BIG UNCLE SIMON

"Look at her, she's as courageous as big uncle Simon", my mom happily said to my dad as they both watched me take the injection on my arm without flinching.

As we walked home that day, I kept wondering how dumb my family is, that they almost worship the pictures of my long dead big uncle Simon, even to the point of creating a hall of fame at our large family house and naming it after him. It is called "The Simon Carter Family Hall Of Fame".

At home that night there was a storm. And as usual in every home of our large family members, anytime there's a storm the story of big uncle Simon is told, because according to the family legend, he was born in the night during a storm, which signifies the birth of a man with a lion's heart.

Can you imagine?

In my own home, my dad would sit me and my three other siblings down on the rug in the sitting room, while my mom handed out cups of hot tea, to tell us the same lame story of big uncle Simon that we've heard a thousand times. So exactly the same thing happened that night.

" Big uncle Simon was born with courage, strength and might", my dad usually started, with an intriguing voice forcing all of us to listen, though we didn't want to.

"During that period our family had great phobia for injection, that there was a special room for taking shots", he continued.

"Wow!, a special room for injections. I wonder how big it was", my elder brother said, trying to tell us that he had been listening all along. My parents must have bought it, but I knew he was probably thinking about the next comic book to buy from the first sip of the hot tea, even before the story started.

"Yes we had and it was pretty big", my dad replied.

"The special room was made so that all the screaming during the taking of the injection was kept within the house, so the room was located deep inside the house. This way the phobia was kept as a family secret. They even hired a family doctor and a window man, whom they thought only knew about the secret, but pratically everyone in town knew about their phobia. It is said they knew it through the window man.

"The window man, how?", I asked, for it was my turn to pretend I was listening.

"Big Uncle Simon had a senior sister which is Aunt Jean. She had a high pitched voice and she was fond of falling sick. So anytime she was to take an injection, the window man would be booked a day before, because she ended up shattering every glass with her voice when receiving an injection, including the windows in the secret room. So that was how the window man came to know the secret, thereby making the whole town know the secret", my dad said with humour in his voice.

"After big uncle Simon was born, he grew up with valor. He did risky and difficult things and never fell sick. Even when he did, only pills were necessary, so nobody knew whether he had the phobia", my dad continued.

"All these were happening in the 19th century, when horses and donkeys were used as a medium of transportation. So during one of his brave trips in the desert, his horse tripped over a stone, throwing him into a cactus with many nee-dles", my dad said stretching the word needles.

"Ouuuuuch, that would hurt", my baby sitter screamed. I don't blame her anyway, she's only two and only recently learn't how to talk, maybe when she hears it a dozen more times she would stop.

"Yeah I guess so. So he was rushed to the hospital for it was very severe. When they got to the hospital, the doctor said they would have to give an injection on every spot on his body the cactus needles entered before pulling them out because they entered too deep, and they were numerous", my dad said.

"Big uncle Simon was laid on the hospital bed, then the doctors came with their injection. When he was given the first one, he didn't even move. The doctors were surprised for they knew about the phobia", dad continued.

"Why would he feel it when he's almost the size of a whale. I bet his horse threw him down intentionally due to too much weight. He didn't even feel it, maybe, because the fat in his skin sucked in all the pain. No wonder the word 'Big' is attached to his name", I said and my parents glared at me. That glare told me I was grounded for two weeks for insulting big uncle Simon.

"As I was saying before a silly girl interrupted, he was given an injection on every spot the cactus needles entered without him screaming. It was not that he wasn't feeling the pain but he was veeery brave. Some of the family members in the hospital's waiting room were surprised because they could hear no one screaming, so they thought him dead", my dad continued.

"But the doctors later discharged him when he was okay. The family threw a big party to welcome their brave son home. That is why he is remembered greatly today, for he was the first man in our family to receive an injection without screaming", my dad finally finished.

"This family is seriously crazy", I thought and my junior brother who kept quiet all that time nodded like he knew what I was thinking about.

After the story that night, I kept wondering whether my dad's picture would be hanged in the family hall of fame, maybe for being the first person in the family to eat pancakes only for a whole week. My dad is really weird and as long as they could name a hall of fame after somebody for being the first person in the family to receive an injection without screaming, then why won't they do it.

"Welcome to the Carter Family", I whispered to my baby sister before she closed her eyes.