It was in a time of my life where few things were of GREAT importance. A few of the greatest things being Oreo cookies, show and tell, not having to share your toys, winning at four square, and nap time. I am not completely certain of the exact age of that younger version of myself. Just young enough to spend a lot of face to face time with adult's knees. Young enough to defy all the meaningless rules adults gave, and old enough to be the perfect tantrum throwers, when it came to getting your way, be it getting any thing you could ever want or something just as simple as an extra Oreo!
So there I was coming in for another successful recess. Like usual, I was the sole conqueror of the sacred #1 square. I'm sure my pride was greater than Napoleon's that day. No one throught the whole recess could overtake me in my #1 square. But soon after recess we were called in. As most little ones due, I needed hydration to requench me after such a fierce battle. As the teacher came around with the glasses full of water I refused to take the cup from the teacher. It wasn't that I didn't want it, but rather that I wanted to go without it and prove to here that I was really the boss. After all, I did hold the #1 square the whole recess. But after threats of a visit to the torturous time out chair, I gave in to her demands. Seeking for a way to show my disapproval of her "rule", I angerly tried to gulp the glass in a single gulp. But after only a split second of time my display of tantrum was foiled. Because of my inexperience in the art of throwing fits, I forgot to account for the ice cube that was placed in my cup. My frantic drinking method was meant to show anger! It wasn't built for efficiency. So there the ice cube was. Lodged in a wind pipe that just didn't seem like it was made for ice cubes to be in.
So there I was grabbing my throat. Gasping for the breath of life. Instant panic had taken over my body. I don't ever remember choking before those moments, but from some natural instinct I KNEW I was going to die. This was it. This was death. This was all that my life was going to amount to, champion of the four square. I wasn't sure at that young age what else life had to offer, but I was sure there was more then just four square. I looked at my teacher right in the eyes as I grasped, holding onto the last few seconds of my life.
I tried with all my might to beam from my mind to hers all my last words and thoughts. Maybe if I stared hard enough into her eyes she could tell I was trying to say, "Tell my mother that I loved her, tell my dog I will miss her, tell my sister I'm sorry for pulling at her hair." As I concentrated on my teachers eyes, trying to suggest my last words to her. I gave her the purest look eyes can give, a look they can only give seconds before one's life slips away. But there I saw something that I had never expected, the most evil thing I have witnessed. I saw a gleam in her eye. Not a gleam of care, or a gleam of sympathy, or of even "I'm sorry your dieing" gleam. It was a gleam of HUMOR!!!! She was actually laughing at me. She was laughing at a, single digit aged, boy who was obviously choking in front of her eyes. What horror. Even what disgust. How is this in any way funny. Yes! I understand that I was defiant! Some times I didn't want to follow the rules! OK! so I tried to throw a fit and that is what was put me in this situation! But does throwing a tantrum really deserve death?! I heard the saying from my mother a 1000 times "that's what you get" but surely that didn't apply to situations of death! Death shouldn't be what I get! this is it! I'm dieing! These are my last seconds of life and she is laughing at me! As I DIE!
She looked at me and after a few laughs, she finally cracked out the words, "just relax the ice cube will melt and then you will be able to breath." Sure enough after about 5 seconds later the ice cube had melted to water, and after a few coughs of water, a few pats on the back, and then an extra Oreo, I layed down to take my nap.
Before I get started on my commenting, let me just say thanks for making your post so long that it is about the same length as mine.
ReplyDeleteI also used an early childhood experience that I remembered. I liked how you were able to bring the reader into your mindset when you were choking. How often do we have teachers laughing at us for something, let alone choking? I am just glad that it was ice and able to melt since that would really change the story if it were something else. By reading one of your defining moments I found myself recalling some of mine around that age. Thanks for bringing a few of those memories back.