My Weekend at Auntie Anne's, Part 4

My Weekend at Auntie Anne's  (Part 4)


Sunday morning I was again up bright and early.  This time Auntie Anne wasn't
up yet so I went into the den and turned on the TV to watch cartoons and of
course, light a cigarette, my first of the day.  It wasn't long before I heard
Auntie Anne coming down the stairs.  She asked me how I slept and if I wanted
some chocolate and toast and I said "real good" and "yes."  

"I see you've already started on you cigarettes this morning."  

"Yeah, Auntie Anne.  That's all I could think about when I woke up this
morning." After we had our coffee and hot chocolate (and another cigarette),
Auntie Anne sat me down and started to talk to me about my smoking and what it
would mean when I went home today.

"Ashley, Honey, I can tell that this weekend has been pretty special to you,
but I'm thinking it maybe wasn't such a good idea.  Have you given any
thought to what's going to happen when you go home today?"  

"Yeah.  I've been thinking about it a lot.  I really like smoking and
being able to smoke just like you and mom and Grandma.  I really want to be
able to do it all the time now."  

"That's what I'm getting at, Hon.  What are you going to do about it when
you get home?"  

"I don't know.  I guess I'll have to try and sneak some puffs and maybe some
cigarettes from mom's pack if I can and smoke them when her and dad aren't
around."  

"I don't think that will be very much fun though, huh?"  

"No, but I really like smoking and its all I can do.  I don't think mom
would let me smoke and I'd be afraid to even ask her.  Can I stay here with
you for a while longer?"  

"That would be OK with me sweetheart, only I have to go to work tomorrow and
Grandma will be here with you and she doesn't know you smoke."    

"Do you think Grandma would let me smoke if you asked her?"  

"I don't know, Honey, she might.  She let your mom and I smoke when we were
ten and twelve, but she may not let you since you're only eight.  Tell you
what.  When they call to let us know they're home, why don't you ask your
mom if you can stay with Grandma and me for a few days?  If she says yes,
we'll get you some more clothes and you can work on Grandma."  

"Can't you please ask Grandma for me?"  

"Well I could, but I think you would stand a better chance if you brought it
up yourself."  

"Well, OK.  When do you think it would be a good time to ask her?"  

"Let's see if you can stay first, and if you can, I think it would be better
if you asked her after I've gone to work."  

"So, how many cigarettes do you have left in your pack?"  

Opening the lid, I counted only eight cigarettes left.  Taking another one out
and lighting it up, left me with only seven for the rest of the day.  

"That should just about hold you for the rest of the day until we have to go
pick up Grandma.  If you want anymore you can just have some of mine."

For the rest of the day I just stayed in the house helping Auntie Anne
straighten up and of course, smoking as much as I could.  Around four o'clock,
the phone rang and it was mom telling us that they were home.  

"Hey Sis, could you put mom on the phone?  Ashley wants to ask her
something."  

"Hi Grandma.  Would it be alright if I stayed with you next week?"  

"I suppose so, Honey, if it's alright with your mother.  Here, let me ask
her.  Yes, Honey, she said it's OK with her and she'll lay out some clothes
for you."  

"Thanks Grandma.  We'll see you in a little while."  

Hanging up the phone, I almost jumped for joy.  

"I can stay with you all next week Auntie Anne."  

"Well, that's good Sweetheart, but Grandma may not let you smoke, and it may
not be all that much fun.  We're going to leave in a few minutes, so if you
want another cigarette, you better have it now.  Afterwards, go up and wash
your face and hands and brush your teeth.  You won't be able to have any
more cigarettes in the car on the way home, and I certainly don't want your
mom smelling cigarettes on you when we get there.  OK, Auntie Anne."  

With that, I lit up the last cigarette from my precious pack.  Knowing that it
would be my last one for a while, I tried taking a bigger puff like one of
Auntie Anne's.  Right away I realized that I wasn't quite ready for this as
the smoke hit my lungs with a shock.  After all the cigarettes I had smoked
already that day, this last jolt of nicotine was just too much for me.  My
eyes watered, I started to get all clammy, and I almost choked on the smoke.  

"Are you OK Sweetie?"  

"Yeah.  I just took too big a puff."  

"I think so too, young lady.  You better just stay with your little puffs
for a while longer, OK?"  

I finished my last cigarette then went and freshened up for the ride home.

After we got in the car, Auntie Anne lit up her customary cigarette, but all I
could do was watch.  Boy, how I wanted to have another cigarette just then,
not because I was addicted yet, but just to have one in the car with Auntie
Anne.  I really liked smoking in the car with her and I was going to miss
lighting her cigarettes.  I guess it was the excitement of doing something
that was "grown up" and of sneaking puffs when no one could see me.  But since
I couldn't risk having a puff, I just concentrated on how I could get Grandma
to let me smoke.  All the way back to my house I tried to think of a way to
get Grandma to let me have a cigarette.  Then it hit me!  "How's my little
angel?"  

"Hi daddy", I said, as I gave him a great big kiss.  

"Hi Honey.  Did you have a nice time with Auntie Anne?"  

"Oh yes, mom.  We played cards, went shopping and had pizza.  It was
great."  

