My Earliest Memory

I have been tagged by Sheethal Susan Jacob at "Scribblings" to share my earliest memory.  After much thought, the following memory surfaced.

       I went to stay with my babysitter, Dorothy, daily until my mom quit her job when I was in first grade.  When I was about 3 my mom had a hysterectomy and had to be in the hospital for a long time.  Unfortunately at that age, I simply didn’t understand where my mommy was.  My dad was an over the road truck driver all of his life so it wasn’t unusual for him to not be around.  What was unusual was the sudden disappearance of my mommy.  

      Even at such a young age I knew what time my mommy normally came and picked me up.   Right after I watched Bugs Bunny on television, she always came for me.   I would wait watching out the front window until I seen my mommy’s car pull into the driveway, and then race to the door to greet her.   One afternoon, my mommy didn’t come.  I waited and waited, growing more upset the later it got.  Tears streamed down my cheeks.  I wanted her to come get me.  I had always gone home.  I had never spent the night at Dorothy’s house before and I was scared.   All I knew was I didn’t want to stay there anymore.  I wanted my mommy and I wanted to go home.  When supper was ready, Dorothy would coax me away from the window and sadly I would go eat.    Every afternoon from that day on I would wait in front of the window crying for my mommy, and Dorothy would try to comfort me the best she could with plenty of hugs and by keeping me occupied with toys and games.

        Finally my dad came and took me to the hospital to see my mom.  I remember being so happy.  The hospital seemed like such a big place!  Now that I had her back, I didn’t want to leave her there at the hospital.  I wanted to stay with her!  While there, my mom gave me a collection of little plastic cups to play with that she had received every single time the nurse had brought her pain pills.  She had saved them just for me.

        I sat on my mommy’s hospital bed, playing with those little cups, perfectly content to be at her side once again.  When it was time to go I was careful not to hurt her when I hugged and kissed her goodbye.   She promised me she would be home soon and told me to be a good little girl.  I took those little cups back to Dorothy’s house and took care of my dolls and stuffed animals, giving each a single M+M as their medicine.  Somehow I was convinced that if they were all well, mommy would come sooner rather than later and take me home.  One day she did.

Now it is Hema Anavatti’s turn!  Be sure to visit her at "Pixie's Take on Everything" and read all about her earliest memory!

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