Flecks of Varied Colors

My Earliest Memories

MARCH 22, 2021 PROMPT
Write about your earliest memory. Try to describe it in as much detail as possible.

My Earliest Memories

         While "My Fondest Memoir"  might be a bit misleading, my earliest memories are more like scattered puzzle pieces than a grand narrative.
There's the one where I was five, inexplicably locked in my grandmother's room. Another is a chaotic jumble of splintering wood and flailing limbs - the time a friend's enthusiastic jumping on a wooden bridge sent my sister and me tumbling into the creek below.

Then there's the fishing trip that turned into a swimming excursion, with nary a fish to show for it. These snippets, both funny and frustrating, paint a picture of a lively, sometimes chaotic childhood.

One memory, however, leaves a bitter aftertaste. My sister and I, fueled by sibling rivalry, clashed over a candy bar. Her shove sent me crashing into an iron bar, leaving a stinging wound on my head. The ensuing scene is seared into my memory: my father's rage, the frantic fear in my sister's eyes as she vanished into the distance, the sound of that wooden stick against flesh. My initial pain was eclipsed by the guilt that gnawed at me as I witnessed the punishment.

Perhaps the most prominent scar on my body tells a different story. This one, a jagged line just above my lip, appears in every photo. I was nine, my sister ten, on an errand for New Year's Eve bread. On our way home, a mischievous glint in her eye, she started throwing asphalt grease at me. In my attempt to escape, I ran headlong into a hidden barbed wire fence. The pain, thankfully delayed by shock, came in waves as we reached the riverbank. Here, the roles reversed. My sister, face etched with terror, helped me wash the blood and tend to the wound. It was then, with the sting of the injury setting in, that the tears flowed freely.

Quick thinking, fearing punishment, my sister transformed into a dutiful daughter. She started gathering firewood, hoping to divert attention from the real reason for our late arrival. It worked. The sight of the wound rendered the firewood moot, but her attempt at damage control spoke volumes about our childhood dynamic.

These are just a few fragments from my childhood, a time capsule of laughter, mishaps, squabbles, and fierce love - a testament to the messy beauty of growing up with a sibling.

         Thank you for the time reading this. Cheers!