Child’s Play with Cousin Ross
~Dave Waldo from his book; Sharing Personal Stories
Everyone called it the Ranch. Actually it was the family farm located north of Spokane where my grandmother (Gram) lived, and where my mother and her brothers and sisters grew up. It was our family’s gathering place.
I was probably 3 years old and my cousin Ross was a year older. We were having fun playing like we were gas station men busy filling my dad’s car with gas. Actually we were dumping sand and dirt into the gas tank. Later, we all got into the car. Dad drove out the driveway to the road, turned and began driving down the hill. Just then I heard Dad say “That’s funny, there’s something wrong with the car.” I piped up from the back seat and said “Well, we filled up the gas tank this morning.” Oops! I can’t remember what happened after that, but that became a family story told over and over.
Ross and I tended to get into trouble together when we were little and at the Ranch. I think we must have been playing something like daddy or mommy and little baby. All I can remember is being in the woodshed next to the big house and spoon feeding Ross a pretty greenish blue powder. Ross would say “yum, good,” and smack his lips. The next thing I remember was a lot of upset and consternation from the adults and Ross being rushed into the house. I learned later that I had been feeding Ross bird poison. The children were not allowed into the house while all this was going on. So, all we could do was peek in the windows and watch wide-eyed as Ross was fed raw eggs to make him vomit. Yuk! Poor Ross, he took the brunt of that little bit of fun.
A few years later, when I was maybe 7 and Ross was 8, we were playing behind the barn. Ross had some matches, and we set a little fire, just a little one, not too big. Then it started spreading, and “Oh my gosh!” It got out of hand. I ran to the house and told the adults who ran to the barn to put out the fire. When it was all over, my mother cut a willow branch off the tree. She was going to give me a good spanking. But, Gram saved the day for me. She said, “Don’t spank Dave, he came and told us about the fire, spank Ross, he ran and hid.” So, once again, Ross took the brunt. I’ll always be grateful that Ross never held those experiences against me.