Judy – the girl with the balls of her brother

[Sandra Davies]

First time I’d heard ‘tomboy’ applied to anyone, and she was a perfect example, always wearing aertex shirts and boys’ shorts, with snake hooked striped elastic belt.

Her body, legs and arms, all gangly, lacking girlhood guile, yet not without grace. Hair short and straight and blondish, face narrow, freckled, smiling; eyes grey, or green or maybe brown – I guess I’d now say ‘hazel’ – their expression always honest.

I found her alien insofar as she was unknown, not conventional, atypical of what I then thought a girl of her age ought to be. But interesting, worthy of attention, to be questioned as to the source of her self-confidence.
And also as to the source of the scarring on her throat, around her neck, to which she answered “Fire, from playing with a light switch.”


[This is, to some extent, second thoughts following my previous post]

[Sandra Davies]

@ Mike and Rob - thank you messieurs - praise from you is praise indeed
@ Toby - yes, but only if you treat her nice
@ Julia - Littl'un said he had a navy blue & red belt - so I MUST be losing my memory

[Mike Handley]

See what I mean about recall? You thought that well was tapped out in your last post, and yet you found enough dregs to produce a wonderful sequel. I love your brain, showered or unshowered.

[Toby Tucker Hecht]

Wow! Playing with a light switch, burning her neck, and with great confidence. An amazing character. Can I steal her for a short story??????

[Robert Crisman]

I like this one a lot. "lacking girlhood guile"--priceless!

[Sandra Davies]

@ T - apparently the burning was before she was adopted, but I know no more - and she changed her name from Judy, presumably under the influence of adoptive parents.

[Teresa]

I remember wanting to be a tomboy. I half pulled it off. I looked like a boy for a long time, was mistaken for a boy a few times with my short pixie hair cuts when I was 5, 6, 7, 8. This is so full of imagery. I can see her and now the story of the light switch is haunting me. I hope you remember more. If she was adopted, no wonder what she came from.

[Sandra Davies]

Nope - I don't remember having seen one since my brother wore one ... but am prepared to admit that it might be my memory that's at fault

[jkdavies]

you must have kept one lying around? I'm sure the dearly beloved middle child had a red/blue/red one?

[Sandra Davies]

Hell's bell's Julia - I didn't know you were THAT old!!

[jkdavies]

"the snake hooked striped elastic belt" took me right back to my own childhood. Funny the things you forget, I can't remember when I last saw one...