When I was Another Me!
When I look over the stages of my life. I remember when there was another me. I was my eight year old me. (Let me warn you up front this is not suitable for children.) Living in a land filled with oppression and misogyny was very terrible for a child who’s a Daddy’s Girl. My Mummy said, I was too trusting. Wow, isn’t that just awful. Living in a place that Children are not safe and not being able to leave. The location is M3, where a girl child is subject to molestation, domestic abuse and rape which was as common as Sunday dinners.
These life situations called out for me to always think on a higher level. Imagine, someone working to make you a victim. This is because they don’t desire victimhood or abuse themselves. Today we call this bullying. It’s regrettable that children have to go through this danger. The results are like the difference in a double edged sword, sharp and deadly for the spirit and soul. At eight I experienced my first rape. Isn’t that just terrible? Unfortunately, at least twenty-five percent of all women have the same trauma in their lives.
This other event in my life was traumatic, but it has an inspired ending. This particular incident I have spoken about it frequently. It called when the Prey captures the hunters.
In seventh grade, Jr. High School I had two boys threaten to beat me up and take my goodies. No, I am not talking about M&M’s candies or cookies. They were going to traumatize my body and fuck up my mind. (Oh, in case you didn’t or don’t know about rape this is part of the violence.) I was determined not to be a victim, so I made a plan.
I got up early and laid my traps. One piece of 2 X 4 hid behind the gutter pipe that extended in the rear of the building, well concealed. One smooth rock inside a homemade slingshot. A good lesson from my brother and tested for accuracy. The last trap would be on the shortcut trail leading home. A vine full of briars and stiff enough to cause disorientation or a concussion. This would give me time to drop some rocks and some stomps on the legs and body of my assailants.
All day at school I thought over my plan. I ran around the building during PE and gave every weapon a visual. I didn’t smile that day, I had to stay focused. When, I saw my would be attackers at lunch, I played small and put my head down. (A crowd sensing a fight would have put my plan in jeopardy.) I listened to their threats and taunts. It made my anger build, but I was not blinded by rage. The insults made my mind sharp. I feigned that I was afraid 😨 to make them more aggressive. You know like a great winning team that doesn’t prepare for that 1–4 team. (Then, they receive the upset of their lives.)
2:45 PM I dart out of class. I had already asked permission for a restroom break to ensure I didn’t have go before the confrontation. You don’t want to get hit in the stomach and the water starts flying. (That’s is an instant set back.) I make my last visual and wait for the halls to clear. It looks like I am hiding, but that’s not the case. I was setting up a clear line of sight. 2:55 PM, I walked onto the main walkway, I look right then left. I see my would be assailants and I make sure they saw me. I had at least two hundred feet between us. They saw me and charged, I turned and ran. I hit those two corners and got to my first trap. I was ready and I heard their footsteps coming the bigger of the two first. He came around the corner and I lit him up with that piece of lumber. I literally knocked him out and I started stomping on him. Then I started running after his friend. He saw his buddy on the ground and started hauling ass, like his Momma was calling.
I went and got my books and skipped home. I smiled a wicked grin over my victory. Now fast forward to our forty year High School reunion. This man is sharp, composed and a total gentleman who is with his wife. They approach and he asked me, Michelle do you remember when you knocked me out? I replied, Yes I remembered it very well.
Then, he thanked me for saving his life. (Wow) He explained that he was going down the wrong path and started hanging out with the wrong boys. He said, If you had not stopped me that day, I probably would have ended up in prison or dead. Then, he introduced me to his wife, opening with, this is the woman that I have told you about all these years. She is the one that knocked me out. He went on to tell me what happened when he finally got home after getting F’ed up. Michelle, I told my Daddy what happened and then he said, good for her, you deserved that ass whooping. Once you get well I just might give you something else to think about.
We shook hands and then I hugged him and his wife. We forgave, each other right then. Then we both remembered, when I was another me.