During the summer between my Kindergarten year and First Grade, my mother moved my sister and me to a rural town called Half Moon Bay, an isolated hamlet which hugged the Pacific Coast and a bay the shape of a crescent moon. We were moving in with my step-father Ray, a man my Mom planned on marrying. He had found us a cottage near the beach, and rent was only $60 per month.
It was a house that is difficult to forget, as each room was painted a bright vivid jewel tone. Living there was like living inside of a Kaleidoscope, and I would roam from a purple room to an orange one, through a yellow one and into the green. It was the 60’s and the house only matched the hues of an era, where love and peace had taken on new meaning. But the coast side seemed far from the revolution that was happening in San Francisco only 30 miles away. Remote, inaccessible and secluded, the town felt more like an island, with a low moaning fog horn as our only reminder that we were a part of the world.
That summer I only had cypress trees and the succulent plants which lined the bluffs to keep me company. For the most part, my sister and I stayed indoors and played records; she was determined to teach me all of the latest dances before I started “real school.” I remember long afternoons where I struggled to learn The Twist, or The Jerk, watching my sister’s white go-go boots teach me the tempo. But that summer isn’t a joyful memory for me; I remember feeling scared. The world outside of those fluorescent walls seemed ominous to me. I was certain there would be death or dismemberment if I explored the town too thoroughly. The farmers in their tractors, the fields of artichokes and Brussels sprouts, the hermit crabs in the tide pools all intrigued me. But I felt frozen with fear. I dreamed of the suburban street where we had just moved from, where lawns were all identical and there was a sense of order in a neighborhood. But Half Moon Bay felt more like chaos to me; I saw ghosts everywhere, from the haunted trees to the rusty boats in the harbor.
That summer seemed endless, the way that summers do when you’re very young. I was painfully lonely, and I began to look forward to the first day of school with excited anticipation. I wanted to make friends. While I enjoyed spending time with my sister, we were too far apart in age to be fit companions, and I needed someone who spoke my language. I chose a very proper dress for my first day, a red knit dress my grandmother had made which sported a big yellow school bell over the heart. I felt very grown up as I walked into a brand new school that morning. But my excitement turned into anxiety almost immediately.
I saw a huge girl in the corner. She was at least twice the size of any of us, maybe even more. She looked out of place, and it took me some time to realize that she was both retarded and older than the rest of us, even though she was in our class. She was pleasant enough in an awkward way, and I found her to be more of an oddity than anything else. But the other children teased her, calling her “Pickle Nose,” and taunting and bullying her. I thought it was horrible what they were doing to her, and it filled me with profound grief.
I was too afraid to try and befriend her. Not that I wanted to pal about with the big girl, I only wanted to say something nice, to soothe her somehow. She was often in the corner crying, but I didn’t dare approach her to pat her comfortingly on the arm. I couldn’t go against the crowd. It was a pack mentality, and I didn’t want them to know I didn’t agree with them.
It was then that I noticed a girl named Linda. Linda wasn’t afraid to go against the crowd at all; she walked right up to Pickle Nose and asked her to be her friend. I was startled by her bravery, and her maturity. I wished I could be so brave. But I knew the consequences of taking such a stand.
Within a matter of days, the children had turned on Linda for befriending the big retarded girl. And now it was this brave girl named Linda who was being called Pickle Nose. In fact, they hardly bothered the original Pickle Nose anymore. They’d found a new victim. And they were relentless in trying to make every day a living hell for her.
I admired Linda for the way she seemed to brush it off. Where I would have been terrified, she just went about her day as if the taunting children didn’t exist. She would spend her days with the original Pickle Nose, or would spend time by herself. I often noticed her. And it seemed that she noticed me as well. And one day, she had come up to me and introduced herself. “I’m Linda, do you want to be friends?”
I wasn’t sure how to respond at first, if I were willing to link arms with the girl who had cooties. I looked around to make sure that the other kids weren’t watching. I wasn’t sure what might happen to me if they spotted me talking with her. But it was then that I noticed the red ball in her hands.
I learned almost the first day of school that in order to be cool, you had to have a Super Ball. A small red rubber ball with a dramatic bounce was all the rage that year, and I begged my parents to buy me one. I, like all of the kids, would take our super ball out at recess and play a variety of games. But I noticed the ball that Linda was holding didn’t look like all the rest. “That’s not a Super Ball, is it?” was how I responded to her request.
