All By Myself, All On My Own, chapter 34
Nearly a week after that day Tre had called me unexpectedly I was to be found at the small town park. About a quarter the size of the one me and my friends had gone to before. Jake climbed up and down the ladders going down the slide and landing on the soft blue padding on the ground only to go right back up the tunnel to do it again. Key sat next to me on the bench reading a book she had found in her attic about three days ago whilst looking through all of Jake's old toys. I watched the minute hand on my watch tick slowly around the clock as we sat there quietly while Jake and his friends played on the jungle gym. The air was cooler than it had been when I had arrived home. The fall season was starting to really show though it was nearly two months away until the first day. The first day of fall was to be on my old school friend's birthday this year. I missed her. I hadn't seen her since I moved to Florida. September 22nd would be her birthday. I flattened the grass around my feet bored. Today was a Saturday and I didn't have to go to work much lately with such bad business. Many of the people n our little town had fled long before either because it was hurricane season or the fact that a murderer lived just around the corner as well as a murder victim. I leaned back against the hard wooden bench with my best friend. God I was falling apart. I had no reason in life. Not any longer. James was gone, Mark was in jail, Tre was gone, my friends are gone, Key's life was partly ruined, I had no point to hang around anymore. "Aunt Kiki! Come on!" Jake giggled as he started back up the tube again. "Fine." I sighed smiling at him. I walked over to the opening that the little boy had already disappeared into and got down on my hands and knees. I crawled up through the tunnel crouching low in order to fit. I came out at the top where it was once again open. A small bridge hung across two parts of the tunnels and I slowly went across. Jake was sitting on the mat in front of the slide. I ran after him but before I could grab him up he had plunged down the chute. I got on my back and slid down after him catching him at the bottom and falling off the end of the chute and onto the mat below. "Let's go again!" Lil' Jake shouted standing up laughing and then running back around to the front and once again headed up through the plastic tube. I stood up brushing the sand from my jeans and going back to sit with the little boy's mom on the bench.
***
Around 2 we left the park. I walked with Key and Jake to their house but from there headed back home. As I came up to my driveway I opened my mailbox to see four letters addressed to me. Two of them were just bills and the other was a check from work but the third... . It was a letter. I put the other envelopes in my pocket but held the one letter in front of me as if making sure what I was seeing was real. I walked into my house throwing the bills onto the kitchen table and taking a seat on the living room couch to open my letter from someone. I studied the front addressed to me but yet there was no return address. I couldn't help but wonder if this was a threat or a prank but as I cut open the top and pulled out the folded paper inside to realize it was neither. I scanned over the words neatly printed on the paper. "I Love You." Was all it said. At the bottom of the page was a small P.S. that read "Call me at five on Saturday night." Wait today was Saturday. Good timing for whoever had sent this. Why was it such a secret though that they couldn't have a return address? Was it Chuck making another pathetic attempt at me or maybe Tre? I folded the letter back up and set it on the table in front of me. I had 3 hours before I could find out who it was from. But... they must have expected me to know. If it wasn't Tre calling him may bother him and if it wasn't Chuck calling him first might give him the false impression I was giving in to him. I had to try though. I would call Tre first. Even if he was busy he wouldn't or at least shouldn't get too annoyed if I called him and if his cell was turned off then there would be no problem because obviously it wasn't him... I had a good feeling who it was from though... but why was there no return address?
