The Devil In April

Her name was April, cause that's when she was born. And when she arrived it didn't surprise her mama none that the hour was between the morning of 3 and 4. The doctors name was Faust and the nurses all wore the name Rosemary. It couldn't have been a mere coincidence. Except April wasn't born on Sunday, had she waited longer and had her mama been a bit stronger she could've been. Unfortunately, however she was born on Friday. As she grew up the kids picked her first, as did her teachers. They put her in the back for fear of being too close, would make them all weary and mad. It was the belief that April Sallow was the personification of an omen if it walked and talked.

When she finished all her schooling, companies only took her for 6 months. When they were done, her bosses dismissed her and looked the other way.

It had been about the 6th time this month when April came back home early. Her mama was in the kitchen setting away the dishes. Mama May's face settled into an unpleasant state. Her forming wrinkles returned to their familiar crease, and her thin line of lips eased downward at her daughters arrival.

She was use to the door swooshing open this time of year. Mama May had set the broom by the door and had known that the leaves on the porch steps would invite themselves in. They followed April everywhere, especially when they browned.

They were yellow when she stormed in.

"Mama I'm upset!" She whined

Her black bag landed by the broom

"April you're always upset," said May,

As she went back to her remaining tasks in the sink.

"No Mama, I mean it this time, I was close to starting a new month,"

"Oh April you always say that-"

"I just don't get it-" April began, "Mr. Mahone said I was a good worker-"

"Yes, yes I know dear, Mr. Mahone, Mr. O'Malley, the O'Reilly's, gosh April, you haven't got much of the town left, they all talk-"

"But mama I haven't done anything for them to run me from the company, I mean what the hell did I study for?"

"Hmpf study," started May, "don't remind me,"

April began to pour herself an apple jack and lounged back on the creaked table. It had the worn of 35 years, older than April by ten.

"Grown and still sitting on the table, when I was your age, I had me a house, and a job, and I was raising you by myself-"

"Correction you were raising me with gran until you drove her half mad back to the city-"

"Where she was already living comfortably, she only offered to take you off my hands for six damn years and for what April? For you to fuck around?"

"I wasn't fucking around Ma' I was actually working! I had me a life! I was grown! And you just uprooted me, as if you couldn't be happy for me-"

"Grown? Oh for fucks sake April, grown doesn't mean mooching off gran and going off to do the stupid shit you were doing, it was a miracle you graduated- now go sweep those damn leaves off the porch, before I sweep you out the house-"

April groaned to high heaven as she set her glass down, there was no buzz but the humming headache Mama May left her.

She took the broom from its familiar corner and began to knock the warm colored leaves off the steps.

People that walked by already knew when April was out of work. It was almost always that time of month. And their grimaces as they kept their eyes to the cracked concrete, did not hide their amusement.