"I'm getting the camera"

Natalie and my mom said they remember being at the Country house when this happened. Heck, I might have been there too but was off playing in the sandbox with my G.I. Joes or racing down the incline on the blue Tonka tractor with Mandy.

I imagine everyone sitting quietly in the little yard in front of the house, taking in the sun, reading books or magazines, knitting. I imagine Natalie, with her hair in a pony tail, bangs teased, and Elaine leafing through magazines. I imagine Colleen, behind her glasses, working on a crossword puzzle. I see my mom reading a book. I imagine Pappy, with a trucker hat high on his head, reading the paper and Nanny knitting away. I imagine the sound of chicka-dee-dee-dees calling each other to Pappy's yellow feeders, diligently filled with seeds. The occasional jeer-jeer of a blue jay flitting from tree to tree across the road from our canary yellow country house. When suddenly a different set of noises joins the chorus...

Pop - popopopop - riiipp!

Everyone looks over to where the sounds came from to see Nanny quickly sinking into and through her chair! Legs and feet up, arms reaching upwards with knitting still in her hands - Nanny's butt going through her knitted seat and settling onto the grass. "Awww - Frig!!!"

Mom whoops into a laughing fit, tears immediately appear in her eyes, and takes off for the washroom, even though Mandy is already in there. Colleen has her hand over her mouth and through her glasses you can see her eyes smiling. Pat's laughing loudly, slapping his knee, and so are Natalie and Elaine. Pappy is laughing too, he's also getting up. To help Nanny? She thinks so, dropping her knitting and reaching with her hands, she expects that he's gonna hoist her out of her chair hole but no! He's walking towards the house - "I'm getting the camera!"

"What!? Fucker! Help me out!"

"Nope - camera!" Pappy calls over his shoulder.

The more Nanny's struggles, the more everyone laughs. I imagine that I run over to see what the commotion's about. I'm probably standing there, a blonde hair and cheeks laughing along with our family's silliness. Pappy comes our of the chalet with a camera and snaps a couple pictures from the covered balcony.

I think I see the picture in my mind. I hope it exists. If it doesn't, though, it doesn't matter. I like the version I remember.