I was sure to get in trouble if my mom found out and had to devise a plan to hide it.

My parents always told me I was a peculiar child, I don't think my mother meant it in a good way but my father seemed to appreciate my uniqueness. I liked to spend a lot of time alone and preferred the company of my pets, imaginary friends and as I grew older, my books. I remember an incident when I was five that being different played against me. . . It was summer and my mother was getting dinner prepared; I decided I wanted to help. My mother said I was too young and told me to sit down, so I did, on the open oven door. I think I moved faster than light because suddenly I was in the bathroom and do not remember getting there. I was afraid to look and was trying my best not to cry because my leg hurt very very bad. I did look, though, and there it was; the biggest blister I had ever seen on the back on my right leg. I was sure to get in trouble if my mom found out and had to devise a plan to hide it. First, I had to stop the tears, second I had to prevent my parents and siblings from seeing it: it was too warm out to wear long pants, plus it would hurt my legs. I had it! I would walk backwards! So I did, for three days; no one questioned my odd behavior and I thought I was home free, then my little sister and I went to visit my Grandma Ogden which I was regretting anyways because she would always give us crooked bang trims. I walked into her house backward and she immediately took a look behind my back and saw the now scabbed-over but still painful burn; Grandma Ogden was one astute lady. Grandma Ogden was very gentile while she was bandaging my burn, which was about the size of a small carrot; all the while she kept asking why my parents hadn't seen it, they must be crazy to let a child walk around backwards without even wondering why etc. . . That night when my parents picked us up she laid into them, my mother tried making excuses, my father just shook his head and I just stood there shaking in fear, afraid that I would get spanked when I got home for hiding my burn. I didn't get spanked; my father was very understanding and thought it was kind of funny but my mother, she was angry for failing in her job to protect me.