Tammi's World

Shooter in the house!

I would have sworn I had posted about my sister shooting me in the head. But I can't seem to find it.

The good news is it gives me something to post about today. :-)

The bad news? Not sure I can tell it "quickly". Sorry.

Ok - it was the summer of '73. Daddy had been gone almost a year and I was getting ready to turn 11. Dee was 6.

We were over at Daddy's best friend's house, our Uncle Bobby Fishhook, since Mama was helping him straighten out his garage.

Now, we girls were never around guns. Daddy always kept his locked up away from us and, with the majority of the family Amish, not many around to get into trouble with.

So....Mama is out in the garage with Uncle Bobby. Dee and I are watching TV. I'm in the recliner, because I'm the oldest and it's what ever I say. She.....is doing what she normally does. Make me crazy.

She's pickin' Pickin' PICKIN'. Pushin' the rocker forward, pullin' my hair, tappin' my shoulder - til I finally just turned around and popped her one.

That stopped things for about a minute.

Then I felt something up against the right side of my head. Just behind and above my ear. So I swat it with my hand. Huh. It's metal. So I turn. I'm looking down the barrel of a gun.

Now, first - it was a pump action pellet gun. However it was fully pumped. Uncle Bobby had it sittin' in the corner to shoot rabbits with. He didn't know we were comin' so never thought to put it up. Plus, we girls knew better. Well, at least I did.

I told Dee to put that damned thing down before she hurt someone, then turned back around and continued watching TV. Pretty soon I feel it back up against my head. This time there was a loud noise with it.

I told her to put that down before Mama came in and kicked BOTH our asses. (and yes, I did curse that badly at 11)

Pretty soon she's back, pickin' at my hair. I lost it. I jump out of the chair yellin'. What Are You Doing?!?!>!

That's when she tells me I'm bleeding and she was trying to clean it up.

Tammi: Ohhh GREAT!!! Now you're gonna get it. You just WAIT til Mama hears you shot me in the head!! Stomping out to garage

Tammi: Mama? Mama?!? MAMA!!!
Mama: Stop. Yelling! What do you want?
Tammi: Dee shot me in the head, we gotta go to the hospital.

And I proceeded to go over and wait by the car.

Now, this part is funny and I only hope I can describe it well enough.

Mama is driving. I'm in the front passenger seat. Dee is in the back seat behind me, and Uncle Bobby is behind Mama.

Tammi: I'm kinda sleepy, I'll just take a quick nap.
Mama: No!! No Sleeping (slapping me)
Dee: (crying in the back seat) I'm sorry Mama, I'm soooo sorry.
Mama; (reaching into back seat to slap Dee) Oh, you have no idea about sorry yet, young lady. You just wait.
Uncle Bobby: I never thought. I just never thought.
Mama: Larry? (his real name) Shut up. This isn't about you....

And on and on it went. The entire 30 minute drive to the hospital.

Now, I need to tell you it never hurt. Not at all. Until they gave me the local. Yeah, that would be about the time Mama was wishin' I had never had voice lessons, cause I can do me some screamin'.

Oh, and as I mentioned I still have problems from it. There are bits of bone and pellet that they couldn't try to remove. It's floating between the brain and the skull. My blood pressure goes up? Yep.....it's a headache. Never fails. Thank GOODNESS I deal with stress better than I used to.

Anyway - it made the local paper. I was a bit of a celebrity for a few minutes. AND I have GREAT ammo with Dee. Cause you know damned well, I have NEVER let her forget that.....

Posted by Tammi at June 28, 2007 06:11 AM | TrackBack