The Unexpected

35

Thirty five

Everyone ate cake. And then Brooklyn gave Siara a card, and she read it. Then her mom gave her a card, but when she pulled it out, money fell.

Siara picked it up and read the card *I love you so so much honey. I really hope you had a good birthday. I'm sorry I couldn't get a present. I hope this money can get you something you want. It's all we had.*

Siara felt tears start to build, but she held them back. She walked to her mom and hugged her. She grabbed her mom's hand and slid the money into it. "Mom I can't take your money."

"No it's for you. Keep it."

"No mom. I won't. I don't need your money, I don't want your money. And you can't make me take it."

"Honey," Siara saw the tears in her eyes. "I want you to have it. I want you to have something from me on your birthday."

"Mom I do have something from you, my life. I don't need your money, I don't need your presents, and I don't want you to waste what little money you have, on gifts that I don't need."

"Honey, please just take i-"

"No mom. I'm not taking your money. And you will not try to convince me, anymore." She compelled her.

"Ok. You're right, I can't make you." Her mom agreed.

"I'm gonna go out back for a bit."

Siara walked outside, to get some fresh air. Siara felt heart broken. When she was six, she lived with her mom and step dad, but they became homeless, and her mom made her and Kimmy live with their dad.

She rarely got to see her mom. She would visit her on occasion, maybe at a park, or when they came to shower when their dad was gone, and Brooklyn babysat. Everytime she saw her mom, she looked paler, skinnier, weaker, less like her mom.

She never had money for food, or clothes. They slept under bridges, and in tents in fields of long grass. They rarely had clean water, and never kept warm at night. Until they moved in with a friend and her daughter.

Siara walked around her moms backyard and stopped at the garden. All the plants were dead, and there were brown stems here and there.

She sat on the edge on the raised garden box, and looked at the yard. All the grass was getting long, there were weeds everywhere, and there was plywood scattered around the yard.

Siara stood up and started to gather the ply wood. She found an old tarp that was under some of the wood and spread it out in a corner by the fence. She put the ply wood in top of it, and kept gathering more, when she heard Brooklyn shout "Bye Siara. We're leaving. I hope you have fun."

Siara dropped the wood and slowly jogged after her "What why?"

"Your mother thinks she can tell my kids what to do and that they don't have to listen to me."

"She's your mom too." Siara mumbled.

Brooklyn doesn't like their mom nearly as much as Siara and Kimmy do. When they were homeless, they would come over and take their food, and shower, making all their towels dirty, and sometimes even steal the money, in the house piggy bank. They would take quarters, to buy cigarettes and sometimes even drugs, which might have been why they were always skinny.

"We're leaving. Siara you can call if you need anything. Michelle, don't bother." She slammed the door.

Siara looked at her mom, who was crying, and ran after Brooklyn. She got to the car, where the kids were getting in their car seats, and said "Brooklyn,-"

"Siara don't even try to defend her. You know she is a shitty mother, and grandmother. She never even tried to take care of you. I did. Me. By myself. I was 17, Siara. I had school, and a part time job, and I had to take care of you and Kimmy, and all your friends that came over. I'm tired of her not taking responsibility, and being disrespectful. I am tired of being a mother to someone who already has one. I am tired, Siara, of her being my mom."

"No Brooklyn, your just upset that she made you grow up too fast, that you never got to party, and drink, and that she gave you something to be responsible for other than yourself."

"That is exactly what I'm upset about. I was a teenage girl, and I had to be and adult."

"And look where that's gotten you, Brooklyn. You're a great mother to your two beautiful children, and you're a great wife to your husband, and you're a great sister. Brooklyn, you don't realize, that by her doing what you think is ungrateful, she actually made you a great person."

"Maybe that's not how I wanted to learn to be a great person."

"Well, then maybe you're the one being ungrateful." Siara said with sorrow. "Bye kids. I'll see you later." Siara said and went back in the house.

"I'm sorry mom. Thank you for the party, but I think I'm gonna go. C'Mon Kimmy." Siara pet the dog and left, grabbing half of the cake that was left.

"But we don't have a car..." Kimmy said after the door closed.

"Well I guess we'll walk."

"10 miles?"

"Kimmy, I'm not in the mood for back talk."

"But-"

"Fine! Hold this tight and don't let go."

"Why?" Kimmy asked.

Siara picked her up, and flashed away.

When they got to their house, Siara set Kimmy down on the ground.

"Woah." Kimmy said and fell over. She landed on her butt, still holding the cake.

"You ok?" Siara asked her.

"I'm dizzy." Kimmy said holding her head with one hand.

"Sorry. Maybe I should have warned you..." Siara helped Kimmy up and they went inside.

Siara got Kimmy some water, and sat beside her on the couch.

Kimmy drank water and Siara sat with a sad expression on her face. She finally said "I'm sorry Kimmy."

"It's ok... I feel fine now."

"No. I'm talking about our family."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry that dad is a drinker, and I'm sorry mom does drugs and married a total asshole."

Kimmy looked at Siara, her eyes glossy.

"I'm sorry that we only see our sister and her family when we babysit. I'm sorry that our family isn't close. And I'm sorry that we don't all talk as much as we should. I'm sorry that they don't care. And I'm sorry that our family is shit, Kimmy."