***
So as my letter said, around 5 I picked up my cell phone and punched in the number on the slip of paper Tre had given me. "Hey! You got the letter!" Was the first thing I heard when the phone stopped ringing. "Tre?" I said a little excited. "Well you called me who else would you expect to talk to?" He laughed to himself on the other side. "Why'd you send the letter?" I asked a little confused but so happy to hear his voice again. "I haven't been hearing from you at all so I sent you the letter to you to well... call." He said. If he wasn't so calm about what he said I would think he was lying again by the tone of his voice. "I love you too." I giggled thinking about the letter I had opened nearly three hours earlier. "What?... oh the letter... " He said at first not understanding why I had said that. "I wanted to talk to you today before we leave for our concert. Billie Joe and Adrienne talked and Adie wanted to know about you. He had told her about you but that was a while before so... she doesn't really know who you are you know? Yeah, and we just arrived here in California this morning. Of course not where we live but... it's home... kinda... 80 came out and her and Mike and Billie are back in the hotel room talking and stuff and well I was waiting for your call. I wasn't sure you would even get the letter but... well... you did and... " He said this all pretty fast so I had to take a pause to get things straight. Adrienne knows about me? And Kilana? Cool... I guess... . "So why did you hide your address?" I asked looking over at the ripped envelope still sitting on the table. "Well... I did put my address on that paper and I had to use a different address when I sent that to you. Since we kinda are gone now from where I sent that letter to you and I didn't want you to try to reply by that address I had to send by because if you did it would never get to me." He said. His words confused me. I had to once again pause and think about what he said to get things straight. "Yeah, It's so bring to be back home." I sighed wishing I could be with the guys again. "If the others are in the hotel room where are you?" I asked suddenly realizing he said he wasn't with them. "I'm in the parking lot in front of the doors, sitting on the steps just like we used to." He said happily but then sighing. "Oh, I have to go Billie Joe's calling back inside from the balcony about two floors above me, got 2 go I love you." He said groaning. "Bye." I said a little depressed. "Feel free to call me at any time I'll always be glad to talk to you except well, when my phone is shut off if we are too busy but anyway bye!" He said quickly. The line was disconnected as he hung up and I did as well putting my phone back in my pocket. I stood up and jumping in excitement and letting out a deep breath as I thought about what he may be doing at this moment I got onto the tips of my toes and fell once again back into the couch closing my eyes in comfort and joy. OMFG I MISS HIM!!!!
***
I must have passed out on the couch because I woke up about an hour later on the living room floor. It was past 6 and I was starving. I got up and walked into the kitchen to get something to eat. I noticed a piece of paper on the fridge I had put up right before I had left with my friends to go see the concert. A picture I had copied of the guys. Two pictures hung up one printed off of the computer and the other was drawn in pencil with my name written neatly in the bottom right corner. Billie Joe, Mike and Tre stood together in their usual concert outfits. I ignored the picture though and opened up the fridge to take out a small package of pepperoni and tossed it onto the table as well as some crackers and a bottle of water. As I walked over the table I couldn't help but look back of at the drawing though. I walked over tearing it from its magnet making the magnet crash to the floor. I took a seat in one of the chairs and as I ate my pepperoni and crackers I looked over every detail of the two pictures. Before setting them down and finishing my food a gave a small kiss to the two papers and then set them down. "I really do love you guys." I whispered to myself as if afraid someone may overhear. I finished up putting my half-full water bottle in the refrigerator to keep it cold and threw out the empty package of pepperoni and crackers. My life was so boring... though probably more exciting than some peoples... I just felt so insignificant at the moment in such a little town everyone knowing me working at a little fast food restaurant that gets hardly any customers. I wish I worked back with Casey at The Daniel Daze Café. I had pretty much quit that job though and now I was wishing I could go back.