“My Mom told me she didn’t have any money to buy a Super Ball. But I found this, and it’s close enough.”
Well, it wasn’t nearly close enough, I thought. In a time when everyone had to be exactly the same or face being ostracized, her huge red rubber ball didn’t fit in. Just like the original Pickle Nose, it was at least twice the size of all the others. It seemed to me she was breaking all the rules.
She threw it on the ground to show me, and I watched it hit the pavement like a bag of rocks. She laughed, knowing how ridiculous it looked.
“But it doesn’t even bounce,” I said laughing.
It was then that the ball rolled over to reveal a face. I didn’t believe what I was seeing at first, and bent down to retrieve the ball so I could study it more closely. On one side of the ball, she had carefully glued two eyes, a nose and a mouth that she had drawn on paper and glued. And then she had glued real hair to form a mustache and a beard. She took the ball from my hand and started squeezing it, and making a funny voice. “It doesn’t bounce,” Linda said, “but it talks. Watch.” Soon the ball was talking a mile a minute, making me laugh as loud as I could.
I was mesmerized with Linda and this ball. “Yes,” I said. “I would like to be your friend.” And so it began.
But I wasn’t brave enough to befriend Linda in the open. I carefully explained to her that because she was so intensely disliked at the school, that our friendship would have to remain private. We couldn’t let the children know we were friends, or else I would have to face the same ridicule as she did. She said she understood, but I always remember the pain in her eyes. And while we played together every day after school, and began sleeping over at each other’s houses almost nightly, we pretended not to know each other during the school day.
Every day at lunch Linda and I would sneak into the girl’s bathroom. We would take turns standing on the toilet so that only one pair of legs was visible underneath the door, should someone peek beneath to check for occupancy. We would eat our lunches that way, whispering and giggling, until we heard the bathroom door swing open and we’d eat in silence until the intruder left. We maintained our relationship like this for a long while.
Each day as we drove the big yellow school bus home, Linda and I would sit separately. I would fight back tears watching Linda when it was her stop. She would always begin to get out of her seat before the bus came to a complete halt; she was intent on getting a head start. Because once the big door swung open and Linda sprinted down the street toward home, she’d be chased by a gaggle of twits who would scream pejoratives and hurl insults toward her. The bus driver never did a thing about it. I would watch her until she turned the corner and I couldn’t see her anymore, praying every day she wouldn’t be hurt. But more important, I was struggling with my conscience.
It took me a long time to have the strength to face my guilt and make some changes. I’ll never forget the day when lunchtime came, and I said to Linda, “Let’s eat at the picnic bench today.” I remember the look of surprise and relief in her eyes. I remember how wonderful it felt to sit in the sunshine, laughing and eating peanut butter sandwiches together, while the kids surrounded us with looks of shock on their face. And I’ll never forget returning to the classroom that day after lunch and being pelted with chalk board erasers by all of the children, and the vicious screams of “Pickle Nose” in my direction.
But that was the end of it. I was well-liked, and my boyfriend was a popular boy who told the kids to shut up. And no one tormented me, or Linda, or the Original Pickle Nose ever again.
Years later Linda admitted to me that she resented me during the period when I hid our friendship behind a bathroom door of shame. And I told her how sorry I was, and that I did the best I could at the time. I’m still sorry it wasn’t enough. But despite that, Linda’s and my friendship has endured for forty-five years.
She didn’t invite me to her last birthday, for the first time in our lives. And she has spoken with me in soft tones how our lives have taken different directions. While we’re not estranged, it feels as if we are, as if I’m losing another sister.
I can still hear our laughter echoing over the rocks near our favorite blow hole at the beach. I can still hear the whir of my bicycle wheels as I chased her bike through the hay fields and through the cypress trees. I can still feel the sting of the salt air on my throat as I tipped it back to let out a roar of joy.
I had thought I was being a hero. But I only added to her shame and humiliation. Linda was the real hero. She had strength in the face of adversity that I’ve never forgotten. And she taught me to never hide how I feel just because it’s different. And I never have again.
To this day, I cannot look at a pickle without hearing those vicious taunts. While I try and enjoy this crisp cold snack, pickles will forever remind me of hatred and prejudice, of injustice and small minds. But worse, and a pickle reminds me of my own failures. And I choke on it.
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Your stories always make me think. And this particular story makes me think of a book I love, "The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson."
