The Life Of My Escape From Binghamton

When the turkey made impact, the laughter of the jokester, my cousin Eric, became anger. His hand smashed into the mashed potatoes with gravy. For a single moment before the he opened his hand to let the blob of mashed potatoes and dripping gravy fly across the table. His hand opened and the blob flew and crashed into Josh’s face, my brother, who was sitting next to Carrie. He also became enraged and picked up his whole plate and jolted it forwards flinging all the food onto my cousins, both age 4, and me. The rest is a kind of blur and not just because soon after I had green bean casserole in my face. The next thing I remember is Michael, the cousin sitting next to me, untouched by all the food somehow, had a microscopic strip of turkey in his glass of Coke. “MOMMY!” He had screamed. The whole house felt as if it had been moved from the foundation because of the screech. Gam Gam, grandma, rushed into the room. Her jaw dropped through the floor as Eric and Josh bolted. Pa Paw, not far behind Gam Gam, snatched both of them. “Now who did this?” Gam Gam said as nicely as a woman who was ready to strangle someone could. The rest of the time we spend not playing soccer, football, or basketball, but cleaning and scrubbing the room that we never thought would loose its

My little brother came into my room and pounced on me like a cheetah hunting a gazelle to wake me up. I didn’t want to leave my bed and open presents without my dad, so I made them wait till he arrived. He’s not good on time, so he was twenty- minutes late from expected time. I hear a knock at the door, my dad had finally entered. At last, my brother finally stopped nagging at me. It was time to open presents.

I was slowly rolling up the street, sitting in the back of school bus number 741, for what felt like a normal Wednesday afternoon. I looked out the window as we entered my street and I couldn’t believe eyes. Little freshman me had my face pressed up against the bus window, desperately trying to comprehend why there could possibly be so many emergency vehicles in my driveway. The bus came to a stop, I ran to the front, and scrambled down the steps. I got off the bus, stopped, and looked at the 7 house walk I took every day to make it home. This walk I did everyday felt ten times as long and as I got closer and closer my vison started to blur, legs started to crumple, and all

I walked silently, my converse crunching on the wet sidewalk. I zipped up my jacket and took a sip of my coffee. I slowly walked towards my school when someone's shoulder slammed in to me. My coffee flew out of my hands, the lid came of as it hit the ground, spilling all over the sidewalk. I stumbled as I tried to regain my balance. I hate this small town I thought to myself. When I returned home I arrived to both of my parents sitting at the table. I looked at them with a confused look, “Ava why don't you take a seat,” Father said “we have something to tell you.” I took a seat not saying a word just giving them a confused look. “Ava honey your father got a promotion,” Mother stated “and we are going to be moving to California!” Fireworks were going off in my head thinking of all of the new things I would get to experience.

Mother and I agree to make Oreo cupcakes, candy kabobs, m&m cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and trail mix. I had to work that afternoon and wouldn’t arrive home until nine at night, but mom wasn’t going to start with out me. I got off work smelling like pizza dough, and exhausted, but I knew I had work to be done for the bake sale. While mom was baking the Oreo cup cakes I was putting together candy kabobs. My gloves where all gooey from positioning all the gummy candy on the fondue stick, and my fingers where aching from the twist ties that where used hold the bags together. The good thing was the whole house was full of over whelming smells of cupcakes, cookies, candy, and icing. Finally, my mom and I finished, so we got everything packed up and prepared for the morning of the bake sale. I couldn’t wait to go to bed. We arrived early at seven in the morning to arrange the booth. The booth looked amazing, I just wanted to eat everything that was on the table. When all the booths were ready to go, families began approaching the booth buying our baked goods. The children really enjoyed the candy kabobs. All the kids were walking around with gummy, sticky faces, and kept returning to buy more. Those sold out fast! From eight o’clock a.m. to four o’clock in the afternoon, I stood on my feet trying to get folks to come over and contribute

