Growing Up Mormon - The Reality Sisters

Christine had delicate features; a porcelain doll so fragile that I wanted to put her in a case and protect her from damage.  I stared at her during Sunday School and she'd smile back.  She knew I had a crush and I wasn't the only one. 

Lisa was younger by a year but she was the wild one.  Where Christine's brown hair curled perfectly and held combs or ribbons Lisa's hung straight and unimpeded.  Christine spoke softly and giggled when she was happy.  Lisa laughed loudly and used words I'd rarely heard - Damn, Shit, Fuck! 

They were sisters but in my thoughts I separated them and gave them different backgrounds, different lives.  In those daydreams I was part of Christine's life. 

Lisa made fun of me for my love-struck fascination with her sister.  I knew I didn't stand a chance, but Lisa rubbed it in cruelly.  During games at Wednesday Mutual meetings she'd loudly tell Christine not to be on my team because it'd give me false hope.  On Sunday mornings in Sacrament Meeting she'd turn and point at me and smirk while whispering into Christine's ear.   They'd both laugh. 

Lisa smoked cigarettes out behind the school.  She hung out with the kids who yelled at the teachers and skipped classes.  Christine wasn't like that and even though the other boys thought Lisa was better looking because she was sexy and edgy, Christine was the princess and I wanted to be her prince. 

Not only was she out of my league because she was so beautiful she was also on the Officer side of the base.  My father's rank entitled him to the third apartment of a dumpy four-plex that looked like every other dumpy quad for ten streets either way.  Her father was a colonel and they got their own house.  They shared walls with no one and even had a private driveway and a hedge.

At church my dad was a counselor to the Elder's Quorum President.  It was a menial job in the Priesthood, an all-male construct in the Mormon Church.  Her father was Bishop because he was more righteous and he was a natural leader.

Then, just Maryanne to Peter Parker she needed help in school and she asked me.  She was going to fail math and be held back - could I just come over and show her everything she needed to know for the finals?  It was her dad's idea - Mormon kids are supposed to help each other so I couldn't refuse.  He was right about that, I couldn't refuse Christine. 

I put my math book in my frayed and taped book bag and headed over to Christine's house to teach her some math and learn a lot about life . . .

 - to be continued.

Comments

[a rose is a rose]

it's been far too long. thanks for starting up again (and yes i know it's your BUSY season, but this is about ME ME ME. i want i want i want)

lol-thanks again!

[Cele]

I wish I had your abilities to remember and write so well. Every story you tell draws me in.