Wednesday, July 28, 2021

First Times Away From Home


Although I can’t remember the exact year, I think it was around 1974 so Eric would have been 9 and Erica almost 8. The church we attended had organized a camping excursion for the boys that was quite a distance away. We lived in Delaware and the camp was in western Pennsylvania. Eric was excited to go and, always the adventurer, he had no qualms about going so far away from home for a week. He had a list of things to take and was packed and ready to go far in advance of the actual date of departure. I snapped a photo of the group of boys standing in front of the bus on the big day, and I think Eric was the only one smiling. (I promise I was not an evil mother!)


Erica, exhibiting some sibling rivalry and possibly some jealousy,  expressed the need for a trip of her own so I suggested we ask my mom  if she would be up for a visit. She was delighted to accommodate and Erica begged to use my adult suitcase which she began filling immediately with everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. The only time she got a little teary was when she had to say goodbye to her cat, who was expecting kittens.


All was well, though, when we got to Grandmom’s. She lived about 40 miles away in the country, a short distance from Middletown, Delaware. We had visited often in the past and everything was familiar to Erica including the chickens and two beagles. And Grandmom had bought a new Barbie as a surprise. Miss Kitty was a faint memory by the time we left to go back home.


Needless to say, Jim and I were delighted as well. A whole week to ourselves! We planned a couple of short trips of our own, and we could see that movie we had been yearning for.


Days one and two came and went without event until the evening of day two when Grandmom called to say Erica was homesick and was begging for us to  come up and get her. I talked to her on the phone and asked if she could stay that night as it was very late, and she agreed, but not ecstatically. I thought it might be just a spur of the moment longing for home that would pass. No, bright and early the next morning, Grandmom put a sniffling Erica on the phone. She wanted to come home. Now, I know my mom and I know she went out of her way to show her love and entertain her granddaughter, but I don’t think homesickness has been aptly defined by Mr. Webster. Erica was out of her comfort zone, and we hit the road.


As we neared Grandmom’s house, I saw this little person standing in the middle of the road, chin down and arms dragging. Grandmom was nearby looking almost as sad. Erica ran toward us as soon as she saw who it was. She didn’t even give us a hug, just jumped in the car and stayed there while we gathered up her things. All of us were clueless as to why. She did ask if I had gotten her new Barbie. At home she hugged on her kitty until I feared suffocation.


Eric, on the other hand, did not communicate for the entire week. We picked him up at the church, and he couldn’t stop talking about what a great time he had. He brought back gifts for us, a duffel bag full of dirty laundry, and a blossoming case of poison ivy. And that’s the difference between boys and girls.


2 comments:

marieqrogers.com said...

I feel sorry for poor Grandmom. I hope Erica made up for it when she got older.

connieann said...

I know I was very concerned for how my mom would react...and feel. We never discovered any reason other than "homesickness" and later Eric and Erica spent many many happy nights at grandmom's.