The Spillway

Prologue

Memorial Day

May 30, 1983

"Uncle Nooni called this morning, Miri. He's bringing the boys along, but from what I picked up, I don't think Aunt 'Line's gonna be able to make it."

Mrs. Falcon glanced quickly at Miri, almost certain she could feel her young daughter give her the infamous side-eye.

Miri sat quietly in the passenger seat of her Mom's old Ford F-150, pressing the tips of her flip flops into the floorboard and her back against the worn seat cushion. She scraped her bottom teeth up and down the corner of her thumbnail, and her mind briefly wandered off until her mother reached across the seat with such precision and swiped her thumb out of her mouth.

"Keep your fingers out of your mouth."

"Ma! It's not fair! Am I gonna have to babysit them again like last time? Becky and Jonathan said they're going to be at the beach around eleven or noon, and I'm going to be stuck with the boys all day, just like last time."

"Stop whining. You know good and well Uncle Noonie's just a provider and baby maker, not a caretaker. You're acting like it's some sort of surprise."

"I'm not surprised really, it's just.."

"It's just nothing. It is what it is. Aunt 'Line can't make it. We'll watch the boys."

"In other words, that means I'll babysit them, again..."

"Poor Miri. She has to play at the beach today with children! How horrible for a young girl to play in the sand and water with other kids! I can't imagine what sort of person would ask a child to play and look out for other children while playing together at the beach. I hope they're not starving children too."

Miri quickly opened the door to her Mother's Ford pickup truck, jumped out onto the rocky soil and landed with both feet firmly planted onto the ground, and quickly, she turned to slam the door shut without acknowledging the remarks.

*in progress*