Entry 36

4-21-96

Dear Journal,

            I’m completely sorry that I haven’t written in a month it’s just that I’ve been so busy lately.  I haven’t had much time.  So let me tell you what’s been going on with my life first off.  My Mom, Dad, Grandma, and I are going to St. Augustine, Florida for a vacation during this summer.  We’re going to stay in a beach house for a week.  So anyway I asked my Mom if Louise could come with us and she said sure so I called Louise and asked her and her Mom said maybe.  So I really really hope she can!  Also guess who called me about an hour after church and said me and Christy are bored as I don’t know what and we want to know if we can come over and I was full of excitement so I didn’t even ask my Mom and said yes.  Dan!  He came in my room and we listened to some CDs and then we went outside and Christy sat on the porch and listened to my CD walkman. And me and Dan went in the backyard, (alone) and flied a kite.

 

Entry 37

4-26-96

Dear Journal,

            I can hardly wait to go to St. Augustine…especially if Louise can go.  Also I have been thinking a lot about my cousin Elizabeth, which I am named after.  She died some time before I was born.  So I am really interested in her.  Here are some of the facts I know about her: she was 26 or 27 when she died, she died from an illness, she looked a little like me, she was my Aunt Betty’s daughter, and everyone called her Libby.  I am thinking about doing that, have everyone start calling me Libby.  I don’t know why I guess to just take after her.  I just wish she lived long enough for me to meet her.  Every once and a while I wonder if she is watching over me right then and if she is my guardian angel.

 

Entry 38

4-27-96

Dear Journal,

            My Mom is gone for the weekend, she is coming back tomorrow.  She sure picked a good time to leave because today I started my period.  I mean I was changing clothes and I looked down at my panties and there was blood all over them.  So I asked my Dad if I could call Mom when we got home (she’s only in Savannah).  Then he asked me why…and I really didn’t want to tell him, but I sort of had to.  I told him it’s a woman thing.  And he just asked, “You haven’t started your period have you?”.  So I responded with a yes, and he told me he thought that that was a good enough reason to call her.  I’m not really surprised that I had mine so soon, I guess I was kind of expecting it.  I mean because my Mom had hers at 12, and so did my sister.  So when it comes to these things you usually take after your Mom anyways.  I was really embarrassed to tell my Dad.  I was shocked I mean it was kind of scary.

 

Entry 39

4-28-96

Dear Journal,

            Today my Dad and I didn’t go to church.  I am so relieved my Mom is coming home today.  I had a real hard time this morning because I had to ask my Dad to get me some sanitary supplies (pads).  My sister is getting married to her boyfriend Keith on September 21st and she picked me to be a bridesmaid and I have to wear some type of hunter green dress.  I hate wearing dresses so this is going to be humiliating for me.  Not that I didn’t want to be a bridesmaid, I just don’t want to have to wear a dress.  As far as my period goes; I’ve been bleeding a lot, but it looks like it’s about to slow down and stop.  I don’t think I’m going to school tomorrow I feel awful I mean with my stomach cramps and all.  I am glad I asked my Dad to get me some pads though because they are much more comfortable than toilet paper, which was the only thing we had which I was able to use.

 

Entry 40

4-29-96

Dear Journal,

            Well, I end up not going to school today.  I’m glad to because I had real bad stomach aches, but it really doesn’t hurt in the stomach.  It hurts down in the hips I think the reason it hurts is because I start to bleed every time I start to get that pain.  My Mom called from work, Hollis Hand (she’s a teacher).  She told me she would stop by Chick-fil-a and get me something to eat since we don’t really have anything here.  She also told me she would stop by the store and get some medicine for my cramps.  When she finally came home I was so relieved because that other stuff she was giving me didn’t help a lot, but I’m worried about when I go to school and I start to have cramps real bad, I’m sure if I’ll be able to handle it.  You know, to be able to ignore it and act like nothing is wrong, and allow myself to do my school work at the same time.

 

Entry 41

4-30-96

Dear Journal,

            I can’t wait until tomorrow because at school we are going on a field trip to the Renaissance Festival.  Today while me, Hilary, and Alicia were waiting for our rides to go home from school we were talking about our spring pictures taken at school, which we got back today.  Then Alicia yelled, “Hey Elizabeth,” and I turned around and saw she was holding Hilary’s purse, and continued saying, “Let’s not let Hilary get her purse.”  Then Alicia threw it to me and I dropped it, but picked it back up and the strap was hanging down and started twisting it around so I just let go.  I had my pictures in my other hand and I was standing there holding it, when all of a sudden this black girl came up and took it from me and raised it out of my reach.  I kept telling her to give it back, but she continued to mock me.  Then she went over to these other black girls and they kept switching back and forth between, “Oh, she has your picture,”;” No wait she has it,”.  Then by the time I found it they had already taken it out and I didn’t want anyone to see it so I snatched it away.  Then I went back over to Hilary and Alicia, and I noticed my picture was ripped…finish the rest tomorrow.