June 22 | Draw Four
Mom has this Uno deck that is comprised of probably 4.5 individual decks. Melissa and I would spend hours and hours playing on the floor without ever having to reshuffle. Often when we had worked our way down to the last possible card, we would turn the discard pile over and continue playing. I miss our Uno marathons.
June 18 | Sushi
Rodney & I have become great sushi lovers and we have sushi parties with friends. We had one out at Caribou Lake once and Melissa was there. She watched us make the different rolls of sushi with a disgusted look on her face and every few minutes she would say "ooohh...are you really going to eat that stuff" or "that's just gross". We offered some to her, but she wouldn't even try it. Everytime I make it I think of her and how grossed out she was.
June 12 | Reminders
I'm working part-time at a local copy shop doing desktop publishing. Today I had to layout a funeral announcement. It was very difficult as the entire process reminded me of Melissa's funeral. It made me remember that the Melissa-hole in my life will always remain empty.
June 08 | Sleepwalking
Like the rest of the family, Melissa was prone to sleepwalk.
She sleepwalked on the boat such that Rodney would follow her to make sure she didn't walk overboard. Damon reminded me that there was discussion about locking the cabin door at night so she couldn't get on deck.
Throughout a few months one winter back when we still shared a room, she would get out of her bed around 3am and come to mine. She would reach down and shake me pretty hard while urging me to wake up and get out of bed: we were late for school.
Most of the time I was able to persuade her to get back in her bed. But at least once she crawled into my bed still shaking my shoulder.
One of those evenings, instead of waking me, she stood in the middle of our bedroom and danced to some apparently pretty good music playing in her dream. She made no sound, and after the song was over she climbed silently back into her bed.
June 02 | Harf
I remember Mom, Melissa, Valette and I driving to Soldotna (or maybe Anchorage) one time when Melissa was probably 5. Melissa was notorious for getting car sick and this trip was no exception. She was sitting in the front seat while Mom drove. She had gotten that glazed look in her eyes and was some indescribable shade of green. Mom asked if she was getting sick. Melissa responded in a drone-like voice, "No." Mom persisted, "Do you need me to pull over?" Melissa continued to deny her sickness though she was anything but convincing. Mom continued to ask, Melissa continued to insist that she was fine. Then Melissa promptly...
threw up all over the dash board, door, and floor. Mom pulled over and cleaned up after her beloved daughter who was now more pale looking than ever. After a scolding for not admitting that she was sick, we resumed our journey. This time I sat in the front passenger's seat and held Melissa. She continued to look sick, but again was sure that Mom didn't need to pull over. Mom asked if Melissa was going to puke. Melissa said no. Mom asked again. Melissa said no... Then she began to hurl again, but this time I was ready for her. In front of my convulsing sister I held one of those small car garbage bags that you get at gas stations. I was proud that I had avoided another mess when I noticed that the bag had a leak, enough to let a small, but steady stream of puke spill out onto the floor as well as my legs. Mom pulls over again, repeats the whole clean up routine, and issues another warning to Melissa. It's decided that Melissa will lie down in the back leaving me in the front seat alone and evidently a bit pale myself. Mom takes to the road again and, after awhile, asks me if I'm going to be sick. With the same glazed-eye, pale expression, and droning voice that was used by my little sister I look at my mother and say, "No, Mom, You don't need to pull over..."
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