Kristie was always on restriction for something. Sometimes she is allowed to watch TV for an hour or so and then it’s back to her room for the night. Summers were the worst. It was hot and she wanted to go swimming, make friends, hang out. Weekends were tolerable. There were family visitors, maybe her grandma who was the one person she knew loved her.
She is so happy when school starts. She adores school! She loves learning and is in the top reading and math groups. She has a talent for singing and belts out all the songs they are learning on music day: Waltzing Matilda, Bingo, God Bless America, America the Beautiful, John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt.
Her teacher had been named “Teacher of the Year” and they had many enrichment projects including making papier mache masks, and a science project raising silk worms. Her neighbor had a Mulberry tree, so she was in charge of bringing fresh leaves for the little worms. This made her feel special and she began making friends.
Her best friend was Linda Schwimmer. Linda’s family was unusual in the neighborhood. Most women in the suburbs stayed home, but Linda’s mother worked. They were Jewish which was a new and interesting discovery, and they had a black housekeeper they called Miss Peggy. Miss Peggy was the first black person Krisitie had met. Kristie thought she was fabulous!
Miss Peggy made the girls snacks, told funny stories about pink diarrhea, and taught them how to do all the latest dances: the slide, the twist, the jerk, the bump, the skate. She blasted the record player with the 45’s Linda’s mother bought featuring artists like Chuck Berry, Etta James, and Howlin’ Wolf… new sounds for Kristie to explore.
The girls became the closest friends. Linda didn’t care if Kristie was the biggest child in the fifth grade. There was only one boy larger – Leonard. Leonard was kind of like a tough guy. He wore blue jeans, Converse All Stars and a white t-shirt. He combed his hair in a pompadour, rolled his cuffs, and was champion of the tether ball.
One afternoon in the middle of class during a history lesson, Leonard farted really loud. All the kids laughed and he simply said, ‘Excuse me,” in a matter of fact tone. From that moment on, Kristie was in love. She played tether ball with him everyday and he beat her every time. But he was nice about it. He let her get in a few hits before he slammed her out. She daydreamed about kissing him and dancing with him in the Square Dancing Contest.
Leonard was paired with another girl, and Kristie had to dance with Jesse. She hated that kid Jesse. He was a pimply faced weasel who called her “Fatty” and “Big Boobs.” He brought her to tears many times, but she never showed it.
Finally the teacher got wind of Jesse’s repeated bullying. He made Jesse lie face down on two chairs in the front of the classroom. Kristie was then directed to sit on his back and squash him over and over again. She really gave it her all as she brought her 101 pound butt down full force on his little skinny ass. The class had tried to be silent observers, but this was too much. Everyone was enjoying the show and laughing out loud! Jesse’s face turned bright red and he almost peed his pants!
This event did not stop the teasing or improve her social relationships. A couple of years later, she got the reputation for being “fast” when she made out with a friend’s older brother and let him feel her up.
This was the beginning of her sexual awakening and the fight that would plague her for decades. The double standard facing girls and women who are every bit as sexual as their male counter parts, but who are not allowed to express it without the accompanying tag of slut or whore.
(First published 3/23/12)
