Beautiful Snow White

 When we were little my little sister Lisa always followed me around. We were inseparable. I was bossy. She did whatever I asked. Little sisters are often like that.

 I remember a few stories. One was when we decided Lisa could be a real live Christmas tree. My Dad had just gotten out the box labeled, Christmas Lights and Ornaments. We were alone in the front room. I draped the green blanket around Lisa. I covered her head and toes and feet. She was green. Then she turned around and around as I held the long string. Then she had glass balls hung all over her three feet tall green body. Dad walked in, “what are you doing? Get her out of that blanket! That's a fire hazard!”

Another story was the time when we decided to make a sink in the playhouse our Dad built us. He ran a line of electricity to it so we could sit inside and eat popcorn and watch channel 45 on a five inch black and white screen. We watched Scooby-Do and The Smurfs. He always did things like that for us. He liked to build things. Lisa and I were alone in the playhouse. I said I have an idea, “let’s run a hose in here too, and put it in the pretend sink.” Did I mention I am blonde? Lisa climbed up the roof with me. We used duct tape and followed the hole with the electricity line. Running water. Real running water. Can you believe how lucky? Now we could wash our play dishes easily; awww, the convenience of modern playhouses. Lisa ran over to the faucet, I hollered, “turn it on.” Dad came outside. “What are you doing? You could die! Haven't I taught you anything?” 

Out in front of the playhouse we had marriage ceremonies with the neighbors. We had on veils and the old “snow white dress.” My Dad had brought it home from a yard sale for his wife. Oddly enough, my Dad did not have good taste in fashion. She gave it to us immediately. It looked like an old wedding dress. It had a red satin belt. It was long. It had an organza inlay. It was the most beautiful dress in the world. All our cousins and friends wore it. We took turns being Cinderella and Snow White. We took turns getting married. We set up little chairs in front of the playhouse. We walked down the aisle with all the guests applauding. Dad still remembers this,

“Remember when I would come outside and all the neighbor kids would be over?”

 “Yes, Dad.” 

“You girls had so much fun in our big backyard.” 

“Yes, Dad.”

“Remember when you got out my saw to build Lisa a dollhouse?” 

“Oops.” 

“I couldn’t believe it. I thought you were going to cut your hand off.” 

“You shouldn’t have taught me to build with you.” 

    My Dad was a carpentry instructor for a college. We were always building things together or going to his shop at work to look at the things his student's built. So it was his fault for teaching me, right? Lisa backs me up on this. Did I mention he also taught Osha classes- should know better-what are you two little girls doing?! He always tells the "saw" story when we visit. 

“Remember how I loved Gem?” Lisa says after.

Gem was not a Barbie, she was much cooler; her hair was purple and she was an inch taller than Barbie. Lisa  did not chop her hair off, like her other Barbies. She was special. She was for the doll house “we” were making. Lisa stood watching me. I got out the skill saw and hammer and nails. She pointed out how to nail the two pieces of wood we got from the carpenter’s scrap pile. We were accomplices’; it was fun, dreadfully. 

     When Lisa and I were not doing odd things like hanging Christmas lights on each other and running water to the playhouse and almost killing ourselves; we quarreled with one another. This is what happens when you spend too much time together I guess. Lisa and I are only two years apart. I told Lisa she had brown hair and that meant, poop hair. “Oh, yeah," she said back, "yours is long yellow hair that looks like running pee.” Yes, we said these things to each other (at least once or twice). Then we made up later. I said, your hair looks like Snow White's.It is dark and curly. You should wear the long dress, it makes you look like her. Look your skin is pale like hers too. You really do look like her. Let’s borrow Mom’s red lipstick and make a red headband. You are so beautiful. She told me I looked like Cinderella after. Then it was my turn. Everyone always said we look nothing like each other. We were opposites. Lisa had dark brown hair and blue eyes and light skin. I had blonde hair and green eyes and tan skin (in Arizona). It didn't matter; Lisa and I were princesses, Snow White and Cinderella.

 Lisa married two months ago. She became Lisa White (literally). I wasn’t surprised when they announced it. Her boyfriend, Forrest, seemed to make her feel like Snow White. I could tell. She looked beautiful again; like when we were kids. That kind of beautiful. Now Lisa is a beautiful princess living in a Forrest (not a desert) in Minne-Snow-Ta. Be careful of what you wish for!