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Karen Hartsfield's Autobiography (submitted 5/17/06)

It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in the summertime.

Grandmom was preparing dinner in the kitchen while my brother Pat, my cousin Michael and I played Monopoly in the living room.

Grandmom came in to tell us that dinner would be ready shortly.

Eight-year old Michael had a problem with that. He wanted a bowl of ice cream before dinner.

Grandmom said no.

When Grandmom turned and headed back to the kitchen, Michael rose up from the board game, ran up behind Grandmom and punched her squarely in the back as hard as he could.

Pat and I couldn't believe our eyes. We thought Michael had gone crazy. We would never even think about doing something like that, especially to our grandmother.

I've never seen Grandmom so angry. She spun around on her heels, yanked Michael by his shirt collar, and took him to the basement for the spanking of a lifetime.

Michael deserved every bit of it. He was an only child and a spoiled rotten brat who controlled his parents. He also tried to control everyone else.

Afterwards, Michael came upstairs, still crying. He was angry and embarrassed.

Several years later, cousin Michael's brother, David, was found dead in his bed. His death was determined to be caused by SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

David was four-years old, not an infant.

Grandmom had her suspicions about what really happened to David.

So did Pat and I.

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