When I look back on 5th Grade, today, there were some other things I remember.
One of the things I remember was that I had a teacher who was a WWII vet, and was a Marine. He was a really nice man, and he would talk to us about the war. It got me interested in that time period, also, and so, I would read "The Diary of Anne Frank", we watched the Holocaust, (with Merryl Streep) and I would read many WWII history books. I felt it was important to for me to read them, but, those books and movie gave me night terrors. But, it didn't stop me either. I wanted to know the sufferage so that I would never have to feel so much hate towards others. It was so hard for me to read the books and watch the movie, but I had this desire to want to to learn more. I don't know what happened, but, my desire for reading those things, was replaced with a desire to want to learn about other things too. So, I shifted to reading about the Middle East, and Central Asia.
I was still being bullied at school, but I did have a couple of friends. We quite enjoyed our time together. I was happy that I made friends. I also went to my school in the morning with my cello, and I loved playing. I think it helpepd me relax, and I didn't have a care in the world when I played. It made me feel happy to play.
One day we had a concert. I was so scared, it was my first time performing for the entire school, and there were a couple of days, we were so good, my teacher had us go from schhol to school to play for them, too. It was nerve wracking for me. My mom went to many of them, and everytime she said she could hear me and I was talented. I loved that my mom loved to hear me play the cello. Today it is still my favorite instrument.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Back In Town
The last post I talked about how I went with my mom and sisters to San Diego, California. (Only my most favorite city in U.S.A.)
I had a hard time meeting new friends. There were only two other girls in the ward my age. There was a girl older than me, but I did not care for her that much. It was hard. At school the kids were super rude to me and they took pleaseure to be rude and cruel to people. I came home telling my mom one day that I really wanted to play in the school orchestra. I played the cello. I would have to go every morning, I would have to be there at 8 am. So, that meant I had to leave about 7:30 a.m. My mom and dad got married on December 13th, and I played the cello. I mostly played Mozart for my mom and dad. I played quite well. I loved playing.
My aunt Rinda would come and visit a lot because she lived in Rexburg, Idaho. She would come down quite often and hang out with us when she had breaks. She braided my hair in french braids for my parents wedding. I loved her a lot.
After Christmas time, my difficulties in school increased. There were boys that would bully me after school and pull my hair, throw things at me. It was really hard. My parents were really good at comforting me and they would try their best to consule me. I remember the pains of their cruelty. I wanted to remember because I wanted to make sure that I never treat anyone with such mean-ness. I became friends with some of the girls, after I pulled their hair and told them to stop being rude to me.
Another day in the life of 5th grade!
I had a hard time meeting new friends. There were only two other girls in the ward my age. There was a girl older than me, but I did not care for her that much. It was hard. At school the kids were super rude to me and they took pleaseure to be rude and cruel to people. I came home telling my mom one day that I really wanted to play in the school orchestra. I played the cello. I would have to go every morning, I would have to be there at 8 am. So, that meant I had to leave about 7:30 a.m. My mom and dad got married on December 13th, and I played the cello. I mostly played Mozart for my mom and dad. I played quite well. I loved playing.
My aunt Rinda would come and visit a lot because she lived in Rexburg, Idaho. She would come down quite often and hang out with us when she had breaks. She braided my hair in french braids for my parents wedding. I loved her a lot.
After Christmas time, my difficulties in school increased. There were boys that would bully me after school and pull my hair, throw things at me. It was really hard. My parents were really good at comforting me and they would try their best to consule me. I remember the pains of their cruelty. I wanted to remember because I wanted to make sure that I never treat anyone with such mean-ness. I became friends with some of the girls, after I pulled their hair and told them to stop being rude to me.
Another day in the life of 5th grade!
In Comes The 5th Grade
Well, Fifth Grade came, and I was not really excited. The reason being is that I hated moving. But, my mom and L took me to a house and the home we picked, I loved. I got the room I wanted and everything.
School was hard as the kids were really mean. We walked everyday to school. My older sister, D was going to 7th grade. And I was in 5th. My younger sister, C, was going to 4th.
Lots of kids were really rude and I will have to say, bullies.
