The Stories
in no particular order.
OK Chazel
thanks for wanting these and here goes nothing.
Well it is
Michael’s birthday and I am missing him, and thinking of him, so here is a
Michael’s story for you. Spike (yes he was my first Spike) and somehow lately
they have Royalized him in the family and talk about Michael. But Spike. Spike was
short and little for his age. He loved sports and so did whichever he could at
the time. He also always thought if Robert had done this or that, he had to too
and had to do it at least as well, if not better. Yip the little brother
syndrome.
Well he used to run long distance and always
came third. It drove him crazy. I mean no matter how much he tried, he came
third, as the other boys just had longer legs and well, he couldn’t make his
grow faster. So….. one of the school masters (read teachers) said to him try
something where you compete on a more level field. He then suggested boxing. At
least in boxing you don’t fight by age group, but by fighting weight groups. Well
he dutifully took up boxing and was pretty good at it as far as I remember. I
was a bit too little and frankly I never really cared that much about who won
what and how often. My mother, who couldn’t stand the sight of blood and
probably the thought of some kid punching her baby, would sit at each match
facing the back. I as the baby sister, who thought he hung the moon, was a
horrible little thing who didn’t mind blood that much and would stand on the
chair yelling “Kill him spike” Yeah, I am not a very nice person, sorry to say.
Anyway, back to poor Spike being little and
at an all boys school. Well as was the custom in those days (and these too
unfortunately) kids would pick on him and harass him. He quickly learned, that
when he punched, if he put his middle finger out a bit, it hurt more. Obviously,
they didn’t do that in boxing and had gloves, but this was the real world and
survival. That my dear children is how he became known as Spike.
Fast forward
a few years and we were living in the place we all nicknamed the “Game Reserve”
as all the apartment blocks were named for game animals. We lived in
Widerbeeshof or Winderbees court if you prefer which was a block of apartments
in a row. 8 of them, 2 story duplex apartments. We lived in #8. Michael had a
friend who lived in about #4 or 5 I forget exactly. On this day his friend was
really angry and was pitching a fit and stomping and such around their pint
sized garden. It really was tiny, it had about 2 feet of grass on one side of
the walkway and then the windy dryer or clothes line that looked like a square
naked umbrella on the other side. That was the yard. Anyway, my sister was
walking past, and greeted him and he cussed at her big time. Spike who was
following her down the road heard it and jumped the fence to confront his
friend. The friend would not apologize and so a fist fight ensued, and the friend’s
sister came out to intervene. She grabbed Spike and held him, so her brother
started pounding him. Well she then let him go as that wasn’t fair and Spike
punched him a good one and gave him a bloody nose. He then hopped the fence,
walked around the block of apartments and knocked on the other door. When the
mom opened the door, he apologized for punching her son and explained that he
only did it as he had cussed at my sister and wouldn’t apologize. Then off he
went to clean himself up. Michael always looked out for us girls and actually
most girls.
My brothers
didn’t often fight, but usually it was if a girl had been treated wrongly.
My dad had
left a party once, as someone was cussing
in front of my mother. I guess it just stayed with him. I know it did for me
and people often say it’s only words, or it’s not that bad. It’s normal
nowadays. All of those might be true for them but for me ladies and gentlemen
don’t use bad language period.
I
think it drives my kids crazy but hey Crazy is a good place to be.
Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and
cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Jas 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place
sweet water and bitter?
Would you
want your baby girl to say those things?
If not don’t say them
