I HAVEN'T WRITTEN MUCH ABOUT HER. I KNOW THAT I STARTED OUT WITH A BLOG ABOUT BOBBIE JO, BUT WITHOUT JESSICA, BOBBIE JO'S LIFE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS FULL AND CHALLENGING. SO, FOR THE MOMENT, LET ME WRITE ABOUT "THE OTHER SISTER". JESSICA WAS BORN FIRST, AND SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF A BABY, SHE WAS PROBABLY IN GREAT PERIL! THE FIRST DAY IN THE HOSPITAL, I HAD ROOMING IN WITH HER, MEANING THAT SHE WAS NOT IN THE NURSERY, AND I HAD FULL CARE OF HER. I WAS NURSING HER, SO THE FEEDING WAS NOT A PROBLEM, AND I COULD CERTAINLY CHANGE A DIAPER! BUT SHE DIDN'T CRY MUCH. THE OTHER BABY IN THE ROOM CRIED ALL THE TIME, AND I BEGAN TO WORRY. NO ONE HAD TOLD ME THAT I COULD HAVE GOTTEN LUCKY AND HAD A "GOOD" BABY WHO WAS CONTENT ALL THE TIME. SHE SLEPT AND ONLY AWOKE TO BE FED, OR WHEN SHE WAS WET. I BEGAN TO WATCH HER. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY BABY? SHE SLEPT ALL THE TIME! ( I PROBABLY HAD MILK LIKE A COW AND SHE WAS PROBABLY FULL ALL THE TIME). THE NEXT DAY, I WRAPPED HER UP AND TOOK HER TO THE NURSES STATION. NOW, WE HAD TWO NURSES IN OUR WARD, BOTH OF THE ARMY NURSES. ONE WAS JUST OUT OF SCHOOL AND THE OTHER WAS TOUGHER THAN A TEN CENT STEAK. I THINK SHE WAS JUST TIRED OF NURSING- SHE HAD HER STEEL GREY HAIR SCRAPED BACK IN A BUN, HER UNIFORM WAS STARCHED AND YOU COULD HAVE SLICED BREAD ON THOSE CREASES IN HER BLOUSE. SHE WORE ARMY SHOES AND THEY CLICKED ON THE WOODEN FLOORS WHEN SHE WALKED. SHE NEVER SMILED, AND I WAS SCARED OF HER! THE NEW NURSE ALWAYS SMILED AND REMINDED ME OF GLENDA THE GOOD WITCH. SHE WAS COMPASSIONATE AND SWEET, AND I ALWAYS HOPED SHE WOULD BE THE ONE TO COME IN AND CHECK ON US. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO CHECK MY STICHES, SHE WOULD ALWAYS SAY, "SEPARATE YOUR KNEES PLEASE". THE OTHER OLD BATTLE-AX WOULD COME IN AND SAY, "SPREAD 'EM HONEY!" AGAIN, I WAS SCARED OF HER. ANYWAY, WHEN I WAS WORRIED ABOUT JESSICA NOT CRYING, I TOOK HER TO THE NURSES STATION. UNFORTUNATLY, THE OLD BATTLE-AX WAS THERE. "WHADDYWANT?" SHE SAID, WITHOUT ACTUALLY MOVING HER LIPS. "UH, WELL, MY BABY ISN'T CRYING MUCH. I AM KIND OF WORRIED ABOUT HER" I STAMMERED. THAT OLD GROUCH GOT UP, CAME OVER AND TOOK JESSICA IN HER ARMS. "YA WANT A CRYING BABY DO YA? WELL, OKAY!" AND SHE SMACKED JESSICA HARD RIGHT ON HER LITTLE BOTTOM! THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER WAS SOMEONE PRYING MY HANDS FROM THAT JIMENY CRICKET'S THROAT. SHE HIT MY BABY! I HAD HER UP AGAINST THE GLASS WINDOW, AND WAS GOING BACK FOR A SECOND ROUND, WHEN I FOUND I COULDN'T MOVE. AN ORDERLY HAD ME SECURELY, AND WAS TELLING GROUCHY THAT SHE BETTER MOVE, BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO LET ME GO. THE WHOLE TIME I WAS SCREECHING BECAUSE SHE HAD HIT MY BABY. OH YES, JESSICA WAS CRYING. THE OTHER NURSE TOLD ME