Lenny & The Bee by Lisa Wysocky

I think I was 12. The Wysocky’s traveled to Staten Island for Uncle Irving’s unveiling, and I remember wearing pants that I hated. They were like an orange rust color, with a gold stretchy belt on it. UGLY. I remember more important things about that day; the sad people, cousins I didn’t know, cousins I knew, the food back at the house, the bottles of water outside the apartment to wash your hands; the view out the windows of the apartment that housed the Domowitz’s; learning what an unveiling actually was.

We must have gone to the cemetery first. At that point in my life I was terrified of bees. And in a cemetery, there is a ton of greenery, and it may have been spring. I remember flowers, but if it was a Jewish cemetery, that may not be right. I was walking with my mother, and a big bee buzzes by…and I probably flailed a little, ok more than a little.

Uncle Lenny witnesses this, and says to me “little lisa, don’t worry, they don’t want to hurt you, they are just minding their own business. If you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you”. So I forget about the bees for a little bit.

Maybe 10 minutes later, a pain shoots through my leg. I WAS STUNG BY A BEE! So there I am, crying my eyes out, and it’s in my pants leg, and I can’t get the bee out of there, and my poor mother is having to deal with me FREAKING out (I really hope I was younger than 12) because I’ve been stung. I mean, I’m FREAKING out.

All I can think today, is how awful a brat I was. Evan and Teddy are dealing with losing their father, and I’m screaming about a bee. (I really really hope I was younger than 12)

I’m not scared of bees anymore because of Uncle Lenny, despite the bee sting. They don’t like people. They like flowers. Have a done a bee dance once or twice in my life since (ok, maybe 5 times…), yes, but in the end, I’m not scared of bees. At least the big bumble looking bees.

Thank you Uncle Lenny!!!