In the middle of the night around October, my mom woke us up and we drove to San Diego, California. I never knew what happened, but it made my mom angry enough to drive to San Diego. We were staying in a little Motel right on the cliffs, and I loved it. D did not want anyone around her so she slept in the closet. I did not want to be around C so I ended up sleeping with my mom. I quite liked being in San Diego. It has always been my favorite city. The pool to the motel we were in was quite fascinating to me. In the moring I would watch the tide come in and the waves crashing into the pool. No one was allowed in the pool for this reason. Of course that made me more curious about the pool. I would sit and watch the waves smashing and crashing with big thunder like sounds. I always have loved the ocean. I think if I believed in Greek Mythology, I would be somewhat of Tethys. I love the ocean. I loved hearing the waves and watching the ocean. When the tide went down, my sister, mom and I would play on the beach. Of course, we would leave when the tide started coming in. We would keep the windows opened, just to hear the ocean. I loved it. San Diego is not the same with out going to the all the places we knew and loved. Coronado Island, (Any beach!) Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, one of the finest Zoos in the world.
School was hard as the kids were really mean. We walked everyday to school. My older sister, D was going to 7th grade. And I was in 5th. My younger sister, C, was going to 4th.
Lots of kids were really rude and I will have to say, bullies.
In the middle of the night around October, my mom woke us up and we drove to San Diego, California. I never knew what happened, but it made my mom angry enough to drive to San Diego. We were staying in a little Motel right on the cliffs, and I loved it. D did not want anyone around her so she slept in the closet. I did not want to be around C so I ended up sleeping with my mom. I quite liked being in San Diego. It has always been my favorite city. The pool to the motel we were in was quite fascinating to me. In the moring I would watch the tide come in and the waves crashing into the pool. No one was allowed in the pool for this reason. Of course that made me more curious about the pool. I would sit and watch the waves smashing and crashing with big thunder like sounds. I always have loved the ocean. I think if I believed in Greek Mythology, I would be somewhat of Tethys. I love the ocean. I loved hearing the waves and watching the ocean. When the tide went down, my sister, mom and I would play on the beach. Of course, we would leave when the tide started coming in. We would keep the windows opened, just to hear the ocean. I loved it. San Diego is not the same with out going to the all the places we knew and loved. Coronado Island, (Any beach!) Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, one of the finest Zoos in the world.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
My Mom and The University of South Florida
My mom was a good student. In fact, she had went to S.D.S.U. and was a foreign exchange student in Mexico with us three girls, she was then accepted to UofU, where she had a strange teacher (What does the Bee say, BUuuuzzzzzz Bzzzzzz, as an example)
We went to Hawaii because mom was accepted to BYU Hawaii, a life long dream of hers to go there. (My life long dream to return to Hawaii, my spiritual home place)
Mom then went to BYU Provo, and we then went to USU to go to school. While mom was there my mom and dad were dating. Mom was living with us girls in the little dorms on Campus and Dad was living in dorms on the other side of us, about 5 complexes away. My uncle and his wife (whom I have never ever liked and yes, she is not a good person) Also were going to USU and they lived not too far from us as well.
After Blue had flown away (My sister, D can be thanked for that) I was trying to get my mom to buy me a turtle.
My mom on the other hand, had other plans. Mom wanted to go to University of South Florida in Tampa. And she was accepted. We were packed and moving. I was excited to go to Florida. I wanted to go there.
But dad had other plans. Dad was not dad at the time. He was just L, a Professor in Psychology and had his PhD in Psychology and Philosophy, and looked just like Ricardo Montalban. Of course, a younger version of Ricardo. And so, I called him Ricardo. Which, did not go off too well, but D thought it was funny. Lorenzo was deeply madly in love with mom. I did not like that because it was mom and my sisters and myself ALL these years. How can ONE GUY Swoon in and get my mom and take her away from all my dreams? Mom was captivated though, and a Ricardo Montalban look alike,(I mean, he really looked like Ricardo Montalban) I thought, needed to go down.
Mom was going to University of Southern Florida, and L and mom had this long History and relationship. It was off and on. In my little child eyes, mom could do nothing wrong and L needed to be out of the picture. L was moving back to Provo because he was teaching there in the fall. Mom was going to be accepted to the University of Southern Florida, and so we were moving to Tampa. Until Lorenzo proposed to mom. (This is the man I refer to as dad all these times and all these years. When I started calling him dad will be quite sometime later.)
L proposed and mom accepted. So, instead of Florida, off to Provo we went. (I was annoyed but I was closer to my childhood friend, Heather,and that made me most happy)
So, from Fifth Grade all the way through High School we lived in the same home. And that was our stability.
