Life Of A Dancer

The Dream

"Momma momma!" I'm so excited to share the news with my mom.

"Yes darling, what is it I haven't got all day. "

"Well momma I get to be in the school talent show!!!" I can't even contain my happiness. See since I was three I been running around the house dancing now that I'm seven I can be in the show.

"Isn't that nice, did you tell your papa?"

"No momma not yet I wanna surprise him." Papa helped me practice all week so now I wanna trick him.

"Run along and get washed up for supper. It'll be done any minute now."

"Ok momma." As I head upstairs I think of different ways to trick papa. But I have to wait for him to get home first. When I'm done washing up for supper I go downstairs and set the table. There's a knock on the door and momma get it. I follow close behind.

When she opens the door it's our neighbor Mr. Wheeler, he doesn't look so happy. He wants to talk to momma in private so she tells me to run up to my room which I do. After waiting an entire 10 minutes momma appears and she doesn't look happy now.

"Leslie sweety I have to talk to you. Come sit next to momma." When I'm there she turns to me and says, "Papa went away for a while. He might be back soon but he may be with a new family."

What momma says makes me start crying, why would papa want a new family? He already has me and momma.

"Momma why did he leave? He doesn't need a new family he has us."

"I don't know baby."

"I don't want any supper tonight momma I want to sleep now."

"OK baby goodnight."

"Goodnight momma." I kiss her cheek and go to sleep. Although I don't sleep much I just toss and turn all night. I have bad dreams a whole lot of them.
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"Papa, I did it papa I can dance just like you taught me. Please come back." I say those words all through my sleep. It's been three weeks and I still haven't seen papa. Maybe he's never coming back. Momma has been coping but as the weeks go by she keeps eating all these strange foods. Like ice cream and pickles or pancakes and corn and her tummy is getting big. I think she's getting fat cuz papa left. I gotta cheer her up.
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It's been three months now and papa still isn't here, momma stomach is out there. I should take her to dance with me and maybe she will lose some weight. The talent show is next week so I've here practicing non stop. Maybe papa will come to that. Then we can be a family again. Momma doesn't like when I dance anymore and my dance teacher disappeared the day papa left. Weird huh. Anyway my new dance teacher is nicer and she is shaping us to be great dancers. My best friend is Destiny. She's Mr. Wheelers daughter and her older brother is my nemesis. His name is duke. He's always messing with me. But it's okay because when I have sleepovers with destiny we put cool whip in his hair. Duke is also in my dance class but he's on the boys side.
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"This is it. The moment we need waiting for Destiny, the talent show is now and we get to be partners. But duke has to help us"

"I know that Leslie you say it everyday. Now come on its our turn."

We do our little dance and I look into the crowd and I see my papa and he's with my old dance teacher??? That's weird but he made it. So I do my dance and Duke has to lift me. I hope he doesn't drop me because then we'd never win. He lifts me up and it feels good. Then when he puts me down and I start dancing again we finish with a bang. Literally Duke bangs onto the ground. What a wimp he started crying.

We came in second place right after Precilla she is rude and think she knows everything. But anyhow I run into the crowd and look for papa but he's gone. I wanna give him a hug and ask him so many questions but I can't find him. *sad face* I catch a ride home with the Wheelers and show momma my ribbon. She isn't happy with my dancing but she's happy im happy.

"Leslie honey we need to talk." oh boy the last time I heard those words she said papa left.

"Leslie you're gonna have a little brother or sister soon." I look at her in shock. I never expected to hear those words. I thought storks only came to families with both parents. I get up and do a happy dance.

"Momma that's great I'm gonna wash up for dinner but we can finish this talk then." I run up the stairs and get ready for supper but while I'm in my room I see Duke staring at me from his so I stick my tongue out and leave.