Memories of My Sister CC
By Rosemary Wolfe Stewart
My sister CC was as different
from me as night is today. She was 19 months younger than me and since I could
not pronounce Cecilia I just called her CC and so that became the name she was
called. She was bold and adventurous with a vivid imagination and talked
constantly.
I can remember being too cautious
to venture into new ideas but when I passed them on to her it was like pressing go. Sometimes she would be
punished if her antics displeased Mother. She was given to messiness and Mother
was often pushed to the max. Sometimes Mother would spank her for leaving a
mess in her room. One day when CC came home from school Mother told her to go
up to her room and change from school clothes into play clothes. I recall that
CC appeared on the scene after making her usual mess and mother began to spank
her but CC was not crying like she ordinarily did. Mother also noted a
different feel to CC’s backside so she peered under CC’s jeans (known as
dungarees in those days) and realized that CC had on not just one pair of
underpants but a dozen pairs. Well, CC got punished that day with Mother
spanking her bare bottom. Later in the day Mother was amused by relating the
story to the rest of the family.
My fondest memories of my younger
sister were when we played house after completing our chores. Dad let us have
an unused part of a shed and mother gave us empty bottles that had held
ketchup, salad dressing, pickles, etc. We also had a table with chairs. The
shed had windows so we used discarded curtains. We also had rugs, brooms, dust
cloths and other discarded household items so it was kept immaculately clean.
We had tea parties, dinners, naps and lots of other things there. We could not
wait to finish the chores which were expected of us to play house. These
memories of playing house took place during World War II when we were 6 to 10
years old. Sometimes our older brothers reluctantly let us play in dirt piles
with their trucks or we all played war in the back woods.
Once when CC was about 8 years
old we were supposed to be weeding Mother's flower garden and CC soon became
bored. Dad had a ladder leaning against a tree and she climbed up a few rungs
and putting out her arms said “Look at me, I’m not holding on” I pretended to
ignore her and kept on weeding. So she advanced a few more rungs up the ladder
and repeated “Look at me, I am not holding on.” This went on until she was
nearly to the top of the ladder with me ignoring her until I heard a thud and
she was lying face down on the ground. Fortunately she only sustained an open
wound in her chest which had to be sutured. She carried that scar for the rest
of her life. While recovering from the fall, Aunt Bobbie Clagett visited and
gave her a chain with a metal. While Mother and dad were entertaining
downstairs CC was upstairs in bed alone. We heard a shriek at one point and
Mother rushed upstairs to be told that CC had swallowed her chain and metal.
Mother in exasperation just threw up her hands.When she was a little older David, CC and I were supposed to clean up after dinner. While she was washing dishes and David and I were drying them she began to pinch David and pester him with her mouth. When David had enough of CC’s harassment he took off after her. She ran from room to room returning to the kitchen and back again. This was kept up until she sped by the stove and dipped her hands into the left-over mashed potato pot then took off again. The next time she ran into the kitchen she put on the brakes, put out one hand and said “let’s shake on it.” Opening his hand, David agreed and ended up with a hand full of mashed potatoes. Off she went again with David in hot pursuit.
L-R: Rosemary, Mother and CC with identical dolls - photo taken about 1943 at the Greentree Road house
We had no playmates other than
siblings or occasional visiting cousins. When she was 11 years old a family
built a home close to us. It was eventually learned that the Mother, June
Garland, was a third cousin to mother. Her eldest child Susie was CC’s age and
they became best of friends. Susie’s personality was close to CC’s and I can
recall feeling a little jealous. I never had this feeling before then and was
uncomfortable with it.
A year later CC came down with
Rheumatic Fever and died after suffering for 9 months. I had lost my best
friend, my sparring partner and roommate. I have missed her all these years
wishing she was still living and able to share in each other’s lives but at the
same time being grateful that as a 12 year old child our Lord took her home to
His care. CC"s CARDS
CC made the classroom Christmas card for Mother and Dad when she attended Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School located off East West Highway in Bethesda.
The other card below from CC is for Valentine’s Day
What a lovely story of remembrance of such a precious little girl. CC and I would have gotten along well in life; I put my own parents through similar trials and antics. I felt like I was right there with you as you shared your memories; especially enjoying imagining my own dad chasing her around only to end up with a mashed potato handshake!
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