***
Later... around 8 I was about half way to Key's house. I gently knocked on the door for I knew Jake would be in bed by now. Key opened the door and let me in her face pale and tired. I gave her a smile and followed her upstairs into her bedroom. The room was really clean compared to mine except some stuff still laying on the floor from unpacking that she hadn't yet been able to put away. "I got a letter and a call from Tre today." I smiled sitting down in the desk chair. "Yeah? What'd he say?" "They were getting ready to play at a concert so he didn't really have a lot of time to talk but everything seems fine. They are in California right now, Adrienne came out to see Billie and the guys." "You could get bars on your cell from someone calling across the country?" Key asked her eyes wide in shock. It did seem a little weird. I could try to call her from Louisiana and still get no reception from Key only one state away yet I could talk to Tre who was all the way on what seemed at the moment the other side of the world. And considering that our little town was in a hole compared to a lot of Florida and so it was really hard to get reception. "Oh, I have Mike's number for you." I said finally remembering to tell her from when Tre gave me that paper on our last day together. "You do!?!" She said turning quickly from her dresser where she was digging through to find clothes for tomorrow. "Yeah... " I said pulling out the small slip of paper. She seemed to leap with joy and really I don't blame her for all that's happened. I handed the paper to her and she grabbed a sheet of blank white printing paper from her desk and copied down the number giving me back my paper and then she took a pin and pinned it to the wall just over her headboard. I don't think I'll ever understand her... -_-... . She's as weird as me. "What?" She said a little confused as I rolled my eyes at her. "Nothing... " I said but my heart seemed to sink at this... I was acting like Tre... O_O "What's wrong?" Key asked me as I froze up thinking about all those times Tre had responded that same way at every question. "Tre." I mumbled to myself looking around and then falling to my knees on the floor, Kilana watching me nervously the whole time. "Excuse me?" she said not hearing correctly what I had said. "Tre!" I started to shout. "Shush Jake is sleeping." Kilana said going over to her door pressing her ear up to the wall to hear if Jake was awake in the next room. "What about Tre?" She said turning around after making sure Jake was still in bed asleep. "Did Mike tell you anything about Tre? Anything when he drove you home?" I asked jumping back again to my feet. Maybe she knew. "No." She said simply. I grabbed her shoulders to look into her eyes. "Did he?" I asked again. "No." She said again confused but not looking away, breaking eye contact, blinking or smiling. She wasn't lying. He hadn't told her. "Why?" She asked as I let go of her and took a seat on her bed. She knew nothing. "Remember that time, Tre and the rest of us, got into a fight because Tre ran away while you guys were in town and denied why he had done it, well he also has all this stuff he's hiding from me and well I wanted to know if Mike had told you anything because I am positive he knows... Billie Joe too but no one will tell me Tre's secret so... " I finished. "Wow... um... you know I have no idea what is going on but... okay... " She said not exactly sure how to respond to what I had said. "Never mind." I said giving up on that sudden idea. I wanted to know so badly I was letting it get the best of me. The alarm clock on her bedside said 8:30. "I better get going." I said a little shyly. I stood up and walked out of the room Kilana behind me. I crept into Jake's room while Key waited in the doorway the hallway light created her silhouette in the doorframe. I walked up to the sleeping little boy giving him a gentle good night kiss on the forehead and then I walked out of the dark room into the light. "Bye." Key waved to me as I walked out into the chilly night air. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I walked down the sidewalk. I walked up the steps onto my front porch the dim streetlight by the road lighting my path so I could see the steps ahead of me. The small breeze blew my loose hair as I stepped into my cozy house. "Time for bed." I said throwing my hoody onto the couch and then running up stairs into my bedroom. I pulled off my clothing and jumped into my bed grabbing my headset off of the floor and putting on my headphones to listen to about an hour of music while I drew pictures on some of the loose papers I found laying around. The CD started with Maria so it's pretty easy to guess what I was listening to.
***
The next morning when I woke up I seemed the most carefree I had been for the past month and a half. It felt like a normal day, like nothing had ever happened such a short time ago. I sat up stretching sleepily I looked around my boring messy room. I stood up pulling a blanket up over my shoulders keeping me warm in my cool house. I slid my feet across the carpet into the bathroom where I stared hopelessly at the blank wall, which had once held my mirror that was now shattered into pieces on the neighbors back porch from throwing it out the window. What a surprise that will be to find when they arrive home tomorrow night from visiting relatives in North Carolina. I laughed to myself turning my gaze away from the wall and pulling my toothbrush from the top slot of the holder on the wall. I ran it under some warm water and squeezed on some of the disgusting toothpaste in the tube. Putting it in my mouth to brush made me want to gag as I cleaned my teeth. I spit it out as soon as I could but continued anyway. At least the horrible taste kept me from swallowing it. I finished rinsing it off and putting it back. I dragged my blanket back into my bedroom and I dug through my closet grabbing some clothes and putting them on. I threw the blanket back onto my bed to be fixed later and went back into the hallway to go downstairs for breakfast. Like I said this is the first time I felt like a normal day was ahead of me. I sat on the railing and slid down to the bottom of the stairway keeping my balance then jumping off onto the hard floor. I caught my balance again now on my feet and ran around the corner into the kitchen.