We went to Hawaii because mom was accepted to BYU Hawaii, a life long dream of hers to go there. (My life long dream to return to Hawaii, my spiritual home place)
Mom then went to BYU Provo, and we then went to USU to go to school. While mom was there my mom and dad were dating. Mom was living with us girls in the little dorms on Campus and Dad was living in dorms on the other side of us, about 5 complexes away. My uncle and his wife (whom I have never ever liked and yes, she is not a good person) Also were going to USU and they lived not too far from us as well.
After Blue had flown away (My sister, D can be thanked for that) I was trying to get my mom to buy me a turtle.
My mom on the other hand, had other plans. Mom wanted to go to University of South Florida in Tampa. And she was accepted. We were packed and moving. I was excited to go to Florida. I wanted to go there.
But dad had other plans. Dad was not dad at the time. He was just L, a Professor in Psychology and had his PhD in Psychology and Philosophy, and looked just like Ricardo Montalban. Of course, a younger version of Ricardo. And so, I called him Ricardo. Which, did not go off too well, but D thought it was funny. Lorenzo was deeply madly in love with mom. I did not like that because it was mom and my sisters and myself ALL these years. How can ONE GUY Swoon in and get my mom and take her away from all my dreams? Mom was captivated though, and a Ricardo Montalban look alike,(I mean, he really looked like Ricardo Montalban) I thought, needed to go down.
Mom was going to University of Southern Florida, and L and mom had this long History and relationship. It was off and on. In my little child eyes, mom could do nothing wrong and L needed to be out of the picture. L was moving back to Provo because he was teaching there in the fall. Mom was going to be accepted to the University of Southern Florida, and so we were moving to Tampa. Until Lorenzo proposed to mom. (This is the man I refer to as dad all these times and all these years. When I started calling him dad will be quite sometime later.)
L proposed and mom accepted. So, instead of Florida, off to Provo we went. (I was annoyed but I was closer to my childhood friend, Heather,and that made me most happy)
So, from Fifth Grade all the way through High School we lived in the same home. And that was our stability.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
How I Obtained Blue
It was not a secret that my mom did not really think that Valentine would become huge. K had two of them also but, Valentine was growing and we are talking she was HUGE. She was fat with the pudgiest cheeks and a perpetual green stain right under her mouth from all the lettuce and celery scraps we would feed her. Well, my mom and dad talked to K mom and dad about allowing Valentine to live there with her Guinea Pig friends. But, something happened and I can't remember why but, Valentine could not live there. It was approaching Christmas time and mom wanted me to find another pet. I was rooting for a Girrafe. But, Santa wrote me a letter before Christmas and said there was a little African boy in Zimbabwe that wasn't getting anything for Christmas and so my Giraffe went to the African boy as an early Christmas gift. So, my dad talked to the Pet Owner that sold me Valentine. He agreed to take Valentine because Valentine was so cute and had such a cute personality. The trade was Valentine and everything she had, her cage, her little gate we made for her to sit in the yard, her leash, her salt lick,her water bottle and a big bag of wood shavings, her "Toys" (she had a wheel to run in, that she was too fat to get in to and would get stuck when she tried climbing in so I had to take it out) and a few things like that. I got in return, a pretty Green Parakeet that was a baby. It had just learned to fly, and the nose was not yet colored. I named it Blue because everytime I said Blue the bird would come to me and responded to me. I got a nice cage, the bird, a book on how to care for it, seeds, a coupld of perches, a ladder, and some bird toys for the bird. Blue was a fun pet, though I missed Valentine and cried terribly when I left the Pet Shop.
I did not want to make Blue feel bad, so I readily loved (him).
Within a month from the time I got him, his feathers were very bright, he'd repsond to me when I came into the room, and heard my voice, he'd try to talk back to me when I spoke to him and he would tilt his head and try to "talk" bad to me, he'd move his mouth and was just so fun. He'd sing and sing if I put his cage on the planter hook in the living room but when I took the cage to my room with me, he would come to my hand, he'd perch on my shoulders, he was really enjoyable. He did escape once, and flew up the concrete wall. My sister climbed up and got him but, she was the one that let him out because she felt sorry for him because she said all the other birds were flying around and he wasn't. Well, I let him fly around my room for exercise and I had opened windows but we had a screen for the window in my bedroom. He'd eventually come back, and let me put him in his cage. I realized he was a male when he got a blue color on his beak. He was a really sweet bird.
