As children at the cottage in Maine, my sister and I shared a room made extra special by bunk beds. These old wooden and metal beds had a bouncy wire base that held the lumpy, thin mattresses. I had the bottom and Liz had the top.
Our bedtime was pretty early - it was still light outside but our parents probably needed a break. I honed my singing skills but belting out all the songs that I knew. When Liz whined, I added rhythm by placing my feet on the bottom of her bunk and pushed up in a pulsing manner. This was fantastic exercise.
If she dangled her blanket over the edge and I could sense that she was asleep, I would assist her by pulling the blanket to the floor. Her favorite stuffed animal was a brown dog called Henry. If his arm was within reach, he would suddenly end up in my bed. And then one fateful night, she fell asleep with her arm hanging over the edge. I reached up and gave a gentle tug, but Liz tumbled out of her bed! Reaching deep into my bag of acting skills, I pretended to be asleep while she howled and was fussed over by my parents. She, rightfully, accused me of this act but this was dismissed as I was clearly asleep, only recently woken by her screams.
Many years later Liz and I were traveling through France and visiting friends in different regions. When we arrived in Pierre-Latte and were shown to our room, I entered first and claimed the bottom bunk bed. Liz still had trust issues with a bunk bed so she yanked her mattress from the top and set up a sleeping space on the floor. A week later, when we arrived in Les Arcs, Liz entered our sleeping quarters first and triumphantly claimed the lower bunk before she discovered her mistake. These were not traditional beds but more like a sleeping platform. She could only do damage to her head as the taller sister when she entered and exited her bed.
Some childhood memories run deep. For me, the memories bring a sense of nostalgia and a bit of humor (okay...a lot of humor). As for my sister, I'm pretty sure that she still believes that bunk beds are evil.
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