***
After breakfast I went outside now walking and no longer in a big hurry now that my stomach was full. If I move too much after I eat I normally would pretty much throw up. It may be that way for you peoples too but I don't know... you tell me... . I walked about half way down my street until like usual the little kids were in the streets playing; well at least two of them were today... sort of... Little Jake and some little girl I had grown to know as Shannon sat on the curb watching cars pass every ten or fifteen minutes. "Where's the rest of the group?" I asked the 5-year-olds as I sat down on the sidewalk next to Jake. "Tina's home sick, Cory's at his grandpa's, Sam is shopping with her mommy, Trevor has to stay home and help his dad, Kevin moved two days ago, Destiny is also with her mom, It's Matt's birthday and he's at home sleeping and won't be able to come until later and... I don't know where everyone else is." Jake and Shannon said all together well... she said something, he said another then she spoke then him and yeah whatever... "Why you two just sitting here then? Go out and play some other game." I said looking down on the little boy next to me. "We don't have the ball, Cory does and we don't have anything else we can do as only two peoples, Aunt Kiki wills you play with us?" Jake said happily at me. "Fine." I sighed standing up. "Come on let's go see if I have anything we can use." I said taking Jake's hand and walking him down the road with Shannon walking on his side trying to balance on the edge of the walkway. I went and opened up my garage door walking into the cluttered room. "Wow." I heard Shannon say to herself as she entered the dark room. Boxes piled against the walls some full of junk and others completely empty. Jake took a dive into one of the boxes that was empty and crawled into it. "How many boxes you gots Aunt Kiki?" Jake said looking at them all. "Can we use em'?" "I don't know... ." I said picking up a few of the empty boxes. "Sure you can use them most of them are empty. "You gots a jillion!" Shannon said happily jumping into a box just has Jake had done. "Well, as much as I don't think that's an actual number I would have to agree." I laughed pulling down more. "We cans make a castle!" Jake giggled tipping over his box and making himself spill out onto the hard cement floor. "We can try, grab a few boxes." I said stacking some up in my arms. Jake picked up one big one carrying it around holding onto it as well as he could since the box was twice his size. Shannon grabbed two smaller ones and dragged them out into the grass of my front yard. "Here I said punching out the bottom of the boxes I had and lining them up like a tunnel. Jake did the same with his big box but punched out a sidepiece instead of the bottom and sat it up right by the tunnel so he could climb on top of the boxes. "Wait," said running inside. I ran into the kitchen and pulled open one of the drawers pulling out a thick roll of duct tape. "We're going to need this." I said coming back out to tape all the boxes together. "There." I said stepping back to look at a huge clump of duct taped boxes but inside it was a bunch of tunnels like a maze and it went up onto a small tower we had made and had a small ladder down the outside for them to climb down. At least they were light in weight so the floors wouldn't break if they went across them. And the boxes were just big enough for them to move around in. "Me first!" Jake laughed running over and getting down on his hands and knees to crawl into the hole in the side. Shannon climbed the ladder and went down through the tower and at some point they must have ran into each other because the box shook as they tried to get by each other and there was a small "Ouch!" Heard from Shannon who must've rounded a corner to bump into Jake. The whole thing was about 6 feet tall, 14 feet long and 5 feet wide. I sat on the wooden steps to my porch watching for one of them to come out and listening in on them when they rarely spoke. Mostly all I could hear was laughing. Little kids are so easy to please and amuse. After a while they had given up and were once again bored lying in the grass doing nothing. I had gone inside now too bored to watch after them. I lay on the couch easing a headache I had gotten only a few minutes before. I held a pillow to my head as I waited for the medicine to kick in. I'm not sure how much time had passed as I lay there but over a while it grew extremely quiet and I could only think that the kids had gone home. The only sound in the room was the ticking clock on the wall. It was going to be a long life to live.
***
Around 2 we left the park. I walked with Key and Jake to their house but from there headed back home. As I came up to my driveway I opened my mailbox to see four letters addressed to me. Two of them were just bills and the other was a check from work but the third... . It was a letter. I put the other envelopes in my pocket but held the one letter in front of me as if making sure what I was seeing was real. I walked into my house throwing the bills onto the kitchen table and taking a seat on the living room couch to open my letter from someone. I studied the front addressed to me but yet there was no return address. I couldn't help but wonder if this was a threat or a prank but as I cut open the top and pulled out the folded paper inside to realize it was neither. I scanned over the words neatly printed on the paper. "I Love You." Was all it said. At the bottom of the page was a small P.S. that read "Call me at five on Saturday night." Wait today was Saturday. Good timing for whoever had sent this. Why was it such a secret though that they couldn't have a return address? Was it Chuck making another pathetic attempt at me or maybe Tre? I folded the letter back up and set it on the table in front of me. I had 3 hours before I could find out who it was from. But... they must have expected me to know. If it wasn't Tre calling him may bother him and if it wasn't Chuck calling him first might give him the false impression I was giving in to him. I had to try though. I would call Tre first. Even if he was busy he wouldn't or at least shouldn't get too annoyed if I called him and if his cell was turned off then there would be no problem because obviously it wasn't him... I had a good feeling who it was from though... but why was there no return address?