ReplyDeleteIt's a very well known children's book about a young Chinese girl and her struggles moving to America. The author also cleverly weaves in Jackie Robinson and his struggles as the first black major league ball player.
Wonderful story and a good lesson to us all!
So where do you and Linda stand now, since you weren't invited to her birthday party?
It is not easy to stand up and be daring to be unique. I believe there is a Linda in everyone that wants to be different not for the sake of being different but just wanting to be himself/herself; it is just a matter of how much we suppress it. Linda is truly a kind and courageous soul, even when she was young, not afraid to be different and showing the compassion at such young age. She is someone who truly remind me to be true to myself and my values. I wish that I will always have the courage like her to stand up for myself and be myself.
ReplyDeleteHow poignant and powerful these memories are. These ghosts from the past, although Linda still seems to be somewhere in your life. I'm not too shy to admit that I was just like Linda, always standing up for the persecuted and against the hateful mob. Although I was one of the "athletes" and thus somewhat respected, I got my fair share of abuse for refusing to along with the gratuitous cruelty. I always loved the oddball kids, the outcasts, because deep inside I knew I was one of them. I didn't fit in, and I didn't want to, and I knew my future wouldn't be one of compromise and slavish conformity.
ReplyDeleteI wish no little child would feel such guilt and/or shame over decisions they may make in the first grade. My goodness, you were only six years old. Sounds like too much for such little shoulders. My heart aches reading this story. Of course I feel for poor little Pickle Nose (1, 2 and 3) but it made me sad for you most of all.
ReplyDeleteThe story has an odd ending with Linda seemingly giving up on her friendship with you. I have a very old friend (since we were 11 years old) try to tell me that "...our lives have gone in different directions..." blah blah. I fought for our friendship. I spent hours talking to her and I told her our differences shouldn't come between us --- DAMN IT. I'm happy to say that was about 10 years ago and we are as close as ever.
Memories of our school days here, and Linda has come across as a truly strong lovely person to put up with all that .... you could just tell .... I love this part where it says .... "she taught me to never hide how I feel just because it’s different".
ReplyDeletepickle nose was an interesting story cathy and yet all to familiar in childhood memories in one way or another. i guess we have to admit in some way or another we were faced with scary circumstances when we were growing up. you were lucky and priveleged to have befriended someone like Linda. even as adults we all want to surround ourselves with these kind of brave and authentic individuals.
ReplyDeletecuz adri
That was close to home for me; in first grade I befriended a girl that had polio, wore braces and used crutches..they called us pee pant's because sometimes Mary Frances had trouble getting to the bathroom on time..She passed away 1/2 way through third grade. I now have a special needs grand son who is in a pilot program at his school where each of the 'special' kid's has a 'regular' kid as a buddy. When I went to the school for the Halloween parade and saw so many kids fighting over who was going to walk with Kyle..I cried..this little boy cannot walk or talk and he is the most popular kid in his school!
ReplyDeleteHey Cathy,
ReplyDeleteJust saying hey. It's vacation week for my kids. Luckily my wife is off work, so I have some time to myself.
Hope the job is not getting you too down!
Take care.
very moving story. you are brave to go back and look at your young, tender self and share your stories with us. thanks.
ReplyDeleteHow have you been Cathy?
ReplyDeleteHeeeyyy Cathy.
ReplyDeleteIt's pickle noses little brother. HMB turned out to be the greatest place in the world to grow up.Didn't it.I sure miss the sleep overs and bugging the living shit out of you guys.But I knew some where deep down you loved me. :) You just made a flood memories come back. It makes me smile. "Hey" I'm a grandpa now. Can you beleave that. I hope your doing well Cathy.
Love Brian BHAMMERMAN66@AOL.COM
This was a very touching read for me that brought me to tears.
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ReplyDeletehad this happen previously. Thanks
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Dear Cathy, really enjoyed reading this story and knowing some additional background to it. Good for you for writing it all down and for standing up for yourself and others. For some it's "second nature" and comes automatically; for others it takes guts and real courage. You have both! The world needs more people like you both, and I'm sorry that things turned out the way they did.
ReplyDeleteSometimes things go wrong with friendships, especially our oldest and most cherished, and we never know why. I've had a few of those myself, from my oldest friends that I miss to this day. But we try to hang on to the cherished memories and I feel grateful for those in the midst of sadness for the present. And hope for the future, in this world or the next.
Looking forward to reading much, much more!