The Story of my Life
Louise Virginia (Weir) Frasier

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Black Eye (Shiner)


           

 

   

            This is one of the stories that has two different versions.  But then I suppose all stories have a different version for every person that tells it.  Here is my version of this black eye story. 

            I was in the parlor doing my homework.  I had the lamp on one end of the table and my papers spread out.  In comes Mary Will.  She picked up the lamp and set it on my papers.  She sat down and spread out her papers. 

            I said, “What are you doing?  Move that lamp off my papers”.   

           She’s so sweet - never raises her voice.  I put the lamp on her papers.  She puts it back on mine.  We do this a few times and I said, “If you move that lamp again I’m going to knock your head off”. 

           She said, “Oh yeah?”  She set the lamp back on my papers.  We both jump up.  She, more or less, stuck her fist out and hit my eye.  It turned black instantly.  I saw it in the mirror.  Mary Will screamed.  I screamed.  Mama opened the door and she screamed. 

           Buford came by, opened the door, saw my eye and said, “What’s all the fuss about?  It’s only a black eye”.   

           Mary Will said if I would tell everybody at school that I ran into the door she would do dishes for me for a month.  I said, “No deal”.

 Louise Weir Frasier
January 1, 1992