The Old .38 Pistol

When I was about 8 years old my sister, Anita, was 16 years of age. My older brother, Jerry, was 15 and my younger brother, Tommy was 11.

One summer day, while my mom and dad were working during the day, Jerry and Anita had some teen-age friends over to the house. They were all in the kitchen discussing what teens discuss. Tommy decided he wanted in on the conversation and whatever was going on. You know how younger can pester the older. Well, needless to say, Jerry and Anita wanted their privacy and told Tommy he better scoot out of the kitchen.

That didn't sit well with Tommy so he decides to go get dad's .38 pistol. Now you have to understand the pistol was almost as big as Tommy was.

He walks into the kitchen brandishing the pistol and teen-agers scatter far and wide. Out the windows and doors and behind the fridge, any place to protect themselves. Who knows what can happen when a little kid is slinging a .38 around and around.

My part in this was, I heard all the commotion and ran to the kitchen to see what was going on. Jerry said, "Lanell, get outta here, go somewhere else." Needless to say we were all scared out of out wits.

Jerry being the "man" of the house finally talked Tommy out of the pistol and all was safe again.

To my knowledge mom and dad, to this day, never found out about that incident. It is a wonder we didn't kill each other, being left on our own during a hot summer day of the '50's.