The ride in the bed of the family Model-T was an adventure I never wanted or would do again. The trip took what seemed like forever and was uncomfortable to no level. Before we left Pa had said to me, “Son, I need you to be strong and help me take care of your ma and your siblings. Will you help me?” Yes was the only thing that came to mind but I didn’t realize what that word entailed. Ma wasn’t feeling well and my younger siblings got bored too easily. While Pa drove the car I would wet Ma’s forehead with a rag and make her as comfortable as possible. Ma wasn’t doing well from the dust storms. Every hour or so Caroline would get into a scuffle with Billy about something pointless and I had to separate them before Pa got mad and stopped the
Night, with mum and dad huddled on either side of the kitchen table, scribbling on pads of paper, and dad punching in sums on the calculator with his clumsy, blunt fingers. Night, with long discussions in low voices that stopped if we into the room. Night, dad with a fresh beer at his elbow and an empty on the floor beside him, holding onto a flake of chocolate like a cigar, twirling the thing between his thumb and forefinger, crunching onto it and shards flying everywhere. Night, when Mum and Dad had sank what was left of the insurance money and all their savings into a little old town house and a car franchise, signing all the leases, contracts, papers. Night, when Dad was his own boss, answering to no one. And overnight, when the journey abruptly turned its direction. Down in town, a high speed railway station had emerged. But dad couldn’t go anywhere, he was trapped by the crossroads. Juggled a few part time jobs, handy work around town limping in pain. No more notions of independence. All he could do was try his best to make it work. And he did. We even did some paper runs with
I was sprawled out on my old bed with a quilt partially wrapped around me. It was cold in the bedroom. I had taken mom’s diary out of my suitcase. Tears rolled down my cheeks, as I laid there flipping through the pages.
I felt the dread sink like a rock in my stomach. My two brothers, Ryan and Matthew, were on the opposite end of the spectrum. My mother had been telling us for weeks that we were going up to the farm that my family owned, but I didn’t quite believe her until today. My brothers were given dirt bikes last Christmas while I was given a ATV. Both of them had been counting down the days until they were able to finally ride the dirt bikes and that day had come. After everything was packed, I crammed myself in the van with my brothers and hoped for this trip to end quickly.
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
“OH MY GOD” my mom screamed running toward me. She had picked me up, and ran faster than i've ever seen her run before, and went straight to the car. My grandma had been in the car already and was to the left of me in the back seat. I had my arm on a pillow barely conscious.
I darted to the car, wrestling Chloe, my niece, into her seat, swearing to sing with her for the entire trip to Chuck E Cheese. I mentally praised my older sister, Chloe’s mother, for her terrific idea. I didn’t see Kristin often. The last time was at my huge birthday party six months prior. I couldn’t remember why she’d left early, I was just happy to see her again. Now we had an entire day of fun to enjoy as a family. I wedged myself between Chloe’s massive car seat and the giant stroller, leaving little room to move. I could only see straight ahead, through the windshield as my sister started the purring engine. She hurriedly swerved backwards out of the driveway and rammed the car into drive before accelerating down the street, grinning
Her mind was festered by a relentless disease, one that was corrupting and polluting the once graceful and genial mum i knew before. I was next on its hit list. Escaping, the balcony received me, clothing me with a blanket of peace and in its process conjuring the fresh conversation I had with dad a few nights ago.
After lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, my younger sister Ashley and I hopped into my aged, tan Chrysler Sebring and drove out of the parking lot onto the dirty, bumpy road. The grounds soaked with rain and the autumn leaves floated across the sky. My car was like a bouncy spring on the bumpy road. As we continued to head towards our destination, our excitement grew. After a couple minutes of driving we finally made it to the Luchies’ house. Their house was warm and inviting as Ashley and I entered into it.
Peering hopefully out the window yet again, I watched as my dad eagerly entered his truck without hesitation. As loud as a distant gunshot, its engine interrupted the previously calm evening. Down the driveway and onto the dusty, old dirt road, he disappeared to a familiar place where he remained until dark. I patiently waited for his return so I could ask about what he had seen. Imagining the beautiful scenery that was described to me provided a connection unlike any I have ever had before with my dad. Spending as much time as possible together was important to me; I was finally ready to accomplish this activity with him and make him proud.
The night went on and Anne grew to love her new child. Mary was extremely intelligent. Jane, Mary and Anne played board games until midnight. Jane said that it was time she and Maxine went home. Anne and Mary walked Jane down to the bottom of the drive way to see her off. Anne hugged her friend goodbye and waited until she was out of sight before they started back up the drive way. They were halfway up the hill when Mary said that she needed a break. Anne understood, Mary’s tiny legs could only carry her so far. Anne and her new daughter sat down on the edge of the gravel in the
The cream-colored upholstery of the car was a dull sight to see. I was only two and too short to look out the window. My sister was being obnoxious, as usual, and was getting into our mother's face repeatedly. Our mother eventually got feed up and told her to sit down and behave. After a few more minutes, the roar of the engine cut which signaled we had arrived. Our mother came around the car and opened the door for us. Lucy eagerly went bursting through the car door narrowly hitting me. I casually followed in the grass as the three of us walked up to a house.
My dad hoisted the heavy suitcase up on to his shoulder with a pained expression, obviously it was my older sisters, Ella. You never know what she packs. 'Its better to have it, and not need it, then to need it, and not have it.' Is her philosophy. The scream of my little sister, Ava shattered my ear drum "I wanna leave. This always happens, we always leave over two hours late!". I took my place in the back of the car, with a pillow resting up against the window for me to lay on. The defining roar of my dads old Toyota, Prado relaxed the family in the sense of leaving. " Finally! " Ava announced in a sign of relive.
About an hour into the journey home, my mother felt the symptoms of a heart attack. I rushed to the nearest small-town while looking for a hospital or emergency clinic, but there was nothing within seventy-five miles. At a nearby convenience store, my mother bought some aspirin to ease the pain and hopefully prevent death. The pressure I felt was strengthening, but Maddie was my steady hand; she reassured me that everything was going to be okay, and we would quickly make it to a hospital. Soon my mother felt
It was a brisk October night, the air smelled sweet and woke me up as I stepped outside. Just another night with my friends. My parents were out of town. I jumped in my father’s brand new two thousand and twelve Volkswagen Jetta, which I always called the jet. I was going to buy it off him in the near future. So, I had the false sense of the car being mine. Unknowingly that tonight would be the night I wrecked my father’s car.
I woke up with a big yawn, and my green eyes fluttered open. It was a new day and I wanted to go bike riding, but who would go with me, I wondered as I slowly took my covers off and sat up in bed. I knew my siblings wouldn’t go with me, they usually ignored me back then. I also know my mom wouldn’t go with me, she wasn’t the bike riding type. Now I was out of bed and choosing an outfit for the day and I continued to contemplate who would go bike riding