We were walking for a few hours. My feet throbbed and my ears were ringing from Taylor’s whining. Finally I could see it, the old abandoned house I discovered one day while riding my bike. The door was barely hanging onto its hinges, and there were several windows missing or broken. I pried open the splintering oak door. In the house there was two rooms. One, the one you first enter, was most likely a kitchen and living room. There was a sofa with faded fabric and springs popping out everywhere. An old furnace sat in the corner with rotting charcoal inside. The door of the furnace was missing rendering the whole thing useless. The other room was much smaller. It was a bedroom. There was a twin sized bed. The frame was rusty and missing a leg. I pulled the mattress off of it, so we could sleep on it. There were springs and stuffing sticking out of the mattress. It wasn’t too dirty to sleep on because I pulled off the moldy sheets. We laid down on the mattress. Taylor started snoring within minutes. I was worried about Mom. She had had a seizure before. It was because of her failing liver. Last time, social services took me and my sisters to a girl’s home. They served cooked vegetables that smelled like rotten seafood and chicken noodle soup with frozen chicken. After Mom got out of the hospital she got custody of us, but the judge told her if it happened again she wouldn’t get us back. My older sister, Becca, was eighteen so she didn’t have to

I heard soft footsteps coming for my door. Knock, knock. “Come in,” I sighed. My mom opened the door and walked over to my bed. I could smell her sweet perfume, and was overwhelmed with a feeling of content. “Madison, my cell phone is out of minutes for the month and I need to call somebody about an ad on craigslist. It won’t be long, sweetheart.” Tony always paid her phone bill, and they were on the same contract. My feeling of content faded into disappointment. I argued with my mom for a short moment, and soon realized it was not worth it. I handed over my shiny, yet beat up purple flip phone. Mom, looking a little guilty, strolled out of my room. I decided to follow her so that I could help myself to some dinner. Holding my phone in her hand, my mom, almost skipping, made it down the stairs and out the front door in record time. “Why is she going outside to make a phone call?” I asked myself. I searched the fridge and the cupboards for any sign of food that actually looked good to me. I didn’t find anything, so I huffed to myself and turned out of the deserted kitchen and back up the stairs. Instead of going into my dreadfully boring room, I walked into my sister’s room. “Madison, what the hell? Why don’t you ever knock?” Sydnie asked, accusingly. “I’m sorry,” I wasn’t sorry, “I just can’t find anything to eat and I’m bored. And Mom is outside on the phone with some person about something. My phone.” Syd squinted at me with her soft blue eyes through her freshly dyed black hair and her heavy dark eyeliner. She had been busy typing away on the Acer laptop she’d gotten for Christmas months before. She took her eyes off me and focused back onto the screen of her laptop. I stood there in her doorway sluggishly for minutes before she finally lifted herself out of her twin size bed and made her way through her messy room. I can’t remember a time when Sydnie’s room was clean. She

As I jotted down the answer to my geometry homework, I felt the vibrations of the floor trembling beneath my feet from the deafening screams of my parents. I continued my work, as I go uninterrupted by the daily routine argument. One day, I didn’t hear the screaming anymore, which was one of the biggest abnormalities in this household. I slunk halfway down the stairs and stretched my neck over the banister to catch a glimpse of what had happened without getting caught. The next thing I knew my older brother was standing by my side, his curiosity piqued. My mom broke the silence by peering her head around the corner of the living room, her eyes locked onto mine. As my brother and my cover were blown, we walked gingerly to the couch and sat down. I watched my mom’s stone cold face quiver out the words, “We...are....divorcing”. My face froze as if I was in a cartoon show. I tried to

The smell of pumpkin pancakes and maple syrup wafted throughout the house. Excited, I ran downstairs and sat down at the kitchen counter behind a plate that carried a tower of hot pancakes. However, before I could grab one of the pancakes off the stack, my parents interrupted me and told me to get my sister. I went back upstairs reluctantly and a minute later I had my sister climbing down the stairs, still groggy and dizzy from sleep. When we came back, they told us in a very serious voice to eat, and that when we finished, they had something they wanted to talk about.

