Page 141 - From the Outhouse 4 -21

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Needless to say, I got cabin fever and asked if I could visit my brother and his wife, who lived about five or six blocks away, and she
agreed. Being the actress that I am, I tried to dress incognito for the walk to my brother’s house. When I arrived, he began to poke fun

at me saying, “I knew your sneaky behind was going to get caught doing something wrong. Mom always thought you could do no

wrong. I knew it was just a matter of time before the hammer fell on your head.” (Now, my brother couldn’t really talk. He stayed in
trouble during high school. What do they say? Teachers’ kids and preachers’ kids are the ones often misbehaving.) At first, I felt crushed

by the things my brother was saying, but later, I began to laugh about it. I knew my brother was a great storyteller, being a radio

personality. He would always add so much humor to his stories, and mine was no exception. I also knew that my brother loved me,
although he couldn’t resist having a little fun at my expense.

My experience at Benedict College was over and by the end of the week, I was off to Jacksonville with my mother. I’m sure some of
the neighbors caught a glimpse of me and noticed that I was back home from Summer School rather quickly. When I went back to

my college Talladega, the news was out: “Pat Merritt got sent home from Benedict, and you all thought she was such a Miss Goody
Two Shoes!” Did I learn my lesson that summer? I absolutely did! So much for matriculation!