Sis was a tyrant in those days and mistress of the manor in the absense of parents. She took her position very seriously and felt it her solemn duty to supervise mercilessly all the activities of her charges.
Clyde, on the other hand, abhorred any type of supervision, especially that of a sister barely two years older. His ability to totally disregard her demands and even to taunt her with marvelous forbidden adjectives won my undying devotion. Short of open rebellion I did everything I could to facilitate my brother's activities.
When especially incensed, Sis would chase him about the house with a broom. Although he usually eluded her easily, on occasion it would become necessary to escape out the door. This was the cue to lock all the doors to prevent the "little brat" from returning. With Brother safely outside, the task of supervising became infinitely easier for her, and more unbearable for me.
Brother, once outside, could think of nothing else but how to get back in. For a time, the ground floor windows provided an excellent means of re-entry, until the tyrant caught on and locked them too. Then it was the basement windows, but with the inside back door locked, entry from the basement was impossible. There was left, then, only one unlockable entrance.
On the second floor, stark and alone against the roofline, a window perched in its dormer and provided a challenge not to be denied.
I had no idea what he intended when he whispered through the basement door the bribe of a quarter if I opened the upstairs window. I thought maybe he'd found a ladder, or made one.
I underestimated his fearlessness and audacity.
Just outside the back door was a Slippery Elm tree. Brother managed to shinny up that easily enough, and from there to the backporch roof.. and so on to the roof of the main house. It was many feet from there to the peak, and many more to the roof of the dormer on the other side. With more ambition than sense, he lowered his body down from the roof of the dormer, hanging by his fingertips in front of the window.
Swinging his legs (they didn't quite reach the sill), he dropped into the room like Superman, flashed me a grin and flew downstairs to taunt Sister.
I was so amazed that I forgot to ask for the quarter.
psychological waves
It sends the heartless running
for the cover of their ego
Humor is a song that lulls a maniac to sanity
It creates echoes in the mind that
allows the notes the freedom of dispersal
Humor is a pillow that cushions all the pain
And allows an open heart the chance to grow
Like the ancient forbidden fruit
its contagion is the blossoming of heroes
Humor is a gentle word that can take a soul
and spin it like a bottle
leg
up
hackberry
