Escape on the escape

One day I went for a walk with  three of my younger siblings.  We had a very old school in town where we liked to go peek in the windows. It had one of those open ended iron fire escapes that went up to the third floor. Of course the two boys headed  for it immediately, I yelled do NOT go all the way to the top.  It was almost out of my mouth when the younger of the two was , you guessed it, all the way at the top. I ran up and as I was getting to the second flight I saw him trip and begin rolling down the stairs right toward the open gap at the end of the landing. He was facing a two story plunge down to the pavement if I wasn't fast enough. I felt my heart leap into my throat and somehow I got in between him and that drop off. I scooped him up shaking and crying. I am still not sure which of us was the most shaken up. He had a very large red lump on his head but he was alive.  It was time to go home, I knew he wasn't up to much walking so we flagged down the next passing car ( do not try this today) which luckily was a very nice old couple. They drove us all home safely but on the way they totally offended my wounded brother by saying what a cute little girl he was. He bristled and told them in no uncertain terms, "I am not a girl!" He was a very cute little guy.

Running away

One of my younger brothers was notorious for wandering off, back then we had a lot more freedom but he took that to a whole new level. I am surprised my Mom didn't hide his tricycle. That little red tricycle seemed to be featured in the majority of his disappearances. The first time (that I remember) he would have been four and he kept asking me to take him to the local ice cream parlor, Fletchers. Ice Cream had just gone up to a whopping ten cents a cone so we didn't have it as often as we used to. I had to wait to ask permission and Mom was busy getting the current baby to nap. About an hour later I realized I hadn't seen him around and the tricycle was no where to be seen either. I looked all over but no brother in sight. I should have put two and two together and known where he went but I was only around 8 myself so logic was still developing. I was explaining to my Mom that he had been begging for ice cream and she knew exactly  where he was headed. I grabbed my sister and we went to find him, sure enough we walked the mile to Fletchers and there he sat with chocolate ice cream all over his adorable but bratty face. I scolded him as I knew I was supposed to but my heart just  wasn't in it.

Responsible 2 year old.

     I got glasses when I was much too young , I had no clue as to their value. I remember when I was around 2 years old playing outside with my big sister. I saw a truck with the perfect size "cupboard" for my glasses, I delightedly put them in and went off oblivious to the fact that my wonderful cupboard was a gas tank. When my Mother asked me later where they were I ran outside to show her and the truck of course was gone. Much to my Mother's dismay so were my lovely horn rimmed pink glasses. ( I chose them myself).