I was really upset when one day my sister, again, let him out of his cage, and this time he never came back. I cried and cried. That time was my younger sister, who, really did not do well with Animals in general.
I did not want to make Blue feel bad, so I readily loved (him).
Within a month from the time I got him, his feathers were very bright, he'd repsond to me when I came into the room, and heard my voice, he'd try to talk back to me when I spoke to him and he would tilt his head and try to "talk" bad to me, he'd move his mouth and was just so fun. He'd sing and sing if I put his cage on the planter hook in the living room but when I took the cage to my room with me, he would come to my hand, he'd perch on my shoulders, he was really enjoyable. He did escape once, and flew up the concrete wall. My sister climbed up and got him but, she was the one that let him out because she felt sorry for him because she said all the other birds were flying around and he wasn't. Well, I let him fly around my room for exercise and I had opened windows but we had a screen for the window in my bedroom. He'd eventually come back, and let me put him in his cage. I realized he was a male when he got a blue color on his beak. He was a really sweet bird.
I was really upset when one day my sister, again, let him out of his cage, and this time he never came back. I cried and cried. That time was my younger sister, who, really did not do well with Animals in general.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
The Summer In Alaska?
My mom had always wanted to go to Scotland. She had a close friend she wanted to go with. Months of planning, saving money, testing trekking boots, back packs, and she was ready to go to Scotland. My older sister and I were going to spend the Summer in Alaska, my younger sister with her dad, and I was excited to go up there and spend time with him. But, then something happened, and my mom did not go. I, years later, found out my father did not want me to go up there and visit him for whatever reason. Or, maybe he just wasn't equipped to have us girls up there and spend time with him?
My mom instead went to Summer School and my older sister and I went to Disneyland with my younger sister and her dad. It was a treacherous ride with her and him. He was constantly yelling at my older sister and I and she was constantly finding ways to get me in trouble. (yelled at by her father) It was the last Summer I ever wanted to spend with my younger sister and her father. I decided then and there that I wanted nothing to do with them, both of them.
Disneyland was fun though, and we had a blast. At that time there was an Autopia, cars that went around a track, but the cars were miniature Cadillacs and Chevrolets. I loved that ride. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Ride was always full of people and super long lines. So, we went on other rides. We also went to the pool, and stayed a few days in Las Vegas.
We came home, tired, sun-kissed, smelling of cigarrette smoke, and happy. Mom announced we were moving back to Provo, Utah, which made me happier.
My mom instead went to Summer School and my older sister and I went to Disneyland with my younger sister and her dad. It was a treacherous ride with her and him. He was constantly yelling at my older sister and I and she was constantly finding ways to get me in trouble. (yelled at by her father) It was the last Summer I ever wanted to spend with my younger sister and her father. I decided then and there that I wanted nothing to do with them, both of them.
Disneyland was fun though, and we had a blast. At that time there was an Autopia, cars that went around a track, but the cars were miniature Cadillacs and Chevrolets. I loved that ride. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Ride was always full of people and super long lines. So, we went on other rides. We also went to the pool, and stayed a few days in Las Vegas.
We came home, tired, sun-kissed, smelling of cigarrette smoke, and happy. Mom announced we were moving back to Provo, Utah, which made me happier.
Monday, April 22, 2013
My Friends
This was the year, in fourth grade, I had to learn many things that I never realized happened in life. That was death and friendships. Allow me to go back.
When I was in Logan, Utah we had moved into the Third Floor of a University Housing Complex.
I was the new girl, and I felt a that point I always was the new girl. I had anxiety really bad, I mean I was scared a lot. I internalized how I felt to the world because I didn't understand how I felt. I hated moving. I never wanted to move and it seemed that we moved a lot. I made friends ok, but hten we had to up and move again. This really made me feel like I was out casted and awkward. Maybe that is how all chilren feel. There was some girls in my class that were all friends and one girl who for some reason we just hated each other. She really hated me and because she was so rude to me, I really had a strong disliking to her.
This girl, named Katelyn was just really arrogant. For some reason, we just didn't get along. She alwys tried kicking me in the chair, the list went on and on. One day, I told my mom I disliked her so badly,I wanted to change class rooms. The next Monday when I showed up to class, I was not only sitting right next to her, My Math book was missing. Her English Book was missing from her desk. We accused eachother of stealing each others books. The Teachers solution was that we were to share each others books, and if there were homework that I needed in math or homework she needed to do for English, we had to go to eachothers house and do homework together. The first week consisted of her not allowing me to touch her book. At all. Slowly, and very gradually, she bacame my best friend in forth Grade and within a couple of months we were inseperable. Many times we would laugh so hard we would snort, we would do all kinds of things together. We were best friends. And that friendship carried all the rest of our lives. Sometimes for years I would not hear from her but rest assured, she and I would pick up from where we left off right after.
