Becky's Gift

Watching My Life

I watched myself being born. I was 2 when my sister Myrillis came. Oh, she was pretty. We got along well.

In middle school, I climbed a tree in someone's yard. I watched this memory in awe, because I didn't remember it, for years!

"C'mon, Becky! These branches are sturdy. You can do it, can't you?"

My friend John was always doing stupid stuff, but I didn't want to be teased. I reached for the next branch. He was a lot taller than me, at 14. I was 12. At least I had the sense to make Myrillis stay in the treehouse. It had a trap door that led to higher branches.

"You are so slow! Come up here where I am! You can see your house, if you get to this branch!"

I didn't see which branch he used to get there. I reached for the nearest one, and spotted a wasp nest! Jerked my hand away. Wasps came at me and I lost my grip on the one I was holding in my right hand! I fell through the roof of the treehouse!

Myrillis cried. I looked up. "What's wrong?" If I let her get hurt, Dad'll kill me!

John sat me up, and I cried. There's blood on my hand. "Oh, no! Myrillis, where'd this come from?"

"You touched your head! Ew, there's blood in your hair! Let's go home!"

"Okay. Guess that's why my head hurts!"

"Aw, you'll be all right. People get up after being knocked out all the time! C'mon. You're tough like me, aren't ya, Becky? Coach says you just gotta be tough."

Yeah. John's had 6 surgeries. I looked down, and the treehouse went sideways. That's not normal. But he went down first.

"If ya fall, I'll catch you! I'm strong."

I worried about him looking at my bottom, but I got on the ladder. Myrillis held onto my arms. Came down backwards. I wanted to say something, but it took all of my effort to move a foot from one rung of the wooden ladder to the next. Took forever to get down.

John's mom was there. "I heard a scream! What did you do, John?"

"She fell off, Mama, I didn't do anything!"

A gasp. I kind of fell into her arms. "Take her feet! Why didn't you call me? She's hurt, and you made her climb down?"

Myrillis cried.

They carried me in to their sofa. Myrillis put a kitchen towel under my head.

John's Mom called 911. I knew it was that because it was short.

My parents came to see me often in the hospital. Each time was like the first. Finally, I went to a rehab facility and they taught me how to walk again. I progressed faster than they expected. Came home, and it was a shock to see a Christmas tree!

Mama held me on the sofa. "It's all right, Becky. It's been 2 months."

Trips to specialists, to therapists, Dad took us all camping to a place where my wheelchair would fit, 'cause I got tired easily.

Kathy, who was my best friend, talked about that camping trip and I didn't remember it. She said I begged my dad, who was terrified of taking anyone but family on a trip, to let her come and that once, he did. Going to Six Flags and crying because Daddy wouldn't even let me ride on the carousel. Watching Myrillis on the rides made me sick. I didn't remember a thing about the next year! Spent 7th grade in Special Ed?

But she told me, "Trust yourself, Becky. You were a good person before you got hurt, and you're still my bestie, and still a good person. Just because you don't remember it, don't be scared you did something embarrassing, 'cause you didn't, even in the hospital." I missed Kathy when they moved away. She didn't like email or texts, and we lost touch. School got very busy. In 8th grade, I did 7th, but later that year I did a special program to catch up to where my peers were, night classes. Thank goodness I could still learn, but my grades weren't A's any more. They thought that might improve.