The Crazy and Fun Auntie
Nina Trotta-Sutton/ 04-10-07
John and Jennifer are the children born from my niece Louise Trotta-Fowler, who passed away when John was the age of seven and Jennifer age of three. Marcus is the son of my nephew Dan Trotta and he is the same age as John. In their growing up years the three were inseparable and in their young years, our family pitched in caring for John and Jennifer. I, being the "crazy and fun" auntie, my role was to do the "fun stuff", over-night stays, movies, ice-skating, plays and Dodger games.
One evening we went to see the "Christmas Carol" play at the Glendale Center Theater. It is a small round theater, nicely furnished with the audience seating arranged around the stage. We were seated in the front row and as close as you can be to the actors on stage. I had brought some candy treats and within the first ten minutes of the play, John had devoured more than his share and suddenly threw-up all over the stage floor and on some of the cast. I was mortified and frantic, grabbing all three and pulling John by the arm for a fast exit and he was crying out "I still have to throw up". I often wonder what went on after we left having to stop the play for clean up.
On our next venture, it was John, Marcus and I out to a Dodger ball-game. When the game was over we lost my car in that gigantic lot. After what seemed forever searching aisle after aisle, I started to have and anxiety attack. John now has to "pee". All of a sudden he did not care if we found the car, all he kept saying was, "Aunt Nina, I really have to go bad" over and over. Marcus and I are running around in circles and not caring about John’s predicament. Now it is nearing midnight and I had to be up at 3:00 AM for work, and in my anxiety, I turned to him and said, "God-damn it John just go behind a car and PEE", and suddenly there appeared my car.
Another night at a Dodger game. This time we bring Uncle Ted with us as the driver and this time we noted where we parked. Ahhh, but in leaving, the car stubbornly would not go into reverse gear only forward. Not good as we were getting closer to the car parked in front of us. John, Marcus and I got out to push it backward, now John pretends to be helping with fake sounds of grunts and groans, while Marcus and I are doing all the work. As we get back in the car, he had the nerve to tell Uncle Ted what a chore that was.
The Three Musketeers had never been ice-skating and I prided myself as a skater who has never fallen and now will show my niece and nephews how to glide on ice. With their legs wobbling, eyes wide open with fear and their hands clutching to the side of the rink, I proceeded to instruct them on how to glide, when just then a speed skater came along and hit my elbow and I did a triple twirl and landed on my butt. When I was able to look up still sprawled on the ice, there they were doubled over with laughter (but still clinging) for my last words before the impact were, "See, I never fall". John had to "Pee" again.
Toward the end of the summer of 1983, we were driving Marcus back home to Novato. John and Jennifer would spend two weeks there. I volunteered to make the drive and planned to stay for a few days. Along the way we stopped at Harrah's Ranch for lunch. Some of their dining chairs were covered with cow skin. It was a very hot day and and I was wearing shorts. When we got up to leave, I was stuck to the cow skin and had to slowly pry myself up and it left a print of the skin on the upper part of my back legs.
The rest of the drive was listening to a lot of chatter and we all joined in singing. Being carried away, I just kept on driving and missed the turn off to Novato and we ended up in Sacramento. When we arrived in Novato at sun down, our long awaited dinner was cold and all I wanted was a double stiff "Old-Fashioned". But I must say it was too quiet and a lonely of a ride back home and I even missed the many pit-stops that we had to make for John.
On one of our beach trips, this is the year that John and Marcus were in their early teens, and a new time of their life now being interested in the beach beauties. They were very careful in keeping their talk away from my ears, so I pretended to be asleep and desperately wanted to hear it all. Well, a few hours later, I had gotten the worse sun-burn and was stiff as a board. With their help in putting me into the driver’s seat, I instructed that there was to be silence all the way home and NO LAUGHING at me. They could not wait to get home for they were about to burst. And of course, it was very difficult for poor John.
End of story. Nina Trotta-Sutton Year 2007
