Tina: Part Two

When Tina and I were in 3rd grade, we spent summer break at the pool. It's was so odd how she tanned. She wore a red, white and blue striped swimsuit and where it was white stripes her skin would be darker, so when she was naked, she was striped, dark, darker, darkest all summer. We often took baths and showers together, never thinking one thing or another about it: Me, towheaded, white skinned, blue eyed all American girl; and she, black haired, dark eyed, brown striped All American Indian girl.

One thing Tina enjoyed immensely was tormenting Debbie her oldest sister who was very fair, tall and about the size of a VW Bug. Tina would drag me by my hand away from our towels and snacks because she loved sitting by the side of the deep end of the pool when at rest period Debbie would jump off the diving board. For her size she dived so gracefully, but unfortunately, she wore one of those pink rubber nose-pinchers, and goggles which made her look retarded, and then the blue swimsuit with white polka dots and ruffles which made her seem even more hippo-like.

When Debbie would jump Tina would yell things like, "TIDAL WAVE COMING!" or "BIG BELU UUUGA" and I couldn't help but hold my stomach on the ground laughing outta control. And when Debbie would get out of the water Tina would cup her hands around her mouth and yell a report to her on how enormously high her water splashes got. It was awful, but I don't think she could help herself. There was 10 years between them and Tina could have Debbie in tears and on her way home in a matter of a few minutes, and then Debbie would be in trouble later with Lorraine for leaving Tina alone at the pool.

But once these boys were walking directly behind Debbie across the grassy area between the pool and the slide, and the one boy had blown up his cheeks with air and had his arms out wide as if he were holding a large belly walking like a fat person, micmicing Debbie's slow saunter and the other kids with him were giggling like hyenas. Debbie didn't know they were there, but Tina saw them when she and I were walking on the other side of the pool. Tina stopped, raised herself tall and suddenly she was a flash of red, white and blue, and brown, jumping over bodies ducking under the slide and she took that boy down and started pummeling him with her fists, raging and screaming at him with a protective ferocity for her sister I'd never seen before.

The best part though was when Debbie grabbed Tina's little body off the top of that boy and put over her shoulder and took her back to our towels while Tina kicked and cried, and gently put her down. She could have always broken her in two and never did.