***
So as my letter said, around 5 I picked up my cell phone and punched in the number on the slip of paper Tre had given me. "Hey! You got the letter!" Was the first thing I heard when the phone stopped ringing. "Tre?" I said a little excited. "Well you called me who else would you expect to talk to?" He laughed to himself on the other side. "Why'd you send the letter?" I asked a little confused but so happy to hear his voice again. "I haven't been hearing from you at all so I sent you the letter to you to well... call." He said. If he wasn't so calm about what he said I would think he was lying again by the tone of his voice. "I love you too." I giggled thinking about the letter I had opened nearly three hours earlier. "What?... oh the letter... " He said at first not understanding why I had said that. "I wanted to talk to you today before we leave for our concert. Billie Joe and Adrienne talked and Adie wanted to know about you. He had told her about you but that was a while before so... she doesn't really know who you are you know? Yeah, and we just arrived here in California this morning. Of course not where we live but... it's home... kinda... 80 came out and her and Mike and Billie are back in the hotel room talking and stuff and well I was waiting for your call. I wasn't sure you would even get the letter but... well... you did and... " He said this all pretty fast so I had to take a pause to get things straight. Adrienne knows about me? And Kilana? Cool... I guess... . "So why did you hide your address?" I asked looking over at the ripped envelope still sitting on the table. "Well... I did put my address on that paper and I had to use a different address when I sent that to you. Since we kinda are gone now from where I sent that letter to you and I didn't want you to try to reply by that address I had to send by because if you did it would never get to me." He said. His words confused me. I had to once again pause and think about what he said to get things straight. "Yeah, It's so bring to be back home." I sighed wishing I could be with the guys again. "If the others are in the hotel room where are you?" I asked suddenly realizing he said he wasn't with them. "I'm in the parking lot in front of the doors, sitting on the steps just like we used to." He said happily but then sighing. "Oh, I have to go Billie Joe's calling back inside from the balcony about two floors above me, got 2 go I love you." He said groaning. "Bye." I said a little depressed. "Feel free to call me at any time I'll always be glad to talk to you except well, when my phone is shut off if we are too busy but anyway bye!" He said quickly. The line was disconnected as he hung up and I did as well putting my phone back in my pocket. I stood up and jumping in excitement and letting out a deep breath as I thought about what he may be doing at this moment I got onto the tips of my toes and fell once again back into the couch closing my eyes in comfort and joy. OMFG I MISS HIM!!!!
***
I must have passed out on the couch because I woke up about an hour later on the living room floor. It was past 6 and I was starving. I got up and walked into the kitchen to get something to eat. I noticed a piece of paper on the fridge I had put up right before I had left with my friends to go see the concert. A picture I had copied of the guys. Two pictures hung up one printed off of the computer and the other was drawn in pencil with my name written neatly in the bottom right corner. Billie Joe, Mike and Tre stood together in their usual concert outfits. I ignored the picture though and opened up the fridge to take out a small package of pepperoni and tossed it onto the table as well as some crackers and a bottle of water. As I walked over the table I couldn't help but look back of at the drawing though. I walked over tearing it from its magnet making the magnet crash to the floor. I took a seat in one of the chairs and as I ate my pepperoni and crackers I looked over every detail of the two pictures. Before setting them down and finishing my food a gave a small kiss to the two papers and then set them down. "I really do love you guys." I whispered to myself as if afraid someone may overhear. I finished up putting my half-full water bottle in the refrigerator to keep it cold and threw out the empty package of pepperoni and crackers. My life was so boring... though probably more exciting than some peoples... I just felt so insignificant at the moment in such a little town everyone knowing me working at a little fast food restaurant that gets hardly any customers. I wish I worked back with Casey at The Daniel Daze Café. I had pretty much quit that job though and now I was wishing I could go back.
