MY BONNIE

    MY BONNIE


I find it difficult to understand how a young child could have such an intense emotional reaction.  I guess I just don't fully understand the emotionality of children; maybe no adult can.

I picture the little boy, in his footed one piece pajamas, white, covered in little blue boats.  He's looking out the front window at the snow covered yard, wondering when he can go for a ride in the Pakard parked on the street.  The old house was built about 1850, and the little boy lived there from the time he was one year old until he was 11.  At three, which he then was, this house and this yard were his whole world.  How could he understand love, and loss?

His Momma was working in the kitchen and his Daddy was still at work.  The boy took a deep breath and went to the record player.  He took his record from the shelf under the player.  The record player played 45, 78 and 33 1/3 RPM records. His was a 45 so he had to put the adapter, which fits in the larger hole of the 45 over the spindle of the player.  Carefully finding the track of his favorite song, he adjusted the volume:

    "My Bonnie lies over the ocean.
      My Bonnie lies over the sea.
      My Bonnie lies over the ocean.
      Bring back my Bonnie to me.
      ........

When he first heard the song he thought it was saying, "body" rather than Bonnie.  After listening to it many times over, he began to understand. Understand that it was about a little girl who had gone away.  He listens to his song, over and over every day.  There is a small closet next to the table where the record player sits.  The three year old boy goes into the closet, sits on the floor, and listens to his song over and over, and cries.