At the same time school started and I was all moved in there was one girl that attracted my attention.
Her name was LeiAloha H (names in this story has been changed to protect their identity.)
LeiAloha had very thick glasses. She walked very slowly and had a bent back and twisted legs. Her back arched really badly and she was about the size of a 2T and her feet were tiny. About the size of the palms of my hand. LeiAloha had one hand (left) that at times she could not control. From the first day of school I could see her struglling to walk to the play ground. And everyday she would get trampled over and pushed down and no one would stop to help her up. The only thing she would be able to do on the playground without getting trampled is swing. But by the time she got to the swing set, kids would be there to push her down, not let her on and about ten minutes later,s he had to make the trek back to class which was a painstainkingly 20 or more mintures because again, she'd get pushed down, made fun of, not helped, and I could not stand it. I hated it. So, for the second week of the beginning of school I decided I was going to get her a swing. I would to get to the swings and wait my turn and when someone would leave the swing, I would sit on it and swing until LeiAloha would come. Then, I would tell her to come on it and I would give her my swing. The first day I was sad. She refused my swing and just looked down on the ground. Well, I was determined, I was the tallest girl in the class room and the tallest girl in fourth and fifth grades. Of course my sister was the tallest in the school and so I settled for second tallest.But I was more determined to befriend this girl. I didn't want to see someone be mean to her. The next day I insisted that she come to the swing. M,ssoin accomplished. She came to the swing, but she was to short to come on it without help. And so I lifted her on the swing.
I pushed her in silence as she swang.
The next day I decided that only five minutes of play ground time was not enough. So, I said to her that I did not want to watch her everyday have to struglle to get to playground, and I was tired of people being mean to her. So, I told her if she let me, she can climb on my back and I can piggy back ride to the playground, and I will swing her. She was leary at first. But, within a few minutes of getting to the swing for the first time in her life, she loved it. The next day and everyday after that, I would carry her to and from the swings and gradually, I helped her on other things, like the monkey bars. I developed a group of friends that were all really nice girls and it was our "job" I would tell my friends, to protect her. And they and I did. There were times however, she was too sick or would have to go to the hospital that she could not come school. I would really miss her and worry about her. My friends would not think much of it. But I thought about her all the time.
I got fed up with some of the boys pushing her down and once while I went to the bathroom and came back, she was in the middle of a cruel game of tag. She was in the middle of a cirlse of five boıys. they were all pushing her down and when she would try to get up they would take turns pushing her down again. I was boiling mad. I hit two boys and was trying to give a thrid a good old smack down when they ran away and the frist two were crying and had gotten really bad bloody noses. Next thing I knew it I was in the Principals Office. My mom came in the office and said, What Happened? I told her that I punched two boys because they were pushing down LeiAloha. My mom said, Did they hurt you? I said No, she said Did you hit them as hard as you could? I said Yes, I tried to kick them after but they got away. She said Did they cry? I said Yes, they have bloody noses or black eye or something. She said GOOD JOB! I am taking you to get ice cream! Don't let anyone ever bully anyone else. Let's go! And she took me to get Aggies Ice Cream. After School I had a sleep over with LeiAloha and mom got us Pizza. She wanted to celebrate that I beat up some bad mean bullies. Looking back, Way to go, Mom!
One day I was invited to go to her house. Pleasantly we discovered that my apartment complex was across the street from her house! This was awesome for us because we were so close and we did not even know it. I had a Radio Flyer Wagon I loved so much and I would get her, her Barbies and her Barbie things and we would put her things in the Red Flyer, she would sit in the wagon also, and we would walk the few yards to my house. I would pick her up and climb the three floors, put her in my house and then go back down and carry the wagon with everything in it to the apartment. I would take the wagon down and then her when it was time to go home. This happened everytime she would come to my house. Sometimes my mom would help me, but now and again my mom would come home about fifteen minutes after we did. When that happened she would carry the wagon down the steps when it was time for LeiAloha to go home.
