Several days after we arrived home from the hospital, my dad called me out to our garage.
Well I guess it wouldn't hurt if I told you about our first days here. Just don't ask too many questions (Scary Voice) "Or We'll Have To Kill You!" :0
Just kidding! :]
Our garage is a two car type with a hipped roof. It was large enough to fit four cars or maybe even a motor coach inside! It was huge. The upstairs was finished with a beautiful wood floor. It has two big bow windows in the front and a small porch in the back. Along the walls you can see where the previous owners had hung huge mirrors and a long wooden bar for ballet. The previous owners where dance instructors and ran a studio from home. And it was wired for stereo!
When I saw it, "My New Bedroom!" I thought, at least until dad put his foot down.
"I didn't have a child so she could live in a barn like a cow!" he said half to himself as he returned to supervise the government agents pretending to be movers.
"Was his memory returning?" Who said that? Oh yes that guy in my head again. "I'm telling a story, so please shut up!"
Anyway:
My mom took me by the hand and led me inside saying, "Honey wait till you see your new room!" "We have a whole bunch of new furniture just for you!"
She was so excited. I guess for good reasons, she never had a little girl to spoil before.
It was a teenager's worse nightmare! "Well almost a teenager", anyway; the room was pink, the curtains where white, and the rug was red with pink ponies! My new canopied bed has shear white vales with curtains that match the rug. The wall paper even matches the rug! I have my own bathroom with a huge tub! And it matches that stupid rug too!
My closets where huge (compared to me) and all my new shoes have their own little cubby hole on a wall that swings out! I could fit like a hundred shoes in that thing!
Well I like ponies, and the agents somehow knew. Maybe all the "My Little Pony" stuff my mom had dressed me in was a clue?
Anyway, on my new wall was a shelving unit with at least a hundred little ponies! It was hard, the shoe rack or the ponies, the "Shoe" rack?
The Ponies, finally won and I was just about jumping up and down as I surveyed my vast herd! Ok, so I was jumping up and down.so sue me! I like ponies.and shoes. It almost makes up for the rug.
Our house has five bedrooms and three bathrooms. I explored every one! I explored the attic with all its cobwebs like a trooper. However the cellar was too creepy to explore alone. I got my mom and we poked in every corner. And she even screamed when an old basket fell on the floor! So I didn't feel quite so chicken anymore.
I was running in high gear, I was everywhere; I poked my nose in every box, closet, and drawer! I fell asleep somewhere in all the exploring and woke up in the middle of the night, in my PJ's, in my bed surrounded by stuffed animals. I told you I was the center of attention from the agent's. I really have to write a thank you card for all the really cool stuff. And maybe I did like the carpet, just a little.
I fell back to sleep happy.
And that was my first day! Ta da!
Well back to my story;
Dad called me out to the garage. We walked up the stairs to the little porch.
Inside my dad had replaced the mirrors and the bar! But one of the panes was missing and in its place was an assortment of weapons used in the martial arts. My dad had made a dojo?
"Pumpkin, you were lucky to hold off those creeps the way you did." He was on his knee at eye level with me. "You need to learn how to fight." "Now I know you did pretty well against three jerks, but you can't just punch hard enough to stop your opponent." "You need to learn how to be fast!"
I was getting a little miffed when that guy said to me, "He's right, you only have 80 pounds to throw into a punch, listen to him." Ok, I'd go against my feelings and listen. I hate it when "he's" right!
We spent an hour warming up and going through a kata. "I remember this" I thought as my body easily made the right moves, like I had done them a million time before? "You have", that voice said to me.
"Great, you remember even better than me!" my dad gushed!
Why do grownups act like whenever you do something right, it's something to put in your baby book?
Well I like it, even if I won't admit it.
"Ok sweetheart, now instead of pushing your punch through, I want you to punch like the target is made of white hot metal." "I want you to punch and pull back!" "Real fast, that's my girl!" "Now we are going to change our kata a little bit." "I want you to yell fire every time you strike." "No don't kai, yell fire."
It wasn't hard to change my kata. It came as easy as breathing. Then I realized that the guy in my head was helping me! He knew what my daddy was teaching me! He knew and I didn't! Maybe.he wasn't so bad. Maybe. it was a good thing to have a marine in my head. I decided then, "even if I didn't want to, I would let him talk.sometimes."
"Now Jamie, we are going to change a little bit more." I knew what was coming. "Step inside go around the side low, Jump and kick the back of the knee!" "Yell fire!" "Follow through, jab the back of the head!" "Land go low move to the next part of the old kata!"
He was training me to fight dirty! He was teaching me to avoid the enemy's strikes! To draw attention to myself! Don't block! Avoid! Don't confront his attack, move with it! Strike The Weak Spot! Avoid and Do it Again! Dance one stance to the next! Dance! It was a Dance! I was dancing with my dad!
I had two proud dads that day! One hugging me! One in my head cheering!
I couldn't wait to show Amy and Ginny! Maybe dad would teach them too?
Did I mention that my daddy is like "A real James Bond!" well he is!
Next time: How I became the most popular girl in school!
You know, when you're a kid it's hard to let someone else tell you what to do. I know they know more than me. It's just that.why do you rub it in? Just tell me.I'm not stupid. Young doesn't mean stupid! I'm just a little bit different. So give me a break..K? P.S. I'm not tiny.Dad's tall!
K Night <3 :) xoxo!