The question this week is :
- Tell us about a childhood memory.
I have been sharing a few childhood memories this week already, so I’m ready to share another one today.
The title for my story is Not Just Parquet
There was parquet flooring in the Big Room of my childhood home. It looked something like this:
Each of the squares consisted of four or five rectangular pieces of wood scrunched tightly together and then were placed on a concrete slab with a bunch of glue. I loved the floor! I would spend hours finding “things” in the shapes of the knots and wood grain just as cloud watchers do.
Mom was and is a meticulous housekeeper, so the floors were always clean enough to eat off. The floors were also waxed and polished to a see-your-reflection shine. The Big Room’s parquet floor was as much a toy as my Lincoln Logs, LEGOS or Barbies.
When I was nine years old, my parents filed for divorce. The house was put up for sale and soon purchased. Under the window in the Big Room was a loose piece of wood in one of the square configurations. Before leaving the house forever after it was purchased, I wrote a note, folded it neatly, and when no one was looking, placed it under the loose piece of parquet flooring. I’m sure that someone during the last thirty-eight years found it and maybe felt sad for the child who had scribbled the message.
- Mom and Dad are divorced.
- I don’t want to leave this house.
- I am so sad.
- Enjoy my swing.
I was sad and it was hard to have my parents divorce. Mom didn’t want my sister and I to suffer any more trauma than we had already, so we spent a few weeks with my grandparents while she moved us into a new apartment that she had meticulously cleaned. Much to our surprise, the floor was none other than parquet! As silly as this may seem to a grown adult, it meant a great deal to a child who had spent many hours simply staring at the floor of her beloved home. Upon entering the apartment for the first time and seeing the flooring, I immediately felt that everything was going to be okay. It felt like home.
Many happy hours were spent not only resuming my old childhood floor games, but I added one that my mother didn’t particularly like called “Pledge the floor so slippery that it is impossible to walk on” game. The shine on the floor was…well, sunglasses were needed to look at it and holding the wall was the only way to walk on it.
But…
It was the best slippery slide I have ever been on!
Now it is your turn to share any childhood memory you choose. Write a post and paste the URL into the Linky below so we can come visit your blog!
I think it is that small comforts that make life worthwhile. It is not a silly thing if it gave you hope during such a difficult time.
I want to thank you for the meme and in particular this weeks theme. It made me think about things I haven't thought about in years!
Aww….so sad about the note, but so cool that the new place had parquet flooring. It doesn't seem silly at all. It reminded me of a childhood memory-the flooring in my bedroom- linoleum with different games printed on it lol Us kids would sit there & play checkers on the floor without ever needing a game board. Ohhhhhh that floor was ugly! sammiejanL40 at aol dot com