How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Forty-five

- The radio -

"Hey, She-bean?!" Tyrell calls out as I walk past the box where he and a couple of other Gladers are unloading the new supplies that came up with the Greenie. I stop and walk over to them, curious about what they've got.

"What's up?" I ask, approaching the box. Tyrell holds out something wrapped in cloth and hands it to me. "This came up in the box for you," he says with a grin, and I give him a puzzled look, unsure of what it could be. I take the bundle from him, unwrapping the cloth to reveal something square-shaped. A familiar shape I had been asking for ever since I came up almost two years ago now.

"What is that?" Theo asks as he walks up, looking at the object in my hands. My heart skips a beat as a wide grin spreads across my face.

"It's a radio!" I say, my excitement barely contained. I turn the object over in my hands, eager to find the on and off switch. It's been so long since I've heard music, and the fact that I now have one makes me feel a sense of home, even if it's just a small reminder of life before the Glade. The others, all of them knowing that I remember things from before, watch me curiously.

"A what?" Ollie asks, confusion written all over his face.

"A radio," I explain as I turn it on, my smile widening. "It's a piece of technology that plays music."

"You can't be serious," Jack chimes in, setting down a box of supplies. He shoots me a skeptical look. "Why would you need something like that in here?"

I shoot him a look, but it's not one of anger, just a simple hint of annoyance. "Well, I happen to like listening to music," I say, trying to focus on finding a signal. "It reminds me of how my dad always used to put music on when he was cooking." The memory hits me like a wave, and a lump forms in my throat as I think back to those times. I shake my head, trying to keep my composure. "We'd dance around the kitchen together," I add, feeling the tug of nostalgia in my chest.

"That's sweet," Ollie says, his tone softening. He places another box on the ground, giving me a small smile.

"Thanks," I say, my voice slightly shaky. I continue fiddling with the radio, trying to find a station. "I used to dance around the kitchen with my dad all the time when I was younger."

"Well, when you get it on, let us know," Theo says with a chuckle, clearly eager to hear the music himself. He starts to walk away, waving over his shoulder. "I have to check up on the animals too, so I'll just try again for the bonfire later tonight."

"Alright, we'll see you at the bonfire then!" Tyrell calls after me, his voice bright. I wave back before wrapping the cloth around the radio again, holding it close as I head off to the stables.

When I reach the stables, I grab a basket of food for the cows, trying to shake off the wave of emotions that flooded me moments ago. As I move to feed them, I hear the faintest sound of music in the air, barely audible at first. My heart skips again, and I turn around to see the radio I'd just turned on playing. A big smile spreads across my face. This is the first time in over a year that I've heard music again.

I make my way quickly over to the radio, my excitement growing, and I turn the volume up, recognizing the song playing. 'Body Like a Back Road' by Sam Hunt. I instantly recognize it. My dad used to play this song all the time when he was cooking, when we'd all be dancing around together. The tears I had been holding back begin to sting at the back of my eyes as I start singing along to the song, my voice shaky but filled with love for the memory.

"Got a girl from the Southside," I sing softly as I grab a bucket to feed the cows, moving around with the same rhythm I remember from those days. "Got braids in her hair," I continue, smiling as I empty the bucket into the feeding trough. As I make my way over to the pigs, I sing louder, the joy from the familiar melody filling me with warmth.

"First time I seen her walk by," I sing to myself, lost in the rhythm, as I enter the pig pen. "Man I 'bout fell up out my chair." The memories flood back, and my feet instinctively move in the familiar dance steps, the ones my dad taught me so many years ago.

By the time I finish with the pigs, I'm back in the stable, sweeping the floor and twirling around as I sing.

"Had to get her number," I sing, grabbing the broom with a smile. "Took me like six weeks." I sweep and dance around the stable, the echo of my father's voice in my head as I remember how he'd teach me the steps to this song.

"Now me and her go way back, like Cadillac seats," I continue, spinning around in the space, letting the music take over.

"Body like a back road, driven' with my eyes closed," I sing with my eyes closed, imagining my dad teaching me and my brother how to line dance. The memories are vivid, and I feel as if he's right there with me, guiding my every step.

"I know every curve like the back of my hand," I sing, and without thinking, I start doing the choreography my dad had taught me all those years ago, my body remembering the movement even though it's been so long.

As the song comes to a close, I pause for a moment, lost in the memories. I walk back to the radio, reaching out to turn it off, but before I do, a single tear slips down my cheek. I wipe it away quickly, trying to regain my composure, but the weight of the memory is heavy on me.

I place the radio gently on my desk as I head toward my hut, my heart aching with the love and loss that song brought. Every step feels a little heavier now, a little emptier, but I carry the memories of dancing with my family in my heart, knowing they'll never truly leave me.