Village Squire, 1979-06, Page 18Visiting Auntie
Auntie was a nice lady
but why did she have to 'Make me over'?
BY E.P.
I am only four and a half years old. I
don't go away from home very often but
once or twice a year Mom and Dad take me
to the city to see Auntie - Sis goes too.
Now we like Auntie - sometimes. We like
her when she does not try to Make Us
Over. Auntie is Dad's sister and Mom does
not like to say much, especially as we only
stay a few hours on a visit. Sometimes we
leave the farm early in the morning, get to
Auntie's in time for dinner and leave in
time to get home for the chores.
Sometimes, for something special, maybe
to see Santa Claus, we go and stay
overnight, but this is not very often, but
whether we stay three hours or twelve,
Auntie always wants to Make Us Over.
I get along fairly well at home except just
sometimes when I feel ornery. Dad says
everyone feels ornery sometimes. If I don't
feel like saying 'Please' Mom says "My,
you're in a bad humour to -day, just plain
ornery", but she gives me my dinner just
the same. But not Auntie, she stands over
me with the pan and the big spoon in her
hands and says "Do you want peas?" They
look so good I say "Yep" quick like and she
says "Oh, no, you don't get them that way,
say yes please", then I say "I won't". I
don't want to be naughty, I don't want to
be ornery - but when l see Auntie standing
over me trying to Make Me Over, I don't
want to be Made Over. I want the peas but
I won't say yes please, when Auntie says I
must. So I don't get any peas, she goes to
the nex* one and my sister - she's six and a
half - and she says quick as a flash - even
before Auntie tells her to "I want some
peas, Auntie, please".
"That's a good little girl" says Auntie
and gives her a big heaping spoonful
After the peas come the potatoes. Now at
home Mom does not ask me if I want
potatoes, she puts them on my dish and if
16 Village Squire, June 19/9
they are not mashed up, she breaks them
up for me with a fork and puts a big heap of
butter on the top and says "My, doesn't
that look good?" and I eat it quick.
Sometimes, before she gets around the
table to serve the others I hold up my dish
and holler for more, sometimes before Dad
says Grace and he says "Boy, oh boy, are
you hungry! That's what I like to see, a
good appetite".
But Auntie - she won't let us touch even
a wee little bit until everybody has been
served with all their dinner and sometimes
that takes so long because Auntie has to go
into the kitchen to take off her apron and
then Uncle has to say Grace. When we
start, Auntie watches to see if we use the
right knife or fork or spoon and use the
knife in the proper hand and keep our
elbows off the table. At home, Mom lets
me use my spoon for everything - she cuts
up my meat small so I can use my spoon -
but not so with Auntie. She says we must
eat meat with a knife and fork. Sis asked
Dad why she was so strict with children
and he said "Wellyou see, Auntie has not
got any little children of her own" and Sis
said "So that's why little boys and girls
won't go to live with her, because she's so
strict?"
"Oh - maybe - I guess so - perhaps" said
Dad. When 1 said "It's a good thing Mom
was not so strict or maybe Sis and I would
not have come to live with her", Mom just
laughed and said, "My, you're a funny
one". Then I asked Mom if Auntie was not
so strict would little boys and girls come to
live with her and said "I don't think so. Not
now. But Auntie is very kind and loves her
nieces and nephews very much and wants
them to be very nice and mannerly". "But
I am nice and mannerly, ain't I Mom". 1
asked. "Yes, I think you're nice and
mannerly but don't say ain't".
"Well, why does Auntie make my say
please and why does she make me have a
bath. you made me have a bath before I left
home and Auntie said 1 was filthy, from
long travelling and made me have another
bath and I wasn't filthy from long
travelling because we came in our car and
the car wasn't dirty, was it Dad?" "Oh,
blather, blather", said Mom, "Children
always get dirty in a car or out of it. You'd
been playing with the dog and so Auntie
thought you should have a bath."
"But I was only playing with the dog
with my hands and 1 could wash my hands,
couldn't I, without having a whole bath.
Why don't she bath the dog then 1 wouldn't
get my hands dirty playing with it - and she
didn't want me to scratch my nose when it
was itchy - she said get a handkerchief and
blow it - I said. It's itchy - alright. she said,
blow it, but I said it doesn't need blowing,
it's just itchy inside and I'm scratching it
and she said now go and wash your hands
and come back to the table, and my hands
weren't dirty because I was only scratching
my nose inside but she made me wash my
hands anyway. So I went to the bathroom
to wash them and there was a little old
toothbrush lying on top of the flush tank
and I thought I would make my hands extra
clean with it so I rubbed a lot of soap on the
brush and I scrubbed and scrubbed and the
dog came in and I scrubbed the dog too and
then Auntie came in and she said what in
the world are you doing - look at the mess -
and my toothbrush too - Oh, dear - what a
boy - get back to the table - and 1 said can 1
have some peas and she said Yes, of course
- a big heaping spoonful and lots of butter
on - now say please and 1 said No 1 won't. I
want some peas. And she said How would
you like to come and live with Auntie for a
week and I said can 1 have some peas and
she said yes, of course, lots of them and I
said will I have to say please, and she said,
yes, of course, all good little boys say