***
Later... around 8 I was about half way to Key's house. I gently knocked on the door for I knew Jake would be in bed by now. Key opened the door and let me in her face pale and tired. I gave her a smile and followed her upstairs into her bedroom. The room was really clean compared to mine except some stuff still laying on the floor from unpacking that she hadn't yet been able to put away. "I got a letter and a call from Tre today." I smiled sitting down in the desk chair. "Yeah? What'd he say?" "They were getting ready to play at a concert so he didn't really have a lot of time to talk but everything seems fine. They are in California right now, Adrienne came out to see Billie and the guys." "You could get bars on your cell from someone calling across the country?" Key asked her eyes wide in shock. It did seem a little weird. I could try to call her from Louisiana and still get no reception from Key only one state away yet I could talk to Tre who was all the way on what seemed at the moment the other side of the world. And considering that our little town was in a hole compared to a lot of Florida and so it was really hard to get reception. "Oh, I have Mike's number for you." I said finally remembering to tell her from when Tre gave me that paper on our last day together. "You do!?!" She said turning quickly from her dresser where she was digging through to find clothes for tomorrow. "Yeah... " I said pulling out the small slip of paper. She seemed to leap with joy and really I don't blame her for all that's happened. I handed the paper to her and she grabbed a sheet of blank white printing paper from her desk and copied down the number giving me back my paper and then she took a pin and pinned it to the wall just over her headboard. I don't think I'll ever understand her... -_-... . She's as weird as me. "What?" She said a little confused as I rolled my eyes at her. "Nothing... " I said but my heart seemed to sink at this... I was acting like Tre... O_O "What's wrong?" Key asked me as I froze up thinking about all those times Tre had responded that same way at every question. "Tre." I mumbled to myself looking around and then falling to my knees on the floor, Kilana watching me nervously the whole time. "Excuse me?" she said not hearing correctly what I had said. "Tre!" I started to shout. "Shush Jake is sleeping." Kilana said going over to her door pressing her ear up to the wall to hear if Jake was awake in the next room. "What about Tre?" She said turning around after making sure Jake was still in bed asleep. "Did Mike tell you anything about Tre? Anything when he drove you home?" I asked jumping back again to my feet. Maybe she knew. "No." She said simply. I grabbed her shoulders to look into her eyes. "Did he?" I asked again. "No." She said again confused but not looking away, breaking eye contact, blinking or smiling. She wasn't lying. He hadn't told her. "Why?" She asked as I let go of her and took a seat on her bed. She knew nothing. "Remember that time, Tre and the rest of us, got into a fight because Tre ran away while you guys were in town and denied why he had done it, well he also has all this stuff he's hiding from me and well I wanted to know if Mike had told you anything because I am positive he knows... Billie Joe too but no one will tell me Tre's secret so... " I finished. "Wow... um... you know I have no idea what is going on but... okay... " She said not exactly sure how to respond to what I had said. "Never mind." I said giving up on that sudden idea. I wanted to know so badly I was letting it get the best of me. The alarm clock on her bedside said 8:30. "I better get going." I said a little shyly. I stood up and walked out of the room Kilana behind me. I crept into Jake's room while Key waited in the doorway the hallway light created her silhouette in the doorframe. I walked up to the sleeping little boy giving him a gentle good night kiss on the forehead and then I walked out of the dark room into the light. "Bye." Key waved to me as I walked out into the chilly night air. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I walked down the sidewalk. I walked up the steps onto my front porch the dim streetlight by the road lighting my path so I could see the steps ahead of me. The small breeze blew my loose hair as I stepped into my cozy house. "Time for bed." I said throwing my hoody onto the couch and then running up stairs into my bedroom. I pulled off my clothing and jumped into my bed grabbing my headset off of the floor and putting on my headphones to listen to about an hour of music while I drew pictures on some of the loose papers I found laying around. The CD started with Maria so it's pretty easy to guess what I was listening to.
***
The next morning when I woke up I seemed the most carefree I had been for the past month and a half. It felt like a normal day, like nothing had ever happened such a short time ago. I sat up stretching sleepily I looked around my boring messy room. I stood up pulling a blanket up over my shoulders keeping me warm in my cool house. I slid my feet across the carpet into the bathroom where I stared hopelessly at the blank wall, which had once held my mirror that was now shattered into pieces on the neighbors back porch from throwing it out the window. What a surprise that will be to find when they arrive home tomorrow night from visiting relatives in North Carolina. I laughed to myself turning my gaze away from the wall and pulling my toothbrush from the top slot of the holder on the wall. I ran it under some warm water and squeezed on some of the disgusting toothpaste in the tube. Putting it in my mouth to brush made me want to gag as I cleaned my teeth. I spit it out as soon as I could but continued anyway. At least the horrible taste kept me from swallowing it. I finished rinsing it off and putting it back. I dragged my blanket back into my bedroom and I dug through my closet grabbing some clothes and putting them on. I threw the blanket back onto my bed to be fixed later and went back into the hallway to go downstairs for breakfast. Like I said this is the first time I felt like a normal day was ahead of me. I sat on the railing and slid down to the bottom of the stairway keeping my balance then jumping off onto the hard floor. I caught my balance again now on my feet and ran around the corner into the kitchen.
