It was a brisk, frigged morning. The sun was just starting to peek over the eastern part of the sky as the round clouds came in to shield us from its violent rays.
“JACQUELYNN!” I heard my sister holler in excitement down the long, dark corridor.
“What do you want you annoying cyclops?!” I yelled from the lumpy dirt colored sofa my dad refused to replace.
“Come here, I know what we are going to do this evening.”
Her insane idea had crossed my busy, wondering mind many times. But, not once did I fantasize or imagine actually puling the daring yet spectacular stunt off.
“No, no we’ll never got away with is when Dad, a lite sleeper but snores like an elephant, sleeps on that decrepit lumpy couch.” I kindly grumbled.
“UH! Come on you know you want to. Live your some what boring life with a little risk dude! Don’t be a party pooper.” She said with sarcasm in her voice.
She sounded all old and superior when she squawked it. Like the words just spilled out of her brain without any thought what so ever.
I was only 11 summers old, my sister 14 summers. But the ever so slight age difference set us million of miles apart, like I was the rocket on the moon my sister the pedestrian on the ground. She though she was all cool and hip. Not to mention how she thought rules didn’t apply to her and thought she could do anything she wanted without any parental permission.
Me on the other hand, sweat and innocent like a little precious moment doll, didn’t like her new teenage, stuck up, attitude.
I knew we would never come out of this clean or untouched. It would be like watching a bad cop movie but for real.
The time had come where the big fiery ball slowly disappeared in the western skyline. I sat there with anxiety just waiting for the dreadful words bedtime to leisurely come out of my Dad’s mouth.
My sister plopped down next to me with a humongous turkey leg. It resembled the ones you would get at the Renaissance Fair. The dark golden brown crispy outer skin prodded at my stomach. The tender dark meat let off an amazing aroma of fire wood, where it was cooked.
“Where did you get that?”
“I walked down the street to the renaissance place, just around the corner. DUH!”
“Does Dad know you went there?” worry in my voice.
“Ummm, no! Are you crazy I am not that stupid jeez.”
Suddenly, out of no where, Dad walks out of the enormous bedroom and stairs at my sister dead in the eyes. My sister had a deer in the head lights look smeared across her polished face.
“Where did you get that?”
“That place down the street?”
“And you didn’t think to get my any! Oh, well how nice!” he snickered jokingly.
My Dad never did seem to get mad for the things that she would do wrong. I mean even the worst offenses would go unnoticed. Instead he would just laugh and say “how nice’ or “wow”.
“Ok then no delicious, succulent turkey leg, then no more staying up. Bedtime.” my Dad said with his head held high, chin in the air.
I mosied on into the bedroom where a wall of sweet aroma was there to greet me. The sweet lavender and fresh ocean smell made my face light up with excitement in remembrance of times in the meadow.
The clock must have gone from P.M. to A.M. when my sister came over and shook me till I gently rolled out of bed.
“Come on! Change into your bikini and lets get out of this god for saken place.”
I had to admit that I was really excited but nerves, my knees shaking and hands getting sweaty.
“Okay, but just this once okay?”
“Oh, just come on. You are taking away precious moments from our little escapade.”
I got up off the brown rough carpet and into the eye blinding light that the cream colored bathroom had obtained. The cobble stone tile felt cold beneath my hot pink painted feet.
I slowly pushed open the old closet door so it would quiet the stomach binding squawk it let out. I flipped through the bronze rusted wire hangers that hung neatly in the walk- in- closet till I discovered my yellow polka dot bikini.
“Hurry your butt up small-fry!”
I strut my stuff out like a runway model to show my sister. I gave a ballerina twirl to give her a 360 view.
“So what do you think?” I asked hopping for approval.
“Yeah, its great now lets go!”
We quietly snuck through the old bedroom to the crystal clear sliding glass door. The door stood about 6’ tall with creamy latte colored blinds.
My sister ever so gently unlocked the old sticky door. CLICK! I felt like the sound could have caused an avalanche or earthquake.
We stood as still as a statue for a few minutes before resuming.
“That was close! Don’t let that happen again.”
Me and my sister slowly opened the sliding door millimeter by millimeter till it was open just enough o squeeze though the minuscule crack. Once through we stepped out onto the cold cement patio closing the sliding door as slowly as we opened it.
“We can’t walk through the jagged rocks quickly and quietly enough you know that, right?”
“I know, that's why we are going to jump across the rocks over to the wall then climb over there and then ready we will to it back.”
“You have totally lost your mind I hope you know this?!”
Within a split second my sister had me wobbling on top of the wall like a tightrope walker towards the grumpy and noise as monkey neighbors backyard. As we were tet or torturing I could feel the though rugged brick under my feet along with the crunchy bird poop.
“This is the one.” my sister said while pointing diagonal to the fenced in backyard.
When we got there I slowly lowered myself down scraping my smooth clean stomach against the jagged brick. I crept over to the soothing pool as my sister jumped down.
“Test the water and tell me if its warm.” she whispered chocking her head to the side.
I walked over to the crystal clear water where the pool was to test the waters. I barely stuck my somewhat big toe into the water then pulled it out as quickly as it went in.
“HOLY mother that’s cold!!!! And all I did was stick my toe in!!”
“To bad, I am not going back. Just suck it up.”
Sometimes I pondered the thought that my sister was human due to the lack of compassion she contained. Though she was cold hearted, she did know how to have a ball.
“Come on time to get in.”
We jauntily skipped over to the steps and locked out cold chubby fingers in each others sweaty hands.
“Ready! 1.....2.....3!!!”
Our legs left the ground in slow motion at the same time. We puled our goose bump legs into a cannon ball in mid air, fingers still intertwined. As the freezing water swallowed us whole our fingers lost grip and separated.
I broke through the water seal trying hard not to let out a cry or wince. My sister emerged just moments later to join me.
“OMG! That’s some cold water right there!” she said in a bull horn voice.
A light flicked on from within the house. We submerged our heads into the water faster then you could snap. It was like a mole dogging a hammer just inches from pounding down on its head.
We could faintly see a shadowy figure gaze over at the pool then walk away. We knew had heard us, we were loud enough, and that we were so close to getting caught. All i could think was, that was close.
The bubbles quickly reached the surface, a sign I was running low on oxygen. Me and my sister popped up from under the water one by one to catch our breaths.
“I think we should leave now.” I told my sister.
She shook her head up and down in approval. We both crawled out of the pool and headed towards the brick wall. Sitting on the hard rocky ground was , yes, a shiny metal pole. I could see the crazy eyes my sister had obtained. A light bulb just flicked on for her.
“I know a faster way to get back to the sliding door.”
“And what would that be?”
“We are going to pol-volt over!”
“You are absolutely crazy!”
After a bit of a cat fight, the metal pole stood on my hands. It was about the width of a small orange, and the glow of a firefly. Even though it was dark out it was still shiny enough to where I could see my reflection.
“Okay I’ll show you how this is done.”
She grabbed the pole and took it in her damp hands then took a couple steps back. I could tell what she was about to proceed with.
She ran full speed at the wall. As she volted over I saw the horrified look on her face..... We had been caught!