Petara's Prerogative

When I was about 8, I stayed the summer with my maternal grandma.  She believed in chores.  I was okay with cleaning the kitchen, but panicked when I was told I would have to clean the tub.  There were multiple people using one bathroom.  I could not handle it.  I quickly lied and told her I was allergic to Comet, so I could not clean the tub.  The entire summer, I was scared that she would find out I had lied.  I kept thinking about the ass whippings my mom and her siblings said she would hand out when they were growing up.  I did not want to have any ass whipping stories of my own.

I won't wear sandals, if the polish on my nails is chipped.

I can grow glitter from my scalp.

I call the kids in to plug my computer into the charger, even though it's right next to me.

I do not answer the door, unless I am expecting company.  I will sit there and let the dogs bark at you through the door and not feel bad about it.

When I was a kid, there was a girl that would always avoid me and I could never figure out why.  She was older than me, so I know I didn't intimidate her.  It was years later when I realized that she probably avoided me because she didn't like me.  I had told her that her and her mother looked like James Brown because of their hairstyles and pants.  I honestly was just trying to make small talk.  I had no idea that I was insulting her.  I always felt bad about that encounter.

In high school, we did clinical rotations at the hospital.  One morning, I didn't feel like going, so I planned to stay home until that class was over and have my college boyfriend pick me up on his way to school and drop me off.  I called his house to ask for a ride, but his dad answered the phone.  I told his dad I would call back.  His dad told him that I called.  He called me back and my mom answered.  Of course, she thought I was trying to skip school.  I tried to tell her that I just missed first period and was going to my other classes.  She made me stay home and clean out my windows and then drive her around, since her foot was in a brace.  I wasted a good outfit and hairstyle that day.  I made sure I never missed another clinical rotation.