WHEN GROUCHY HIT JESSICA, THAT I CALMLY HANDED MY BABY TO HER, AND THEN JUST JUMPED ON THE MEAN ONE. I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT I COULD HAVE GONE TO JAIL FOR CHOKING GROUCHY, OR, THAT SHE COULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH CHILD ABUSE. I DIDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING- JUST TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS. BUT, NOTHING HAPPENED, WE DIDN'T SEE THE GROUCHY NURSE AFTER THAT, AND THAT EVENING, JESSICA AND I WENT HOME. I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE TRIP HOME TO HOUSTON AND THE TOOL BOX INCIDENT. AFTER WE GOT TO HOUSTON, LOLA ( MARTIN'S STEP MOM)FELL IN LOVE WITH JESSICA. SHE WAS SO GOOD TO HER. SHE USED TO CARRY HER AROUND IN A WOODEN APPLE BOX, BECAUSE WE HAD NO STROLLER. LOLA DID EVERYTHING FOR JESSICA, AND IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO GET A MOMENT IN WITH HER. THEN, WHEN WE LEFT FOR OKINAWA, LOLA ASKED ME TO LET JESSICA STAY WITH HER WHILE I LIVED OVERSEAS. OF COURSE I COULD NOT DO THAT, BUT I FELT SO BAD FOR LOLA, AS SHE HAD NEVER HAD CHILDREN OF HER OWN AND SHE LOVED JESSICA SO MUCH. IT WAS HARD TO SAY GOODBYE AS LOLA SOBBED, BUT I HOPED SHE WOULD BE ALRIGHT AS WE BOARDED THE PLANE. JESSICA WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AS A BABY. SHE WAS OUR WHOLE WORLD. EVERYTHING REVOLVED AROUND OUR DAUGHTER, EVERYTHING. ONE DAY, AS WE WERE GETTING FRISKY, I HEARD A LITTLE SOUND COMING FROM JESSICA'S CRIB. I LOOKED OVER, AND SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, "DADA". HER FIRST WORD! BUT ALL I COULD THINK WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND MORE PRIVACY! SHE WAS VERY PRECOCIOUS, AND I HAD TO WATCH HER ALL THE TIME. ONCE, WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT ELEVEN MONTHS OLD, I SAT HER IN THE DOORWAY OF THE FRONT DOOR. SHE WAS SAFE, AS THE STAIRS HAD A GATE AND SHE COULD NOT GET DOWN THEM. THE RAILING OF THE UPPER PORCH WAS MADE OF CINDERBLOCKS, AND THEY WERE ABOUT 8 INCHES WIDE. I LOOKED UP TO CHECK ON HER AND REALIZED SHE WAS OUT ON THE PORCH. NOT WORRIED YET, I WENT OUT TO SEE WHAT SHE WAS DOING. TO MY HORROR, THERE SHE WAS, SITTING ON THE TOP OF THE RAILING ASTRADDLE LIKE RIDING A PONY! WE WERE TWO STORIES UP, AND THERE WAS A ROAD DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH HER. I DIDN'T WANT TO SCARE HER, SO I QUIETLY CREPT OUT THE DOOR, (IT SEEMED LIKE IT TOOK AN HOUR) HUMMING QUIETLY SO SHE WOULD LOOK AT ME. WHEN SHE SAW ME, SHE THREW HER LITTLE ARMS UP AND SQUEALED, "MAMA"! I DIVED FOR HER AND SHE FELL INTO MY ARMS. I REALIZED THAT I WAS SHAKING AND I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS AN INCIDENT THAT WOULD BE BEST KEPT FROM MARTIN! WHEN WE FIRST BEGAN TO GO TO CHURCH, I WOULD DRESS HER UP IN RUFFLES AND LACE. LACEY SOCKS, PETTICOAT, DRESS AND