Game Of Wheelchairs

  When I was eight I declared myself a princess. My reign was short-lived; I was quickly usurped by my brother and cast out by our parents.

  My seven year old brother and four year old sister were usually good about listening to me even though I am smaller than them. I did my best to be a good big sister, but sometimes the power went to my head.

  We were watching cartoons one morning. My sister and I were wearing our Princess Jasmine nightgowns. Typically, whenever I became obsessed with a new disney princess my sister decided that it was also her favorite. Often we argued over who was the current coveted princess, with my sister eventually consenting to be the second favorite princess, but on this particular morning I made a new declaration.

"I have decided that from now on I am going to be the only princess and you two are going to be my royal servants," I announced to my brother and sister as we watched cartoons.

  Immediately my siblings turned in protest.

"Nuh-uh!" They said.

"I get to be the second princess, cause I'm the baby sister, remember?" my sister said.

"And I am the prince or the knight, but I am not the servant," my brother declared.

"No, I need servants and I only have you guys, so I am the princess and you have to listen to what I say." I decreed.

"Why?!" my sister said.

"Because I am the oldest and you have to do everything I say," I reasoned.

"That's not fair!" my sister whined.

"Don't worry about it," our brother said, and then to me, "we just won't listen to you," and he turned back to the television. Our sister however, took it personally and ran to tell our mom.

  Panicked, I gave my first command to my brother.

"I order you to stop her!" I shouted. My brother ignored me.

  We had an old TubeTelevision that did not come with a remote, but was operated with a knob on the front. I rolled to the TV, turned it off and held my hand over the knob. He jumped up furious.

"Turn that back on!" He shouted.

"Say you'll be my royal servant." I yelled at him.

"No!" he roared back at me and then stormed toward me, yanking my hand away from the console.

  I tried to bite him, but my brother was bigger and stronger. He picked me up out of my wheelchair and carried me to the couch. He set me down, went back to my wheelchair and sat in it. He turned the TV back on.

"Now I'm the prince and you have to sit in the dungeon!" He declared.

  I howled in anger. At that moment dad and mom entered, mom carrying our little sister.

"How about all of you go to the dungeon while I watch TV," dad said.

"No," we all cried, but our parents shooed us off.

  After changing into our play clothes, we went to my room and gathered toys to take outdoors. I pushed myself down the hall, my brother and sister in front of me, carrying our things.

"Don't ever take my throne again," I commanded my brother, still piqued at his usurping my seat of power.

"That's not a throne, it's a wheelchair," my brother said.

  I was wearing my birthday crown and pointed to it.

"I'm a princess and my wheelchair is a throne with wheels."