LJ Idol Post 12- Favorite Story
I'm 7, and for some reason I've been sent to drop off the check to our landlord at the Trailer Park. My younger sister (age 3) wants to join me.
"Mooom, Tell Kim she has to stay here" I whine.
"Jessica, just take her along, but don't let her climb the stairs."
You see, the landlord's office is in the third story of this barn looking thing. Which means the height of the landing, that has no proper railing, is more like being on the fourth floor of a typical building.
So I grudgingly allow my sister to come with me, and off I go, check in hand to deliver the payment. When we get get to bottom, I tell Kim to stay there and begin the climb up the stairs.
I'm about halfway up when I notice Kim has started climbing up after me. "Stay there! Mom said you couldn't come up here!" I yell down.
I finish my climb and go in and hand the landlord the check. I'm waiting on the receipt when I hear a scream. When I rush outside, I see her in her bright pink shirt flying through the air. Her arms and legs flailing, her hair that's so blond it's almost white flying around her face. It seems like it's in slow motion, as I watch her fall, that she'll never land. I'm racing down the stairs trying to beat her down. Somewhere in my head I've decided I could catch her. Then the a sickening thud. She's crying and screaming. She wants mom. The landlord trys to pick her up, and she screams. I yell at him to leave my sister alone, and then race to get my parents.
I don't remember anything after that, where I was while they took her to the hospital. If they took her or called an ambulance. But I will never forget trying to race my falling sister down the four stories.
In the end she fractured both legs in multiple places, and broke one arm. She was in a body cast for nine months. They said she may walk with a limp and wouldn't be able to run much after that. When she did get out of the cast, she ran everywhere she went. She's a tough one, my little sister.
May edit with a photo in a bit, if I can find it.
"Mooom, Tell Kim she has to stay here" I whine.
"Jessica, just take her along, but don't let her climb the stairs."
You see, the landlord's office is in the third story of this barn looking thing. Which means the height of the landing, that has no proper railing, is more like being on the fourth floor of a typical building.
So I grudgingly allow my sister to come with me, and off I go, check in hand to deliver the payment. When we get get to bottom, I tell Kim to stay there and begin the climb up the stairs.
I'm about halfway up when I notice Kim has started climbing up after me. "Stay there! Mom said you couldn't come up here!" I yell down.
I finish my climb and go in and hand the landlord the check. I'm waiting on the receipt when I hear a scream. When I rush outside, I see her in her bright pink shirt flying through the air. Her arms and legs flailing, her hair that's so blond it's almost white flying around her face. It seems like it's in slow motion, as I watch her fall, that she'll never land. I'm racing down the stairs trying to beat her down. Somewhere in my head I've decided I could catch her. Then the a sickening thud. She's crying and screaming. She wants mom. The landlord trys to pick her up, and she screams. I yell at him to leave my sister alone, and then race to get my parents.
I don't remember anything after that, where I was while they took her to the hospital. If they took her or called an ambulance. But I will never forget trying to race my falling sister down the four stories.
In the end she fractured both legs in multiple places, and broke one arm. She was in a body cast for nine months. They said she may walk with a limp and wouldn't be able to run much after that. When she did get out of the cast, she ran everywhere she went. She's a tough one, my little sister.
May edit with a photo in a bit, if I can find it.