Dolly Takes a Bath

 Dolly* was huge. Almost as tall as Carol and me. Here we are, all dressed up in our Easter best. I'd hate to think that doll came to church with us. Surely, I would have remembered that if it had happened. But the only way to be sure might require extensive therapy.

Carol also had a Barbie doll. It was very early on, one of the originals, or close to it. Unfortunately, Carol does not still have that doll. If she did, she might have been able to pay for one of her kid's college education.  

Alas, I am the reason she doesn't have it. One fine day, her brother decided to find out at what temperature Baribe would melt in the oven. Weren't I special?

Dolly is long ago, too. I'm not sure what happened. It could have something to do with drowning,

You see, one fine day, my sister decided that Dolly needed a bath. So, she drew water in the bathtub and placed Dolly in the tub, naked, facedown.

And then, as children are wont to do, she went to play someplace else and forgot about how she had left Dolly.

Mom was looking for Carol. She couldn't find her. And then she opened the bathroom door.

The wailing and screaming could be heard throughout the neighborhood. "CAROL!" she screamed. She grabbed her, fearing it was too late, pulling her precious daughter out of the tub, ready to do whatever it took to revive her.

"Mama," Carol said as she entered the bathroom. "Is Dolly all clean now?"

Mom looked at Carol and then the Dolly. She threw the doll down and started screaming all over again. "Carol! Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

Yes, with all the noise, I had also come around to observe some of this. I was relieved that even though I was to blame for melting Barbie, I was not at fault for trying to drown Dolly.

After that, I have no more memories of Dolly.

My poor sister just had so much trouble keeping dolls.

*I am trying to remember if Dolly had an actual name. Maybe when my sister sees this, she'll remember the name, and I'll fix it. And if she wonders how I remembered the dialogue from that long ago - well, everything I wrote is true, except for the parts I made up.