Wash That Dirty Right Out of My Mouth!

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She sat cross-legged on the white sand beneath the big, oak tree. She was drinking tea out of her little tea cup. She reached for the pitcher to replenish her cup. White sand poured smoothly into the tea cup, filling it to the top. The idea came to the little girl of maybe 4-5 years old ... to be like her Grandma Alma. Yes, she was going to dip snuff now! In her little mind she could see her Grandma Alma take her good hand (she was paralyzed) ... pull her bottom lip out ... then, reach up for the little silver can with the pretty label ... that sat on the dresser beside her. Her Grandma Alma managed to get the lid off by holding the little can against her chest, under her neck, twisting with her hand. If that didn't work, she would call for someone to help her. Her Grandma Alma had a big tin can by her chair ... she could spit in it anytime she wanted to. The little girl put her finger inside her bottom lip ... felt to see where her snuff would go. She reached for the little tea cup ... at this moment in her mind ... it was a little silver can she reached for. She dumped snuff inside her bottom lip, put the cup down. Before she could think what to do, the sand began to choke her. She began coughing ... as she coughed she began to say the one cuss word she'd learn down at her Grandma Alma's house. D___! She was trying to get the sand out of her mouth. D___! The next thing she knew ... someone had physically picked her up, began carrying her into the house. I'll teach you how to say bad words, she heard her mother say. I'll wash them right out of your mouth! Her mother took her to the bathroom .... turned the faucet on. She took a white wash cloth, soaped it up .... made the little girl open her mouth. No, Mommy, no! Open your d___ mouth before I slap you! The mother began soaping the little girl's mouth. The little girl began choking on the bubbles, suds from the Ivory soap. She began sneezing. Her mother rinsed her mouth out with water ... her mother had washed that dirty word out of her mouth ... or so, she thought. I sit here with a smile on my face. My mama thought she'd broke me from saying that bad word by washing my mouth out with Ivory soap. She didn't know it stayed hidden in my mouth ... if I get upset that's the one word I use ... my favorite 'bad' word. I'm an adult today ... when I become frustrated or upset ... I say, "d___!" I never used Ivory soap very much growing up. I like it very much. Once in a while I will buy it ... hold it to my nose to smell its clean scent ... to remember. It makes me sneeze! Guess what I say? D___! Note by this Author: This is a true story that happened to me at a time when I could do anything I wanted to do ... I could imagine whatever I wanted ... I could see, feel! I had imagination! I still have imagination in my adult life ... that's why I write. Photo/story owned, written by Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee. Written to post on http://new.mylot.com/GrannyGee