5.19.2011

If Pete Makes Her Cry ... No School For Us


Pete, Nancy, Michelle and I went to the same Catholic school at the same time: Our Lady Of Refuge school on Ocean Parkway. The school bus would pick up Pete's and Nan's friends from East 15th Street before reaching our bus stop on the corner of East 18th and Avenue L. Pete and Nan were responsible for me while we waited for the bus together.

Since Nettie was a push-over for snow days, if there was a couple of inches on the ground, she'd make the decision to let us stay home ... and most of the time we did. Then, it was a day of building snow forts and having snow ball fights until we were too cold to play.

I was in 3rd grade when we had this fantastic snow storm. We stayed home one day because there was no school bus to pick us up. The next day, Pete developed a game called, "Hide From The Bus." Pete stood in the middle of the street and waited till the bus was a block away. Then, at his command, we all ran and hid behind cars, gates, trees until the bus left the corner. Then we went back to Nettie's house and Peter told her the bus never came. That was a Thursday. We stayed home and played all day.

When Friday came, Pete decided that he wanted the day off and a longer snow weekend. He didn't think we could say the bus never showed again, because it was unlikely and we would probably get caught. So, he decided that I needed a lesson in crying. He figured if I cried to Nettie that I was too cold or that I was hurt, we all could miss the bus and get to stay home one last day.

He spent about 5 minutes teaching me to fake a crying fit, but I couldn't do it. So, he and Nancy pulled off my mittens, and Pete held my hands in the snow until I started to cry from the pain in my fingers. He pulled my hand out of the snow, checked to see if it was red and cold enough, and put them back into the snow until I was hysterical.

Then, we all ran down the block to Nettie's (while I was instructed to swear not to rat them out) and cry until Nettie announced that we could stay home once again because poor little Darcie had frostbite. I can still remember Pete smiling and doing a silent high five with Nan because his plan worked and we got to stay home once again. I was sworn to secrecy or warned that the boogie man was going to get me if I ratted them out.

Eventually that day I was able to go outside with my cousins when my hands warmed up and stopped paining me. But it's been 36 years since that cold day and every time the breeze blows and I get pains in my fingers - I remember Peter's gleeful decision that "If We Make Her Cry ... We'd Get To Stay Home From School !"

Thanks a lot Pete !
: - ))

I love this Headbangers Ball interview with Pete and Josh. I always wondered if Josh was awake during this interview. I'm sure you have seen this, but it's a fun reminder of TON's past:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO-gNdDLS-g&feature=related

12 comments:

  1. Thats awesome! Thank You!!!!

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  2. The things we do to stay home from school as kids. I once made a bee sting me on the finger so I couldn't hold a pen to write. Now,as an adult I feel bad because the bee had to die. Poor Darcie, that would have hurt a lot. You are very lucky to be a part of such a close fun family. Thanks for sharing your memories about Peter...even though they are painful ones!

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  3. what a turd!! thinking if one of the girl's cries to nettie "yeah! no school for the whole weekend"!! lol. such a priceless child he must have been!!! lol. i am so glad he carried it all thru his life. and how awful to be threatened with the boogie man!! lmao.

    thanks again for the memories.

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  4. poor darcie! lol peter it seems,was a man of quick thinking....sounds like some people wound up getting caught in the crossfire.as always,great story!

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  5. i just watched the video of the old interview...god rikki rachtman is such a douche lol i had to say it,peter and josh look and sound like they would rather be anywhere but there. lol good to see that though!
    -erik hernandezalso forgot to sign the comment above about poor darcie!

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  6. I love that Headbangers Ball interview. Pete looks to die for in this interview, but Josh looks like he wishes he was ANYWHERE else. LOL.
    I love how Pete gives his sisters credit for his varied taste in music and why they covered Summer Breeze, which is an AMAZING cover!!

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  7. Gee, and I thought turning your pajamas inside out the night before school was a good way to get snow and stay home. Leave it to Peter to think of those schemes. RIP PETER. Thanks for sharing!---Jessica (Black Number 1)

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  8. Oh now that is just funny! But ouchie for the hands!

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  9. Oh what a brother haha! My bro would do that to me, but we never got to stay home from school for it. He did it to be mean lol!
    The only way I would get to stay home from school when it snowed is if I slipped and fell on the ice as, for some reason, it was on the only pathway to the bus doors. X(
    My tailbone still cringes at the thought of it..
    But anyway, wonderful winter memories! You always have such great ones when there's snow around!

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  10. great story! Also, I still have that interview on VHS tape! It was from 1994 I think (if it says it on the link, i didn't look).

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  11. Ow, meanie! But you got to stay home from school yeah? ;)

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