Sallys Big Idea

She pushed back the hair from her eyes, stringy and dirty and blond. Her blue eyes sparked with mischief and she sniffed again so she wouldn't have to blow her nose. Summer time was hard for Sally having only a few weeks of freedom from that prison they called school. She thought to herself "When I get to be 13 I will run away from home and go live with Grandma and live in the big city and have my own room just like the ones I saw in the picture book once. It was all pink and white and had a big canopy bed and lots of toys". Sally's grandma lived about 100 miles away in a big city and visits to her house were few and far between. This country life was getting old and she felt a need for a change. Her brothers always were picking on her since she was the only girl in the family, and she was tired of fighting with them. Then a plan formed in her though laden mind that she could convince her parents to let her live with grandma now. Sally dusted her overalls off with her dirty hands,and down the dirt lane she skipped all the way home with a plan forming.

She ran up on the porch screaming at the top of her lungs "MOM" she let herself in with the half broken screen door slamming hard behind her. "MOM" Sally screamed again with more determination. "Dog gone it child, why are you hollering, is the house on fire?" Sally's mom questioned as she came in the living room wiping her hands on a dish towel. Sally looked quizzically at her mom and smiled, "No mom, no fire, but I got a great idea". "What now Miss Sally, please hurry and tell me because I have to finish canning those pickels I am making". Sally grabbed her small framed, blond mom by the hand and pulled her to the worn sofa to sit down next to her. "Mom, I got a great idea, why dont you let me go live with Grandma in the city and then you wont have to worry about me and I can have my own room that is big and roomy and pretty like in my story books?" sally's blue eyes looked pleadingly into her mom's sparkling blue eyes hoping to see the answer she was hoping for. Mrs. Wilson looked lovingly at her daughter for a few minutes while thinking and then brushed her daughters hair back from her eyes. "Honey" she started slowly "I know summers for you are hard, cause you dont have many friends around to play with and your brothers dont want you hanging around them, but I need you more than Grandma does. Your my only daughter and you mean the world to me". Tears rolled down Sally's cheeck's. She felt such love for her mom, but she felt sorry for herself and wished her mom would see she needed something important in her life. "I know you need some friends or someone to run with or swim with, but in a couple of weeks school will start and you will be going to the new school this year across from the new freeway". "It will be ok then". Her mom got up with a sigh. Throwing the towel over her shoulder she said "Go wash up Sally, your dad will be home soon and go get your brothers for supper will ya hon"?. Mrs. Wilson turned back to go to the hot kitchen to finish up the canning process and to think about what to fix for dinner. Sally wiped her nose and face on a part of the dirty shirt that hung from her overalls. "Dog gone it" she thought to herself as she slowly dragged herself upstairs to the small bathroom at the top of the steps. Mom sure didnt think it was such a good idea like she did. Couldnt mom understand that the reconverted walk in storage attic room was not her dream room, like in the story books she read, but she knew thats what she could have at Grandma's house. "Oh well I'll grow up just like Cinderella".

Her pitying thoughts continued as she lathered up the wash cloth with soap and water and began to selectively pick spots on her self to wash. "Some day she will be sorry I didnt move out now". "I will live in that attic forever and show her. I will get married and have 12 kids and we will all live in that cramped room and my kids will drive her crazy and then she will beg me to move to Grandma's and I wont." That will fix her for sure. She felt better after she had meted out her punishment for her mom's meaness in her mind. Sally finished up the half washing her face job and left a mess in the sink. Sally jumped on each step with both feet all the way down...."Sally Ann are you on the way out to get your brothers" the hollaring being muffeled from a closed kitchen door. "Yeah Mom" sally spouted back as she once again let the broken screen door slam behind her. Outside she went to the tall old maple tree in front of the house and rang the dinner bell. From 4 corners of the property 4 boys of various sizes and ages came running. "Here comes the troops she thought". She ducked as her brother Billy was playing airplane and wanted to hit the top of her head with one arm that was supposed to be the wing of the plane. "Real funny Billy you idiot". She stuck her tongue out at him as he flew himself into the house. None of them could go by her without trying to wack her or pull her hair. "What a bunch of brats they are" she thought to herself. She followed the parade into the house and her Dad was in the kitchen hugging her mom. "Hi Dad" she said as the tall handsome man scooped her up into his arms. "Hi Honey, how is my big girl today? Sally pouted and said "Mom doesnt want me to move to Grandma's and have my own room like in my story books". His mirthful laugh filled the room and as he put her down again he ruffeled her hair and said "Sally honey, I have a surprise for you" Sally looked hopeful. "Wow at last someone who will let me go" she thought hopefully to herself.

Dad went out the back door without a word and Sally looked at her Mom with a questioning look. Her Mom said "Sally, Dad and I have something for you and we hope it will help you have a better summer" Dad came in with a small furry bundle that was whimpering and came up to sally and said "Sally I would like you to meet Lady" and he put a buff colored cocker spaniel puppy in front of her face. A big smile slowly spread over her still dirty face and she opened her arms up and took the puppy to hold close. The puppy smelled kind of funny, like old musty news paper, but she was a friendly little thing who's long tongue was happly licking dirt off of Sally's face. "Oh she is beautiful Mom and Dad thanks". She stood in the kitchen slowly rocking the puppy in her arms and dreaming of the day she would have to buy herself a farm to hold all the dogs and cats she could get. "Maybe I will have to wait a little while before I move to the city with Grandma, cause I have to get a farm first". All of a sudden, the summer was not so bad.