(Anonymous) said he'd pay us to help clean the cistern; my brother says it was a septic tank. The pay rate was never stated. We worked for him a number of times, always with the promise of "PAY". We loved the idea of having money. I can't remember if he ever actually paid us, at least not me. I remember once getting a red soda and a creamy cake. Nonetheless we always did the work, hoping.
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| maybe there's a soda pop up there somewhere |
He told us that he was too big to fit into the the square hole leading down into the tank. My brother and I descended easily into a dark damp vault, big enough to hold 10 or twelve kids like us.. The only light came from the hole up at the top.. We didn't have to see much , just enough to scrub.- the walls, ceiling, and floor, with bleach and a stiff brush. I don't know if we were in there for hours or days or an entire childhood. When I finally exited I was tired and woozy and had lost the ability to do math.
How much of one's life is spent reconciling their childhood? How much time is normal, average, appropriate? Does everyone need to reconcile or are there those that just grow up, mostly complete and their childhood integrated neatly or at least sufficiently into the person they are.
ReplyDeleteremember it well, promised pay, never paid, worked 3-4 days, cleaned with carbolic acid, would be child abuse today.
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