BONNET. SHE WAS DARLING. ONE SUNDAY, I LOOKED AROUND AND DIDN'T SEE HER, SO I ASSUMED THAT MARTIN HAD HER. HE DIDN'T. I WASN'T TOO WORRIED, AFTER ALL WE WERE AT CHURCH. THEN, I HEARD SOMEONE SAY, "GET SISTER SEE, SHE HAS TO SEE THIS!" I RAN TO SEE WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND THERE WAS MY SWEET, FLUFFY LITTLE WONDER, SITTING IN A MUD PUDDLE IN THE DRIVEWAY OF THE CHURCH! SHE WAS BLACK WITH MUD AND SOAKING WET. I COULDN'T BE ANGRY, SHE WAS HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME! AS SHE GOT OLDER, SHE WAS ALWAYS MORE MATURE THAN I THOUGHT SHE SHOULD BE. SHE LEARNED TO TALK VERY EARLY, AND WHEN MARTIN'S MOM CAME TO VISIT US IN EL PASO, JESSICA JUST BABBLED ON AND ON ABOUT EVERYTHING SHE DID OR SAW. MARTIN'S MOM REMARKED ABOUT HOW CLEAR JESSICA'S SPEECH WAS FOR A TWO YEAR OLD, AND "ISN'T SHE SMART?" WELL, WE HAD TO BUNK HIS MOM IN WITH JESSICA IN HER LITTLE BED BECAUSE THE HOUSE WAS SO SMALL. DEEP IN THE NIGHT, I AWOKE FOR SOME REASON, AND THEN I HEARD IT. A TINY LITTLE PIPING VOICE SAYING, "SCOOT YOUR @@@@@ OVER GRANNY!" I SWEAR, SHE DIDN'T LEARN THAT FROM ME! GRANNY STARTED HOWLING WITH LAUGHTER, AND TOLD ME THAT JESSICA WAS HER GRANDCHILD ALRIGHT! WHEN WE WENT TO SEE SANTA THAT YEAR, JESSICA WAITING IN LINE, AND THEN WENT RIGHT UP TO SANTA AND SAT ON HIS LAP. HE ASKED HER WHAT SHE WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS, AND WASN'T SHE A PRETTY LITTLE GIRL? SHE SWIVELED AROUND, LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, LOUD AND CLEAR, "MAMA, SANTA STINKS! I WANT DOWN!" (NOT SO PRETTY NOW, IS SHE SANTA?') JUST ABOUT THE TIME I WAS DUE TO DELIVER BOBBIE JO, WE WERE IN A CROWDED MALL. MARTIN TOLD ME HE WAS GOING IN SEARS FOR SOMETHING AND I TOLD HIM JESSICA AND I WOULD GET SOME ICE CREAM AND WAIT FOR HIM. I WENT TO GRAB HER HAND, AND SHE WAS GONE! THAT QUICKLY, JUST GONE. INSTANT PANIC- I BEGAN TO CALL HER NAME. LOUDER AND LOUDER, BUT NO JESSICA. A SECURITY GUARD ASKED ME WHAT WAS WRONG, AND I BEGAN TO SCREAM, "MY BABY! MY BABY!" (SHE WAS ALMOST 3 YEARS OLD THOUGH). HE GRABBED HIS MIKE AND SAID, "SEND AN AMBULANCE-WE HAVE A WOMAN IN LABOR". "NO, NO, NO," I CRIED, "MY BABY IS MISSING!" HE GAVE ME A DUBIOUS LOOK AT MY STOMACH, AND I SAID, "NO, YOU IDIOT! THE OTHER BABY!" I GAVE A DESCRIPTION OF JESSICA, AND SHE WAS SOON FOUND, IN THE PET STORE LOOKING AT THE PUPPIES. IT SEEMS THAT SHE JUST FOLLOWED RIGHT BEHIND MARTIN WHEN HE LEFT. I GUESS THE PUPPIES WERE TOO GOOD TO PASS UP, AND GOOD THING TOO, AS THEY WERE VERY NEAR WHERE SHE HAD LEFT ME. SHE WAS SO HELPFUL WHEN BOBBIE JO CAME, AND I THINK I DEPENDED TOO MUCH ON A LITTLE THREE YEAR OLD. LIKE I SAID, SHE CAME FIRST AND HAD TO BE TOUGH, BECAUSE I LEARNED TO BE A MAMA ON HER. SHE IS STILL TOUGH, ALWAYS HAS BEEN, BUT THAT IS JUST JESSICA. I AM SO PROUD OF HER AND ALL SHE HAS ACCOMPLISHED-LOVE, NANASEE