Sluffer

Lorna requested that I write stories of my life so that she can tell these stories to her children at bedtime.

     When I was in grade school, we lived right across the street from school. I was a night owl, staying up till past midnight in my room with the door shut.  In the morning, when leaving for work, my dad would do a little whistle to tell me it was time to wake up. I would sleepily answer that I was getting up, and then fall back asleep. A little later, I would wake again, look at the clock, and see that I had only ten minutes before school started.  I would jump out of bed, throw on some clothes, brush my hair and run down the stairs. My mother would hand me a piece of toast and some orange juice for breakfast. I didnt want them because I didnt have time to eat. I would take one bite of the toast and one swallow of the juice, then run across the street, hurry to my classroom.  I usually wasnt late, but I wasnt ready for school, either.

     We moved three blocks away when I was eight years old. I hadnt changed my bedtime routine.  But, since we lived farther away,  I should have left home earlier.  I didnt think of that.  One morning, I hurried to school, made it on time, and was feeling pretty good about myself.    About 30 minutes later, I reached up to scratch my head, and discovered that I hadnt brushed my hair before leaving the house. I was very embarassed.  I thought about what to do.  I raised my hand and asked the teacher if I could go to the bathroom.  I walked down the hall toward the bathroom, but instead of turning in, I continued down the hall and walked out the other door. I ran all the way home, brushed my hair, then ran all the way back, hurried through the back door, into the classroom, and slid into my seat.  I thought I had done a pretty good job of faking.  Now I think how the teacher probably noticed my messy hair, how I was gone to the bathroom for a really long time, and how my hair was now nice.  I think she knew that I had gone home. She didnt say anything to me, and I thought I had gotten away with it.