Dynamite comes in small packages

The biggest favour my ‘little, big sister‘ did for me was growing up to be shorter than I am.
At 5’ 2’’ I am considered short but she measures a mere 4’ 11’’ (as an adult) so I had the pleasure of her coming up to my ear, making me a tall person. It is a matter of perception actually and all my life I have heard people saying I was short and I truly had no idea what they were talking about.

Somehow that was important to me

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It was the junior school annual swimming gala.
My ‘little (smaller) big (older) sister Maeve was in the final race for the under 13’s.
The line up of girls in their1950’s, saggy when wet, itchy when dry woollen costumes, was amazing ….in the original meaning of the word…..that is strikingly unusual.

Girls mature at different rates and on Maeve’s right was Ann Gerrard, a girl who had already reached womanhood with generous curves and masses of hair in the most embarrassing places.

Maeve, lined up beside her ready for the race. She looked like an undernourished sprat. Not a curve in sight and her skin had that unfortunate almost ‘see through, with blue veins’ giving her an unhealthy pale glow.
She looked pinched and small next to the curvaceous Ann.
They curled their toes round the cold tiles edging the pool. Their hearts were racing with dread but they bravely stood there with the rest of the older girls, ready to do their house team proud.

My mother held her breath as her eldest daughter prepared herself to take the plunge. The contrast between the two girls was almost laughable.

With a shrill of a whistle blast the ‘jolly hockey sticks’ sports mistress announced.....…….
‘Are you ready?
Steady?’ And with the crack of her gun she yelled ‘GO.’

Maeve was away a second before Ann Gerrard. The bigger girl fell like a tree in a flat free fall directly on top of my ‘little big sister’. The entire audience of moms a few dads, staff and children held their collective breath as her voluptuous body caused a massive water bomb burst.
The drenched teachers seconded into being ‘life savers’ looked horrified and teetered uncertainly, not sure what they should do. They looked anxiously into the turbulent water.

Suddenly a small sprat could be seen deep beneath Ann in the clear water. It was working hard to get ahead and surface so it could draw a breath. Maeve looked like a small fish escaping from a large seal and indeed she was swimming for her life.
A HUGE sigh of relief exploded from the audience as she surfaced well ahead of the rest of the swimmers. Most people started clapping and laughing as the tension broke.

That is how Maeve got to go up onto the platform to receive a certificate for First Place in the ‘any stroke will do’ under 13 race.
It served the purpose of inspiring her to try many taxing and exciting sports for the rest of her life…………

Indeed she proved that dynamite comes in a small package and should NEVER be underestimated.