We went into the snow in socks and taped garbage bags together.
We went through 10 bottles of shampoo, 2 bottles of baby
oil, 8 bottles of conditioner, 1 bottle of dishwashing liquid, and 37
bottles of water. In addition, probably three or four toes each. What
we learned? Life is exhilarating, even in the blanketed white.
In the end, we were both soaked and shivering, but we rolled
up the garbage bags anyway and hid all the garbage; our parents
wouldn’t like our idea. What we learned? It didn’t matter
what they liked.
We liked the idea. We also liked the idea of an egg fight in the driveway.
The frozen eggs left welts on my arms; her aim was a little too
good. We liked the idea of mixing every food we could find in
the kitchen, and eating it. A challenge. What we learned? Never eat anything
that is bright purple.
We didn’t so much like the idea of her stage 4 cancer. She had
known that something was wrong, but not this.
19 and dying was a challenge, too. Taking every truth
of life and mixing it together. What we learned? Getting Subway
on the way to chemo every day will make you hate Subway.
We ate brownies to celebrate her remission. Then
we went to a concert and got into all the mosh pits.
Something you can shove back is a better bully.
What we learned? Screaming can be kind of fun if
no one knows about the rage behind it.
Alaina Richardson is a double major in English education and communications at Penn State Harrisburg. She is a junior.