I would stay at LeiAloha's house. I loved her. One day, she asked her mom if I could carry her to school in the spring because she had never been able to walk to or from school. My older sister would carry her book bag and mine for me while I carried LeiAloha. She loved walking and so we would get permission to take the Radio Flyer to walk around the neighborhood with her. I would pull her. Every once in a while she was too sick to be pulled. When she did not come to school, I would call her or go by and ask her if everything is ok.
One Day in April she had to move closer to the Hospital, called Primary Children's Hospital. I was invited to see her on my way down to Provo to visit family. I was so excited to do this. I had called her and we talked once a week. I missed her and wanted to see her. I was going to Provo in May, for a holiday for five days and was allowed to call her and meet her and see her for a few minutes on my way to Provo. I called and her mom answered the phone. I asked for LeiAloha. She said, "Is this a joke?" and I said, "No. Where is she?" and her mom started crying. Before I knew it her father came on the phone and started yelling at me and told me to never call there again and he swore at me and said I was a horrible brat and said words I had never heard before and hung up. I cried and cried because I did not understand what was happening. I never knew what happened until I was about 12-13 and I was talking to my dad about it and he helped me realize that LeiAloha died and that her parents reaction to me calling was hurtful and painful for them because they did not know that I did not understand that LeiAloha was terminally ill and only had a few years to live on this earth. What was more was that in fact, my dad knew that LeiAloha had out lived children with her same condition she was born with. I will never ever forget my sweet dearest little friend LeiAloha. Sometimes, when I am sad or when I think of her laid to rest and me not able to say good bye properly, I think of the times I would walk her on my back, and swing her on the play ground, and I know that when she thinks of her life, she remembers that she had me as her friend. I am at peace with it, and I know she is an angel watching me until I leave this realm.
When I was in Logan, Utah we had moved into the Third Floor of a University Housing Complex.
I was the new girl, and I felt a that point I always was the new girl. I had anxiety really bad, I mean I was scared a lot. I internalized how I felt to the world because I didn't understand how I felt. I hated moving. I never wanted to move and it seemed that we moved a lot. I made friends ok, but hten we had to up and move again. This really made me feel like I was out casted and awkward. Maybe that is how all chilren feel. There was some girls in my class that were all friends and one girl who for some reason we just hated each other. She really hated me and because she was so rude to me, I really had a strong disliking to her.
This girl, named Katelyn was just really arrogant. For some reason, we just didn't get along. She alwys tried kicking me in the chair, the list went on and on. One day, I told my mom I disliked her so badly,I wanted to change class rooms. The next Monday when I showed up to class, I was not only sitting right next to her, My Math book was missing. Her English Book was missing from her desk. We accused eachother of stealing each others books. The Teachers solution was that we were to share each others books, and if there were homework that I needed in math or homework she needed to do for English, we had to go to eachothers house and do homework together. The first week consisted of her not allowing me to touch her book. At all. Slowly, and very gradually, she bacame my best friend in forth Grade and within a couple of months we were inseperable. Many times we would laugh so hard we would snort, we would do all kinds of things together. We were best friends. And that friendship carried all the rest of our lives. Sometimes for years I would not hear from her but rest assured, she and I would pick up from where we left off right after.
At the same time school started and I was all moved in there was one girl that attracted my attention.
Her name was LeiAloha H (names in this story has been changed to protect their identity.)
LeiAloha had very thick glasses. She walked very slowly and had a bent back and twisted legs. Her back arched really badly and she was about the size of a 2T and her feet were tiny. About the size of the palms of my hand. LeiAloha had one hand (left) that at times she could not control. From the first day of school I could see her struglling to walk to the play ground. And everyday she would get trampled over and pushed down and no one would stop to help her up. The only thing she would be able to do on the playground without getting trampled is swing. But by the time she got to the swing set, kids would be there to push her down, not let her on and about ten minutes later,s he had to make the trek back to class which was a painstainkingly 20 or more mintures because again, she'd get pushed down, made fun of, not helped, and I could not stand it. I hated it. So, for the second week of the beginning of school I decided I was going to get her a swing. I would to get to the swings and wait my turn and when someone would leave the swing, I would sit on it and swing until LeiAloha would come. Then, I would tell her to come on it and I would give her my swing. The first day I was sad. She refused my swing and just looked down on the ground. Well, I was determined, I was the tallest girl in the class room and the tallest girl in fourth and fifth grades. Of course my sister was the tallest in the school and so I settled for second tallest.But I was more determined to befriend this girl. I didn't want to see someone be mean to her. The next day I insisted that she come to the swing. M,ssoin accomplished. She came to the swing, but she was to short to come on it without help. And so I lifted her on the swing.
