A story by Maria from 2020
Seven-year-old Maria’s diary, impressions of staying with her grandparents during the summer of 2020 (around June 19-25)
Somesville, Maine
Mama sings "get your hands up." I have no idea what that means. Everyone is yelling. I've been sick all night! and he died! He died, I know he died. (1) And mama is saying something about carrots on the grill. [younger brother] James is barking like a dog. [grandfather] Gahbi has been wearing a new shirt. It is green plaid. I don't really like it. Mama asks me to get my pajamas. I go to my room and put [on] my white nightgown and then I put my white night jacket on over it. I look out my window. I see the daisies and then I remember to check the yellow flowers! (2) I run down the stairs to tell Gahbi. Now mama is singing in the bathroom. Dad called and they mostly talked about Trump. Boring! It’s bedtime and wow it is boring! I'm tired but I can’t go to sleep and there is nothing to do. Upstairs is quiet up here now. [grandmother] Pool has her glasses on and looking at her phone.
Now I’m sitting in my bed wiggling my tooth. It’s morning and it’s quiet except for Gahbi’s typing and yelling from downstairs.
P. 2.
Oh, Cecilia, sh sh [my brother] James sings. [the cat] Welker is squeaky. I got this mom, sings James. Welker is at the door. I go to let her in. It’s breakfast. Pool is going running. Now me, Mommy and Serita are reading Kit and More Perfect than the Moon. Mama asked me to put my clothes on so I do. Then I went and brushed my hair, then I brushed my teeth. Then we went to the [brookside] cemetery [in somesville]. We saw different kinds of flowers, rhododendrons and geraniums. There were different shades of the geraniums like pink, and bright reds and dark reds. Pansies, marigolds, roses, spiraea, dandelions, zinnias. Then we went back home.
We played in the two white buckets. Then me and Pool and Gahbi and little James went down to the [echo] lake. On the way down, James fell down two times. On the way up he fell over 2 times. Then we read some books and then we had dinner and then I went up to my room and I wrote "Prince Gahbi and Carrot Peel Serita married and they’re going to run away to Hippo Land and have 11 kids and name two of them Bony Head and Tootie."
It’s morning and I’ve been lying awake for a long time. Then I say to Serita, "Let’s play dolls." So we start playing and then we go downstairs to have breakfast. Then we went to Blagden [preserve] and then we came back to have lunch. And do piano and ballet. Then we went to the lake and then we played dolls and had dinner and read books and had baths. Then we went to bed.
It's morning and we’ve been playing dolls for a long time. But finally we went downstairs. Serita had breakfast. Then went upstairs. But me, James and mom had a fun time in the living room. And then I had breakfast. Now we’re making Felicity's cloak. (3) Then we went to bed.
It’s morning. And I’m eavesdropping about Uncle James being sick and it was true because the rest of the day long James stayed in his bed. He even had his own bathroom. And then we went to Seal Harbor Beach then we went and we got donuts and then we went back home. Then we went to the lake and then went back and had eggs for dinner. James went to get tested. “"t could be Lyme or Corona," said Mom. (4) Then I went to bed.
It’s morning. And it’s pretty boring. I go downstairs, had breakfast and then we went to the lake. Then we came back and had a snack on the porch. Then Mama gave us the book Josephina Learns a Lesson. (5) Then we read books then we had dinner. The dinner was pasta with red sauce and meat balls. [uncle] James said his fever was 103. Then we read books and went to bed.
"Hey Maria you have to get up." I remember that me, Pool, Mom and Serita are kayaking to Echo Lake Beach. We got ready and we were off! Gahbi and James were going to go in the car. I asked Pool to tie up our kayaks. She said we could so I gave her my rope. Then we arrived. James and Gahbi arrived a little later.
1. Line from the movie "National Velvet."
2. Small yellow flowers on the lawn that open with the sun and close at night.
3. Felicity is an American Girl doll.
4. It was Lyme Disease. James recovered quickly.
5. One of the American Girl books.
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