Snus, Whiskey & Me

When I was about 4-5 my mom had a meeting and dropped me off at my grandpa Larson's for a couple of hours. He wasn't used to taking care of little kids so mom gave him a long lecture about watching me and what not to let me do...play in the yard alone (too close to the highway); go down the basement (stairs too steep) etc. It appears, looking back, that she forgot to mention a few things.

After she left we had fun in the garden, feeding the chipmunks and picking crab apples. I decided I should eat one so Grandpa was peeling it. I took the paring knife when his back was turned to help. Of course I cut myself, it was bleeding which meant I needed a band aid. He didn't have one. So he ripped a piece of cloth and wrapped it round and round my finger and tied it around my wrist. Wow, now it looked like a bad injury!

Later we were having coffee. I was slurping mostly cream and sugar from a saucer. He liked to chase his coffee with a jigger or two of whiskey. He also like to chew snuff snus as it was called back in Sweden. The can was sitting open by his chair. I asked for a pinch. You won't like it, he told me. But as I always have to learn things the hard way, I kept begging, until he gave me the tiniest bit. Ugh! Horrible, instead of spitting it out, I swallowed it...then needed something quick to drink...yep I grapped the whiskey and downed it! Ugh Horrible! Not much was left in the jigger, but it was awful just the same. Still, I thought the adventure was fun. (Apparently, I liked a devilish adventure even back then.)

Grandpa told me it should be our little secret...the snus and the whiskey. "Oh sure" I promptly said, "I won't tell."
Apparently, Grandpa's don't know that little girls can't keep secrets!

The moment my mom appeared at the door I went running up with my bandaged hand in the air, "I had fun. I cut off my finger, chewed snus and drank whiskey! Can I come back tomorrow?"

Needless to say my mother wasn't as happy with the days events as I was, I think grandpa was in trouble! But I never forgot the fun!

The moral of the story is...When Rylee gets a little older-beware-Grandparents don't always do what they are told!