I pushed her in silence as she swang.
The next day I decided that only five minutes of play ground time was not enough. So, I said to her that I did not want to watch her everyday have to struglle to get to playground, and I was tired of people being mean to her. So, I told her if she let me, she can climb on my back and I can piggy back ride to the playground, and I will swing her. She was leary at first. But, within a few minutes of getting to the swing for the first time in her life, she loved it. The next day and everyday after that, I would carry her to and from the swings and gradually, I helped her on other things, like the monkey bars. I developed a group of friends that were all really nice girls and it was our "job" I would tell my friends, to protect her. And they and I did. There were times however, she was too sick or would have to go to the hospital that she could not come school. I would really miss her and worry about her. My friends would not think much of it. But I thought about her all the time.
I got fed up with some of the boys pushing her down and once while I went to the bathroom and came back, she was in the middle of a cruel game of tag. She was in the middle of a cirlse of five boıys. they were all pushing her down and when she would try to get up they would take turns pushing her down again. I was boiling mad. I hit two boys and was trying to give a thrid a good old smack down when they ran away and the frist two were crying and had gotten really bad bloody noses. Next thing I knew it I was in the Principals Office. My mom came in the office and said, What Happened? I told her that I punched two boys because they were pushing down LeiAloha. My mom said, Did they hurt you? I said No, she said Did you hit them as hard as you could? I said Yes, I tried to kick them after but they got away. She said Did they cry? I said Yes, they have bloody noses or black eye or something. She said GOOD JOB! I am taking you to get ice cream! Don't let anyone ever bully anyone else. Let's go! And she took me to get Aggies Ice Cream. After School I had a sleep over with LeiAloha and mom got us Pizza. She wanted to celebrate that I beat up some bad mean bullies. Looking back, Way to go, Mom!
One day I was invited to go to her house. Pleasantly we discovered that my apartment complex was across the street from her house! This was awesome for us because we were so close and we did not even know it. I had a Radio Flyer Wagon I loved so much and I would get her, her Barbies and her Barbie things and we would put her things in the Red Flyer, she would sit in the wagon also, and we would walk the few yards to my house. I would pick her up and climb the three floors, put her in my house and then go back down and carry the wagon with everything in it to the apartment. I would take the wagon down and then her when it was time to go home. This happened everytime she would come to my house. Sometimes my mom would help me, but now and again my mom would come home about fifteen minutes after we did. When that happened she would carry the wagon down the steps when it was time for LeiAloha to go home.
I would stay at LeiAloha's house. I loved her. One day, she asked her mom if I could carry her to school in the spring because she had never been able to walk to or from school. My older sister would carry her book bag and mine for me while I carried LeiAloha. She loved walking and so we would get permission to take the Radio Flyer to walk around the neighborhood with her. I would pull her. Every once in a while she was too sick to be pulled. When she did not come to school, I would call her or go by and ask her if everything is ok.
One Day in April she had to move closer to the Hospital, called Primary Children's Hospital. I was invited to see her on my way down to Provo to visit family. I was so excited to do this. I had called her and we talked once a week. I missed her and wanted to see her. I was going to Provo in May, for a holiday for five days and was allowed to call her and meet her and see her for a few minutes on my way to Provo. I called and her mom answered the phone. I asked for LeiAloha. She said, "Is this a joke?" and I said, "No. Where is she?" and her mom started crying. Before I knew it her father came on the phone and started yelling at me and told me to never call there again and he swore at me and said I was a horrible brat and said words I had never heard before and hung up. I cried and cried because I did not understand what was happening. I never knew what happened until I was about 12-13 and I was talking to my dad about it and he helped me realize that LeiAloha died and that her parents reaction to me calling was hurtful and painful for them because they did not know that I did not understand that LeiAloha was terminally ill and only had a few years to live on this earth. What was more was that in fact, my dad knew that LeiAloha had out lived children with her same condition she was born with. I will never ever forget my sweet dearest little friend LeiAloha. Sometimes, when I am sad or when I think of her laid to rest and me not able to say good bye properly, I think of the times I would walk her on my back, and swing her on the play ground, and I know that when she thinks of her life, she remembers that she had me as her friend. I am at peace with it, and I know she is an angel watching me until I leave this realm.
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