When I was seven, my mother bought me a black velvet dress for my birthday. It had a white collar with white cuffs on the puff sleeves.
I felt like a princess and couldn’t stop rubbing my hands over it. Mother told me to stop doing that, as I would ruin it.
My stepfather Joe said he would take me and my brothers to the park. As we left the house, my mother said not to give us any ice cream.
We played on the swings for a bit and then Joe brought ice cream.
I walked away, wondering if he would do as he was told. I didn’t go far, for I hoped I knew better than that and I was right. Joe handed me the ice cream, telling me to please be careful.
I said I would, but what child can eat ice cream without getting it down themselves? Not me anyway. I kept rubbing at it, making it worse. The velvet was ruined where I had tried to rub the ice cream away and there was no way to hide it.
All the way home, I wished Joe would run away with us, but he told me not to worry. He would say it was his fault, which in a way it was for buying it for me. I know that’s an unkind thought, but when we got home before he could say a word, mother ripped the dress from my body, leaving her nail marks on my back because the fabric was too hard to tear.
Joe got both barrels of her temper, and I thought his ears would swell and drop off.
This memory has returned, because my daughter who lives next door, was playing a song I haven’t heard for a long time. It was one of my favourites, called Black Velvet.
It’s a funny old life isn’t it, the way old memories come back?
© AnitaDawes2021
I love this song. Thank you! As for the dress…I’m sure it was lovely but…kids are more important than clothes. -hugs-
I know that, but mother never did…
I had a…fraught…relationship with my mother too, but I learned very early on that I could out run her. And Dad was always my rock. I’ve tried to give my Offspring the same support my Dad gave me.
-hugs-
I always wished I had a dad…
-hugs-
An interesting memory- I think it may have also been your mum’s fault to an extent because children tend to make a mess especially when they go somewhere like the park. I recently bought a black velvet dress and hopefully I’ll make some good memories in it.
This wasn’t a good memory, but that song makes up for it somehow, Pooja…
Your mother should have had more sense than to let you go to the park in that dress, but I guess you wanted to keep it on! I was a tomboy so I hated having to wear a dress for visitors!
I swear she used to organise these incidents, just so she could be a beast!
Too bad so many indelible memories are the bad ones!
Yes, I have often wondered why they never fade away, like some of the good ones do…
One of my favourite songs too. 😀
XX
Not a pleasant memory to relive
I loved that dress, so this is the true memory…
🤗