***
After breakfast I went outside now walking and no longer in a big hurry now that my stomach was full. If I move too much after I eat I normally would pretty much throw up. It may be that way for you peoples too but I don't know... you tell me... . I walked about half way down my street until like usual the little kids were in the streets playing; well at least two of them were today... sort of... Little Jake and some little girl I had grown to know as Shannon sat on the curb watching cars pass every ten or fifteen minutes. "Where's the rest of the group?" I asked the 5-year-olds as I sat down on the sidewalk next to Jake. "Tina's home sick, Cory's at his grandpa's, Sam is shopping with her mommy, Trevor has to stay home and help his dad, Kevin moved two days ago, Destiny is also with her mom, It's Matt's birthday and he's at home sleeping and won't be able to come until later and... I don't know where everyone else is." Jake and Shannon said all together well... she said something, he said another then she spoke then him and yeah whatever... "Why you two just sitting here then? Go out and play some other game." I said looking down on the little boy next to me. "We don't have the ball, Cory does and we don't have anything else we can do as only two peoples, Aunt Kiki wills you play with us?" Jake said happily at me. "Fine." I sighed standing up. "Come on let's go see if I have anything we can use." I said taking Jake's hand and walking him down the road with Shannon walking on his side trying to balance on the edge of the walkway. I went and opened up my garage door walking into the cluttered room. "Wow." I heard Shannon say to herself as she entered the dark room. Boxes piled against the walls some full of junk and others completely empty. Jake took a dive into one of the boxes that was empty and crawled into it. "How many boxes you gots Aunt Kiki?" Jake said looking at them all. "Can we use em'?" "I don't know... ." I said picking up a few of the empty boxes. "Sure you can use them most of them are empty. "You gots a jillion!" Shannon said happily jumping into a box just has Jake had done. "Well, as much as I don't think that's an actual number I would have to agree." I laughed pulling down more. "We cans make a castle!" Jake giggled tipping over his box and making himself spill out onto the hard cement floor. "We can try, grab a few boxes." I said stacking some up in my arms. Jake picked up one big one carrying it around holding onto it as well as he could since the box was twice his size. Shannon grabbed two smaller ones and dragged them out into the grass of my front yard. "Here I said punching out the bottom of the boxes I had and lining them up like a tunnel. Jake did the same with his big box but punched out a sidepiece instead of the bottom and sat it up right by the tunnel so he could climb on top of the boxes. "Wait," said running inside. I ran into the kitchen and pulled open one of the drawers pulling out a thick roll of duct tape. "We're going to need this." I said coming back out to tape all the boxes together. "There." I said stepping back to look at a huge clump of duct taped boxes but inside it was a bunch of tunnels like a maze and it went up onto a small tower we had made and had a small ladder down the outside for them to climb down. At least they were light in weight so the floors wouldn't break if they went across them. And the boxes were just big enough for them to move around in. "Me first!" Jake laughed running over and getting down on his hands and knees to crawl into the hole in the side. Shannon climbed the ladder and went down through the tower and at some point they must have ran into each other because the box shook as they tried to get by each other and there was a small "Ouch!" Heard from Shannon who must've rounded a corner to bump into Jake. The whole thing was about 6 feet tall, 14 feet long and 5 feet wide. I sat on the wooden steps to my porch watching for one of them to come out and listening in on them when they rarely spoke. Mostly all I could hear was laughing. Little kids are so easy to please and amuse. After a while they had given up and were once again bored lying in the grass doing nothing. I had gone inside now too bored to watch after them. I lay on the couch easing a headache I had gotten only a few minutes before. I held a pillow to my head as I waited for the medicine to kick in. I'm not sure how much time had passed as I lay there but over a while it grew extremely quiet and I could only think that the kids had gone home. The only sound in the room was the ticking clock on the wall. It was going to be a long life to live.
