Page 21 - DAPHNE HART - MY MAMA STORY (AUDIO VERSION)

CHAPTER SIX

I
t's funny how little things stay in a child’s mind. I couldn't have
been more than about seven years old. My biggest problem was

that I had no other children around to play with—except my mean

older brother. So, I became what was called a tomboy. Whatever he
did, I could do it too. I could climb a tree—no problem. Fly a kite or

play marbles? I was in. I was even able to make my own bird trap. I
caught a dove once, but it got away when I tried to take it out.

All would be going well until my brother started teasing me—telling
me I was ugly and stupid. For some reason, I started to stutter even

worse, and he would tease me endlessly and call me "Stammer Jack."
Little things like that would hurt me deeply, and I would end up in tears.

So now, I was a crybaby. No love from nowhere. On and on it went.

Seemed like forever.

I started school at eight years old—that was the age kids started school

back then. No kindergarten. You would go straight to A class. But in
spite of my stuttering, I was very smart. And my brother hated me even

more for that. I was able to skip B and C classes and caught up with

him in First Class. Then I skipped Second and Third and went straight
to Fourth. He would tease me by making fun of the way I spoke because

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