"The world is shaped by two things -- stories told and the memories they leave behind." -- Vera Nazarian from Dreams of the Compass Rose
One summer day while visiting in Mississippi, we went shopping at a Murphy's store. Murphy's was like Walgreens without a pharmacy; they had aisles and aisles of everything. Back in those days, kids could wander through stores to their hearts' content without fear, so as our mom cruised the aisles picking up what she needed, we three kids were free to roam.
I headed for the suntan lotion display. I have always loved the smell of suntan lotion, which seems to transport me to beaches and eternal summer. I flipped the lid on one bottle and squeezed gently. A puff of Hawaii-scented air filled my senses. Mmmmm! My brother approached and asked for a smell. I gave him a puff. It didn't seem to have the same transporting effect on him that it did on me, and he wandered off, unimpressed.
Next, my little sister wanted a turn. I gave the bottle another of the same gentle squeezes, no different from the previous two. Unfortunately that third squeeze was too much for the lotion, rising unheeded in the dark plastic container. As I squeezed, a flood of white, creamy, Hawaii-scented lotion shot out of the bottle in an exploding squirt, straight up into my sister's nose! It also ran down into her mouth and dripped oozingly from her chin. What a mess! She began to cry instantly. The lotion, mixing with the tears, became an even bigger mess. I, knowing the inevitable outcome of her shrieking tears, tried to shush her. No chance! My mother, hearing the distressing cries of her youngest, rushed to the scene.
As she tried to comfort my sister, my mom instructed me to purchase the half-empty bottle of lotion and a box of tissues to be used in cleaning up my sister. I was also persuaded to buy the injured party a toy of her choosing as a means of apology. That was definitely adding insult to injury -- mine! Years later, my sister and I still argued about whether I intentionally tried to injure her. I stand firm in my innocence. After all, it was just the third puff.