It wasn’t long until summer, this being my last few days at this school. I really liked this school but mama said “Oh, you poor child we must go your father has just got promoted again.” I knew that was the end of that. Mama doesn’t like when I argue so I don’t. As my papa got home I said, “How was work.” He did not respond to that though so I took it like he did not have a good day. I thought to myself I wonder did he have a good day mama said he got promoted. As I walked into my room to change into my play clothes I heard my friends yell, “Dude you coming out?” I sighed, ”Yeah.” I darted down stairs and told mama that I would be back before dusk. I ran outside and a man came up to me and said, “Listen kid I’m goanna kill you if you don’t give that hat and that watch too, OR ELSE!” I started to run and he chased me to the city and of course I fell. The man grab me by the arm and said “if you eve-I cut him off “If I ever WHAT?” He punched me in the jaw and I laughed “A girl can hit harder than that!” For my smart mouth he did again this time my loose tooth came out and I told him “do it again might make ya feel better.” I finally out of his grip and when I got home I got in the shower and after I put my pajamas on. I woke up and got ready for school. I

Throughout my childhood my mother had severe bipolar disorder and took her daily rage out on my three siblings, my father and myself. My oldest brother, Nick, was impacted by her behavior and grew into a violent child. When my parents were gone Nick was the babysitter. I was weak and defenseless—an easy target for the outlet of his anger. He formed an alliance with our siblings and tormented me with every opportunity. Eventually, I developed a fear of my siblings in addition to my established fear of my mom. This fear turned into depression and self-doubt. For years I dreaded being at home where I was blanketed by harassment and blame, so I actively sought out opportunities to escape.

The walls shut in and my world felt smaller as my problems felt bigger. My mental stability stood on pillars of salt and pillars of sand; I was only five when I was diagnosed with separation anxiety. I couldn’t cope when my mother left the house. I always held onto the doorknob or her leg, trying to stop her from leaving. I would even watch the street or call her continuously asking how long until she would get home. There was never a calm moment without her.

I turn and walk away when I get to the shed and reach up to the top shelf I go to grab the rails. Then i hear something behind me in the corn. I look down at strom her fur is standing and her back is arched, at this point i'm very scared. As I look back up at the corn I see an eyeball. I grab the rest of the rolls, then run back to the house and drop the food all over the porch. I lean against the house by this time I am breathing so heavily, i stand there for a minute to catch my breath. When i catch my breath, pick the rolls up and take them inside. I gave the rolls to my mother then went up to my room and calm down. By the time I calm down mom calls me down for supper. I walk down the stairs and walk into the dining room/kitchen and see momma granny and my papa sitting at the table napkins in their laps ready to eat, i politely say “sorry it took me so long.” momma says”It’s fine sweetheart.” i sit down and put my napkin on my lap. After dinner, I sneak a roll for the person in the shed and put it in the napkin. Then I tell momma that she could go sit down and I would clean the table. She leaves the room and I hurry up and clean up. I pick up the napkin with food in it put a blanket around me, grab a lamp, and run outside. As soon as I get in the shed I open the napkin and lay it out in front of the corn, nothing happens so I say if you eat this I will bring you food every night until you can leave. Then i get up and

When it was time for dinner I began to yell for Walter he did not come the first time, so I yelled once again and slowly he came limping into the kitchen. I didn’t know what to say or do. HIs father asked him what is wrong, he said ‘’nothing’’ so he asked again while curiously waiting for a response all we got was is legs hurt but of course we knew that wasn’t the complete truth. He wasn’t telling us something. His father was getting angry and told Walter to take his pants down. Walter had bruises, blood and bad swelling up both of his legs then he had to tell us after waiting in silence he spoke. I couldn’t believe what words I heard come out of his mouth. “ Mama beat me with a stick’’. I couldn’t believe his legs looked that way, he blamed

Every night, as I sat on the table with my younger brothers assisting them with their homework, I hear a familiar sound at the door. As she walks her heels click, and I can hear her searching her bag for her keys, the next thing I know the keys are in the lock and as it turns me and my younger brothers’ jump. We run to the door and indeed we scream in unison “Mommy’s home”, one by one she gives us a hug and a kiss. My mother asks us how our day was, and if we finished our homework, she then looks to me and said “did you cook and assist your younger ones with their homework”; I replied “yes mom”. As I warm the food, I take my mother’s purse, jacket, and shoes put them away and prepare the table for her to eat dinner. As I glance at the