My sister Mona and I six years apart in age had our differences growing up. She held the place of “Daddies girl” until I arrived, then she grudgingly shared him with me. At first I became her live baby doll as she checked out each tiny finger and toe, fed me from a bottle and easily left me in the care of our two older sisters when she tired of me and my dirty diapers. As we grew older Mona found that with the words, “I’ll tell Mom on you,” she could get me to do her chores, rub her back, bring her something to eat, and cater to her every whim. I became the slave, she the master. Under pressure from Mom she had to let me tag along with her and her friends. I remember when she was in high school and able to drive the car to town where she would meet up with friends at the drive-in. This group of friends experimented with smoking and Mona joined in. Pall Malls was the cigarette of choice and Sen-Sens the breath mint to hide the smell. They didn’t offer me a cigarette but did share the foul tasting Sen-Sens with me and Mona would say on our way home “Don’t you dare tell Mom and Dad that I’m smoking or you will never go to town with me again.” I kept the secret.
Mona was small and petit and about her junior year in High School I caught up with her in size and weight. We loved watching wrestling on TV and then practiced the moves on each in the middle of the living room. We usually ended up one of us mad the other one crying and Daddy refereeing and sending us both to our room to get over it.
I remember one night as we crawled into bed and Mona’s lament, “Della, rub my back.”
“No I’m tired of rubbing your back every night.”
“You better or I will tell Mom and Dad on you.”
“What are you going to tell them, I haven’t done anything for you to tell. Maybe I should tell them that you and your friends are smoking.”
And with that I stomped out of the room and into the spare bedroom where I spent the night. The next day I moved my belongings into the spare room. I didn’t rat on her about her smoking but Dad found her stash of cigarettes and she got a stern lecture, which didn’t stop her. But I never rubbed her back again!
Mona with her gregarious nature, sparkling blue eyes and quick wit was popular in high school and never lacked a steady boyfriend. In the summer before her senior year, she met and started dating Bob while he was working road construction near our home. At Christmas they announced their engagement and his enlistment in the Navy. Mona graduated from high school in May of 1955. She worked along side Daddy during the summer and fall and then not interested in continuing her education she went to work as a maid, cleaning motel rooms in McCall Idaho. Mona would continue living at home and now was employed, earning and saving her money for their life together. to be continued Hugs to All...OWAV:)
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