03. May 2013 · Comments Off on Arm in a Sling · Categories: C. 1 to 4 years, Out of the Blue · Tags: , ,

I have many uncles.  Even though he is not one of them, we call him Uncle Adelino.  He is my favorite of all my parents’ friends.  He makes funny faces.  He can move his ears, one at a time and then both at the same time.

Whenever he comes to see us, he scoops me up and asks for a big kiss.  Everybody expects me to give him the biggest smackeroo, and when I do, they laugh and clap.   It’s our little game.

My sister calls me Fussy Cat.

One day, Ah Seem takes me to Uncle Adelino’s house.  He is taking us somewhere for a surprise.   Ah Seem and I wait by the stairs as his servant goes to tell him we are here.

Uncle Adelino appears at the head of the stairs.  He has a big smile.  As he bounds down the stairs, I see that his arm is in a sling.  I scream and cry and bury my face in Ah Seem’s tunic.

No, no, don’t be afraid, Uncle assures me.  It does not hurt.  Very soon it will be good as new and I will play tennis again.

I keep screaming and crying until Ah Seem takes me home.   I am three years old.  No one mentions the incident again.  I don’t forget, even though I would never again react that way to an arm in a sling.

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Uncle Adelino