The Window Of An Attic

“I’m not supposed to do this, but I can help you” I began “you can trust me.”

When we arrived at the house, I stood there for about five seconds before knocking on the door. They didn’t answer at first, so I knocked again, harder, and then saw the handle start to move. My stomach filled with butterflies as I watched the door slowly open. The face that greeted was one of a two year old, and as I looked up I saw her father standing over her.

I had just finished reading her a bedtime story and I was tucking her in with a goodnight kiss when she yawned and asked, “You'll always be my mommy, right?”, “Of course,” I said”, “Good. I'd miss you if you weren't”, “You've been my mommy for a long time.”, “Yup, your whole life,” I replied. “All my life,” she whispered into her pillow. Her eyes had slowly closed shut, her breathing deepened, and she fell asleep while I sat next to her, thinking kids really do say the darndest things. I didn't think much about it though, it had just been an off the cuff remark by a child with an active imagination. The same child who, a few weeks before, had told me that rainbows are unicorn slides, and clouds are their magical trampolines.

I need you home now.” This was my wakeup call and I knew that I had to hurry home. “I’m coming home now mom. I’ll be there in a bit. Everything is going to be alright.” Keeping my composure I went to the NHS president and told her that I had a family emergency and that I had to go. For some reason she was giving me a hard time about it but after seeing my eyes she asked if everything was alright. I just said I had to go and she finally let me go without asking anything further of me. I darted out of the cafeteria doors taking a right on the first floor hall way on the east side of the building and then a left I went through one of the schools entrances on 59th court. I live on the same street as the school just three miles away. At that moment I felt stranded. I did not have my “proper gear” to run it as fast as I could and at the time for some reason I did not bring my car to school. However, I knew I had to get home fast so I took off. As the cars passed me I lost myself in my head. I was not crying or even sad. I was unsure of how I should react. Then the thoughts of what if I never get to talk to him again ran through my head. That is when the tears started to pour down my cheeks as I continued to pant.

One day waking up thinking this was a normal day at my birth home, Jamaica, I walked to my grandparents’ house, stayed there for a couple of hours, then I saw this pretty, shiny, new Nissan Altima pulled up, and stopped. Moments later a tall dark-skinned guy stepped out the vehicle, fixed his hat, and walked to the door. When the doors open he burst into tears and said to me, “Hey son”, at first my siblings and I was in shock because we have not seen our father since 2004, I did not know what he looked like until I saw pictures of me and him together. Later that night we party and have fun together. The next morning, he drove in and we took pictures, then, we went to dunns-river falls, also we went and eat.

I woke up and rustled all my things together and jetted down stairs. I see my mom across the room eating her favorite cereal, Lucky Charms. I slugged around the kitchen still half-awake trying to find a bowl, cereal, and milk. Then I heard a whistle and realized she had my breakfast ready on the table. I sat across from her on the table. The scent of perfume hit my nose, it smelled fruity. Her hair was combed back into a sleek bun. She was wearing a formal white shirt and a black skirt and some heels. I slurped the last of the milk as she was almost out the door. I walked outside and ran to the car. I opened the door and got inside. It was 7:59 am.

It was just another Sunday morning. There were birds chirping, sun shining, people driving fords and Chevrolet's up and down the streets. When I got out of bed and went downstairs I saw that my family had already started breakfast and were all still at the table and talking faintly about something very quietly. My mother noticed me walk into the kitchen and told me that the rest of the family had just finished breakfast and that I could pull up a T.V. tray and watch Sing Along With Mitch with my older brother and sister and that she would make me some “Flapjacks” and be there in a flash. So I went into the den and my brother and sister were there talking and greeted me. I asked my brother why they were whispering and my mom shot him a look saying and he said “Never mind, it doesn't matter” and then I felt that

It was a late summer afternoon in Crenshaw Los Angles. The sun is setting and I was sitting at the stairs of the two apartment building I lived at. I was waiting for my dad to return from work. Down in the street gust of wind blew torn paper into spirals. The sun was shining through the bright blue empty sky making it hard to see through the distance as the light shines through my eyes. My father was walking towards me with the harsh light of the sun outlining his body. As my father began to come closer to me the sun began to set even more. Light fading away as soon as my father stood in front of me. As he stood in front of me I was able to smell the fresh paint that was stained on his pants all the way up to his neck. He then squats down in

I jumped out of my bed like a missile and looked out the window so fast that I almost hit my head in the window. I watched all the cars that was passing by. My uncle came to my room and asked me “what is happing here?” he looked at my calendar it was Saturday the day that my dad comes back. “Jonny, I have to talk to you” I looked at him and walked on my bed towers him. He sat on my bed and explained to me that my dad had lied to me that he’ll come back because that sound that I heard at night was your dad fighting with your mom for me, she herds that my dad was mad at me just for a slice of bread so my parents divorced. I looked at my uncle’s eyes, my heart almost stopped, tears slide down my face. I was in my room crying for my dad to come back for 2 hours. Nothing was the same without my dad. When I came back home from school, I cried “I’m here dad … oh” I was alone with my uncle. All the paintings that me and dad were on my wall, I used my step stole to take down the pictures and put it in a shoebox. I could not believe that he abandon me…by a

I walked off the school bus; it was a beautiful summer day. The sun was shining and the birds were singing, but inside my house it was dark, a cloud had moved over us. I slowly made my way to the door, expecting my mother to greet me but instead my sister opened the door, something was wrong, I knew instantly. When I walked in there sat my three year old little brother playing with his toys in the family room and my parents were sitting on the couch. I looked up at my mom, she had been crying. What is wrong I asked? He is sick my mom said, “Your baby brother is very sick”. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked away, I had been sick before and I got better, so would he.

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

The next day we did not see the man whilst we were driving home from school, nor the day after. My mom had completely forgot about him. However, on the third after originally seeing the man, we saw him on our way back from school. We were so relieved! My mom drove into the gas station parking lot and I hopped out of the car with the $80 in my pocket. I went up to the man, who was in a stained white shirt with a red torn jacket and and a pair of black sweatpants. “Hi, my name is Dylan, what’s your name?” I introduced myself.

I open the door and hear a faucet running. I go into the kitchen and see my dad washing his hands, I see that same color that I saw in the forest, red. I stop and look at my dad and said quietly, “Dad, What were you doing?” he looked at me and responded “What, I can’t hear you.” I began to take a deep breath and then my voice began to raise, “What did you do when you got home!” He looked at me and grinned, that same grin I saw yesterday last night. I felt my body shake and then I lifted my head and saw he was drying his hands and begun to walk over towards to

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

The window on the eastern side of my house in my brother’s room is the most expensive window in the house, coming in at over 125,000 dollars. It could have been a normal window, if my family were normal. However, because of that window the entire household had to get rabies shots. I should consider lucky we did not die a horrible and disgraceful death foaming at the mouth, but after that experience I am certain that my family deserves to be featured on a freak medical reality show like Untold Stories of the ER.