GLYNN WASHINGTON, HOST:
OK, so this is what my mother did. You can ask her. She won't deny it. She and my dad were going out somewhere - I don't know, didn't care - but my mother decides my brothers and I need a babysitter. And this alone - this is a debatable point. I'm 13 years old, clearly grown enough to handle the job. In fact, the neighbors pay me to babysit their kids. Mom, we don't need a babysitter. The mother's got to raise the game and push matters from intolerable to crazy ridiculous. What does she do? What does she do?
She asked my friend Lori (ph) to come over and babysit us. Lori - in the same grade I'm in, a mere nine months older than me, a girl who I help with her homework - bicycles over to our house. Are you kidding me? My mom was like that Lori, she's very responsible - to the hell to the no. But then Lori puts her game face on, starts some of this imperious attitude.
I want everyone in bed by 930 or there's going to be trouble. And that goes for you too, Glynn. And if anyone gives me any lip I know the phone number where your parents are staying.
Now, do I feel angry, hurt, unappreciated for my contributions? No. I don't. I feel pity and sorrow. See, these are my brothers. They have lived their entire lives under my command and to imagine some girl that's from down the street, someone they barely know is going to roll up and be in charge of this...
Glynn, did you hear what I said?
I don't remember what I lead with. It could have been the sonic-screaming brother chorus, maybe the wet willy surprise, perhaps even the Jell-O-brother-butter-Crisco-batter battle. I do recall that I didn't lift a finger, just whispered commands. And I recollect as well that a mere 18 minutes on Lori was dialing that number, screaming because nobody picked up.
We watched her jump back on her bicycle and waved as she pedaled away fast as she could go. Again, I took no joy or pleasure from these naturally occurring chain of events, but the next time mom and dad went out on a night for the town and I mention they might consider paying me the money they were going to pay Lori, there wasn't a whole lot of negotiation.
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WASHINGTON: Today on SNAP JUDGMENT, from PRX and NPR "High And Mighty" - amazing stories from real people finding their own way to speak their own truth to their own power. My name is Glynn Washington. Please cease and desist from your malfeasance because this is SNAP JUDGMENT. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.