Conrad's Childhood

I was born in a hospital like most people. I was born in the city of Seattle, WA on September 8th 1964 to Susan and James Thompson. My parents were teachers at a local elementary school, we weren't poor, but we weren't rich either and I remember few luxuries growing up. My parents worked hard for what little we had but I was always proud and grateful that they worked so hard to provide for me in my formative years. As a toddler, my mother said I was very precocious and curious about the world around me. I explored frequently and my parents did their best to keep up with me. My mother was a slender, short woman with emerald green eyes and strawberry blonde hair that was always up in a bun. My father was 6 feet tall with chiseled All American good looks and charm. He had rich and full dark brown hair that was always tousled perfectly, even after a 4 mile run. My parents looked good together and I wasn't so bad myself. I had my mother's eyes and my father's hair.

However, I wasn't a toddler for long and before long I was a 1st grader at the school my parents taught at. I frequently walked home with my cousin Charles. He was 4 years older than me but we were very close since we were both only children. He was the son of my mother's sister Katherine and her husband Richard. Charles had inherited my aunt's bright red hair and my uncle's blue eyes and was a little overweight. We walked home in suburban Washington State and looked amazed at the forests and beauty of the place. He was like my older brother and I always trusted him.

One day, I arrived home after walking home with Charles and discovered that my father was home from work early and my mother was grading some papers at the library. My mother loved the library but I always found the silence there deafening. I looked all over the house for my father and I soon discovered that he was in the master bedroom with none other than my aunt Katherine! She was on top of him under the covers. I screamed loudly and ran from the house. "Son, It's not as bad as it would seem!" my father called out. He was soon outside in his plaid swimming trunks and ushered me in the living room. At that age I wasn't ready for the secrets and horrors that ruined my parents. My father promised me a new bicycle in exchange for my silence and I agreed and never spoke of it to anyone other than my father.

But it was then that my childlike innocence was gone and it was never coming back.