Mary was right that when we were quite young, or at least when I was quite young, we were not allowed sugar or candy or anything good. Sometimes there would be carob, which just isn't the same, as say chocolate. I still hate carob, and I know this because Theresa eats it, and I keep tasting to see if I've changed my mind about it. I'll like it at first, but then I get hit by that carob aftertaste and know I'll never like it. Slowly my parents began to bring chocolate into the house, first with bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips which I would sneak when Mom had fallen asleep laying Theresa and Molly down for their naps. And, unfortunately, I was allowed to have gum every once in awhile.
On one such occasion, we were in Owatonna at the mall. I had a penny and was allowed to get a gumball out of the machine. This was very exciting and I wanted it to last, so I didn't take it out of my mouth when I went to bed. I awoke early in the morning and could not raise my arm. I could raise my elbow, but my armpit was sealed shut. I realized it was the gum and knew I was going to get into trouble. I slowly, scared out of my mind, went downstairs to my parents' bedroom. I stood by their bed and very timidly told them that my arm was stuck, and I couldn't lift it. Mom barely woke up and told me to go back to bed; she said she would deal with it later. So I went back to bed and waited until my parents got up. When I finally heard the get up, I went downstairs again and told them again that my arm was stuck to my armpit by gum. Mom felt bad as she had not realized what I was saying earlier, which is probably why I didn't get yelled at. At first my parents just tried to pry my arm open with strength, but that didn't work. The little gumball had a formidable force. So then they attacked me; one of them held me down while the other one tried to shove an ice cube into my armpit to freeze the gum and make it easier to remove. This was horrible and I cried and flailed and tried to get away until they stopped. They finally stopped and gave up for the day. Seriously. I walked around, unable to lift my arm, until that evening when Dad finally thought to use gasoline on it. This worked superbly, was much less traumatic for me, and finally the gum was removed.
This incident did not teach me a lesson, or perhaps, because I got gum so infrequently, I still would fall asleep with gum in my mouth. It never got into my armpit again, but would often get into my hair. I eventually learned to leave it on my bedpost, so I could have a nice hard, tasteless wad of gum as soon as I woke up.
Uncle Tim holding Molly, Bridget, and Theresa around the time of the gum incident. All the small children is probably the reason Mom needed all the sleep.
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