I'll Never Stop Crashing

Its just the begining

I peddled into my rock driveway. Quickly jumping off, throwing my bike onto the side of my old back porch. I jogged into my mustard colored kitchen. Chicken was in the crock-pot  and it smelled like my mom had but in toll house double chocolate chunk cookies in the oven. I checked if she had washed the bowl out yet attempting to get a taste of the dough. The silver sink was empty. That smart mother of mine always one step ahead. I wondered why she was baking cookies. She bakes all the time but the past few weeks my mother has been on a health kick. I knew I shouldn’t have shown her pinterest. So know I’d have to snag my Arnold-Palmer and candy cigarettes in town on my way home from work or the beach. 

“Mum?!” I called down our long narrow hallway leading to her office. No response. I took out my crappy flip phone and dialed her cell. 2 weeks ago I was walking on the jetty on the beach and my older brother Shawn threw a dead crab at me.  Believe me don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not squeamish at all it took me by surprise. long story short, I dropped my blackberry into the dark depths of the chilly Maine waters.  7 rings no answer. I soon hear the familiar voicemail. 

“Hi! This is Patricia Emerson. I am unable to pick up my phone right now. Please leave a message after the beep. ‘Kay thanks! Oh and Crash honey if this is you. Shawn will bring you to the ER”---Beeeeeeep.

You must be wondering who’s Crash? Well thats me. When I was about six years old I broke my arm, my ankle, got a concussion, fractured my collar bone and knocked out both my front teeth. All different accidents. I had a lot of slips out of P.E. and my mom had too many medical bills. And lets just say I’m an accident prone, clumsy, adrenaline junky. So the nick-name given by my 12 year old brother when I was six has stuck ever since. Plus Serendipity is a god-awful name. (Don’t ask it’s another story). Then it occurred to me. Why would my mom put something in the oven if she was going to leave the house?  Yes my mother was a charismatic, curious, and young at heart, similar to a puppy. But she wasn’t stupid and far from it. I sauntered down the hallway of out loving beach house. And I climber up the steep steps each a different color. Shawn was an artistic teenager. He still is, well at least he acts like a teenager. He insisted to paint the steps and the top steps had Shawn’s, My mom’s and my handprint imprinted on the top step. I walked down the passing our small guest room and stopped at my mothers door. I knocked. 

“Mum?” no answer.

“MOM?!” I heard springs and the soft padding of footsteps.

“Shawn for the last time no you cannot have- Crash sweetie I didn’t know you were home.” My mother was in a light blue v-neck t-shirt and red running shorts. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and fly-away strands of hair circled her head like a halo. She had flour on the bridge of her small freckly nose. A look of worry shot through her soft hazel eyes. 

“What time is it?” she itched her head and rubbed her eyes. 

“Mom it’s quarter after four.” I replied.

“Oh No! Crash get dressed in a nicer shirt other than that goddamn pinny. And hang that bikini on the clothes-line outside.”

“Mum! Cookies? Worrying about clothing? I haven’t seen you so anxious since Grandma came to visit two summers ago!” I questioned 

“Honey it’t just that we are having company tonight.” Her shoulders dropped and she readjusted her ponytail. 

“Company? Who on earth is coming over? Please tell me not Uncle Aaron, last time he got drunk, fell asleep on my bed and drooled on my pillow!” I was very annoyed at the fact that we had company tonight. I had been at the beach all day and hadn’t cleaned my room practically all summer. Not like I ever did I was a complete slob. Even worse than Shawn. And he was a 23 year old bachelor.