during this covid time we were
warned that violence, depression,
suicide, would increase; statistics
have proved this to be the case
story: my sister a year older than I
suffered sudden clinical depression
in college she was hospitalized
given shock treatments the then
therapy returned home with blotto
memory I was living at the farm going
to beloit college Pat rejoined our old
bedroom I'd supposed she'd been
cured but no, night after night in the
other twin bed she wept while I talked
nonsense to her, sang, recited poetry,
until she'd finally fall asleep at 3 or 4
(she told me in later years, "Jack, you
saved my life!") she transferred to
beloit, where I and my brother were
enrolled I had to lead her around like
a baby for her erased memory was
only starting to come back: two terms
later my dad got a splendid note from
his friend jim gage who was also beloit's
alum director citing the outstanding
grade point averages of the three Dougan
sibs and saying he was especially pleased
with Patricia who had progressed from a D
level in her first term to an A in her most
recent: he was glad to have Ron's kids in BC
Pat's reaction: "I think my profs were flummoxed
at how quickly I went from 'stupid' to 'superior'!"
2021 Jacqueline Jackson