"Hi Grandma", and I ran to her giving her a great big hug.

"So, you want to come stay with me this week, huh?"  

"Sure Grandma.  I can help you do all kinds of things."  

"Here are the things you'll need for the week, Honey.  You behave yourself
and be a good girl for Grandma."  

"I will, mommy."  

With that admonition, we were out the door and in the car.  I was regulated to
the back seat on the way over to Grandma's house, and as soon as we were on
the road again, both Auntie Anne and Grandma lit a cigarette.  When I saw them
light up, I decided to take my chance.  

Feeling a little brazen from my success with Auntie Anne, but not really
expecting anything to happen, I half-jokingly asked, 

"Don't I get to have a cigarette too?  I just ran out and I'm dying for a
cigarette." 

I could see Auntie Anne smiling and looking at me in the rear view mirror, but
Grandma was quick to turn around and look at me with a shocked look on her
face.  "You're what!  What do you mean you just ran out?  What's all this
talk about cigarettes?" said Grandma in quick succession.

"Yeah, Grandma.  That's what I hear mommy always say when she wants a
cigarette, and since you and Auntie Anne are having one, I just thought I'd
like to have one too."  

"Since when did you start smoking, young lady?"

"Well, I haven't really, Grandma.  I only tried it couple of times, and I
really liked it."

"What do you mean you've tried it a couple of times?  Where have you been
getting cigarettes?"

"I would take puffs of mommy's cigarettes when she wasn't looking."

"Does your mother know that you've been sneaking puffs from her cigarettes?"

"No, Grandma.  She'd kill me if she knew.  You won't tell her, will you?"

Just then Auntie Anne jumped in.

"Oh mom, stop giving her the third degree.  Let her try one if she wants
to."  

"But Anne, she's only eight."  

"After you caught Marie and I smoking, you let us smoke.  Marie was twelve
then and I was only 10.  Besides that, you even taught us how to smoke
properly.  Here," she said, handing Grandma her cigarette pouch, "light up
one of mine for Ashley.  I think one of your Salem's would be too much for
her right now.  How about it, Ash?  Would you like to try one of my
Marlboro Lights or one of Grandma's Salem's?"

"I'd like one of yours, Auntie Anne.  Those are the kind my mommy smokes
too." 

	Oh Auntie Anne, I thought to myself, you are just the "bestest" aunt
in the whole wide world.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Ashley?"

"Oh yes, Grandma.  I really want to.  Please.  Please, can I have one?"

	With that, Grandma took out one of Auntie Anne's cigarettes, lit it up
and handed it back over the seat to me, telling me to be careful with it and
not to burn myself.  I gently grabbed it in my first two fingers (like I had
been doing all weekend with Auntie Anne) and sat back in the seat feeling like
I was on cloud nine.  Grandma watched me as I took a nice puff, inhaled, and
exhaled a fair amount of smoke.

"Looks to me like you've been doing more than just sneaking puffs from your
mom's cigarettes, haven't you young lady?  Who taught you to smoke that
that?"

"You all did Grandma.  You and mom and Auntie Anne."

"Well actually, mom, Ashley had a little help this weekend.  She wanted to
try smoking so badly, that I kind of let her try it."

"By the way she's smoking now, it seems she has done more than just try it."
"How many cigarettes did you have this weekend, Ashley?"

"Uh, a whole pack and a couple more."

"A whole pack?"

"Yeah, Grandma.  Auntie Anne bought me my very own pack yesterday and my own
lighter too.  I smoked my last one just before we came over and picked you
up.  You see, I wasn't lying when I told you I just ran out."

"Anne, you didn't really?  Did you?'

"Yes we did, didn't we Ash?"

"Uh huh."

"Auntie Anne, do you think you could buy me some more cigarettes, please?"

"If it's OK with Grandma, Ash.  How about it, mom?  Does she have your
permission to smoke when she stays with us?  Please, Grandma, please?  I
really like smoking cigarettes and I want to keep doing it."  

"OK, Honey.  If you want to smoke, you can smoke at my house."  

"Anne, stop at the 7-Eleven by the house and I'll run in and buy Ashley a few
packs of Marlboro Lights 100's."   

"Oh, thank you Grandma.  Could you get them in the box please?"

"Sure sweetie, if that's how you like them."

Yes, I thought to myself, this was going to be a fantastic week.   

	Well, it was a fantastic week, the best week of my whole life.  Auntie
Anne did stop at the store like Grandma asked and Grandma came out with three
packs of Marlboro Light 100's in the box and handed them to me.  I was just in
seventh heaven.  I was allowed to smoke as much as I wanted, so I did just
that.  From Sunday to Sunday I finished those three packs and half of one more
from Auntie Anne.  Grandma even gave me a few of her Salem 100's to try, but I
really preferred the taste of my Marlboro Light 100's.

	Needless to say, by letting me smoke and actually teaching me, Auntie
Anne and Grandma created a "monster."  By the time the following Sunday rolled
around, I was pretty much hooked on cigarettes, if not physically, then
certainly mentally.  I do love my cigarettes, and I always will.  I still
think of that time as the happiest time of my life.

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