Bouncing Baby Girl
There are stories you remember so vividly, it’s like they happened yesterday.
There are also the stories that are told to you time and time again. Some stories get embellished with the retelling, much like the game Telephone, where you sit in a circle with a bunch of friends, and someone whispers a story in the first person’s ear. That person in turn repeats that story to the next, and so on until it reaches the first person who began the tale. The original story doesn't even come close to the story repeated at the end. This isn’t one of those stories. For as many times as I’ve heard it, it has never ever changed.
Scene 1
Suzy Pafka, aka Maria Meda Pafka, an 8 month old baby is being tossed up in the air by a drunken uncle. Tossed up in the air, over and over, until she is tossed so high, she hits her head on the ceiling, in the basement apartment on Henry Street and is knocked unconscious.
Scene 2
Uncle and mother scream.
Enter Johnny Farrell-from upstairs, the Farrell twin who lived upstairs and wore women’s dresses.
He takes Suzy, who by now has turned a lovely shade of blue, and has stopped breathing and gives her mouth to mouth resuscitation.
Scene 3
Suzy starts breathing, turns back to a natural color and is seemingly fine.
Johnny Farrell saves Suzy’s life.
End of Story? Almost. For a few years, it seems, no one knew whether Suzy had suffered any brain damage. They (mother, uncle, Johnny, etc) decided to wait and see. No sense bringing her to a doctor if everything seemed ok. No abuse here.
There are also the stories that are told to you time and time again. Some stories get embellished with the retelling, much like the game Telephone, where you sit in a circle with a bunch of friends, and someone whispers a story in the first person’s ear. That person in turn repeats that story to the next, and so on until it reaches the first person who began the tale. The original story doesn't even come close to the story repeated at the end. This isn’t one of those stories. For as many times as I’ve heard it, it has never ever changed.
Scene 1
Suzy Pafka, aka Maria Meda Pafka, an 8 month old baby is being tossed up in the air by a drunken uncle. Tossed up in the air, over and over, until she is tossed so high, she hits her head on the ceiling, in the basement apartment on Henry Street and is knocked unconscious.
Scene 2
Uncle and mother scream.
Enter Johnny Farrell-from upstairs, the Farrell twin who lived upstairs and wore women’s dresses.
He takes Suzy, who by now has turned a lovely shade of blue, and has stopped breathing and gives her mouth to mouth resuscitation.
Scene 3
Suzy starts breathing, turns back to a natural color and is seemingly fine.
Johnny Farrell saves Suzy’s life.
End of Story? Almost. For a few years, it seems, no one knew whether Suzy had suffered any brain damage. They (mother, uncle, Johnny, etc) decided to wait and see. No sense bringing her to a doctor if everything seemed ok. No abuse here.
posted by Suzy at 1:58 PM
7 Comments:
That is so f'ed up!
You are so brave to be putting this out there.
xo
Yes, you are brave, and wonderful! Keep it up!
Suzy,
I have read all your blogs this evening; some for a second time. Don't ever think just because you see no comment that your not being read with feelings of awe and wonder. Your writing style and retelling of your life's journey is superb and courageous. You are uniquely you; Wonderful, Beautiful, Talented You!
Good work, Suzy! Wonderful writing, wonderful, wonderful, dead on wonderful! From here on out, i call you the "hold out!!!" You are the one to watch.
One more...good work!
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Your mother's mother must have slept with a flower pot because she was a bloomin' idiot!!
sheesh ... gotta marvel at the maturity level inherent there ... "gee, if we glue the lamp back together, maybe mom will never notice"
umm, hello???? lamp does NOT equal baby!!!
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