What We Once Were | ✔

3 | Heather

I glared at the school, disgusted, well....not so much but tired of it's appearance. I blew out a tired breath, one more year and I'm gone. Why people would want to stay in some fishing town goes beyond me, it smells like salt and fish almost all the time, when there's no fish it's just salt. I gave one last look at my highschool before I pushed on my petals driving my bike away, salty cool air blew my hair away from my face. 

One more year and I can finally leave, away from this salty town of Rockland, Maine. I held onto the plastic bag I had hanging on my bike, a bottle of green tea in it that my grandma was in such a high need for. I made a sharp turn right heading for my house tucked neatly on the Forest line, a little outside of town. The gravel crunched under my back tire sending small rocks flying behind me.

"I'm back!" My voice yelled, I hoped off my bike going up the stairs of our large porch.

I found my grandma inside playing with the small cat, distracted from the boiling pot on the stove.

"Grandma! The stove!" I snapped shutting off the gas burner, "it was burning!"

"This cat is such a distraction!" She laughed walking into the kitchen.

I smiled pulling out the bottle of green tea on the wooden table. "Here's your tea." I threw away the plastic bag.

"Oh! Thank you dear!" My Grandma smiled happily as she twisted off the cap pouring a tall glass.

I gave a brief nod, she shuffled back to the stove inspecting the pan full of burnt noddle. I looked down at the cat, it flicked its black tail like nothing was wrong and the entire world was complete bliss, I huffed away, sometimes I just wish I was cat. Its seems like they have it easy.

I pulled my dusty blonde hair into a ponytail, the heat still around even though August was here and summer was leaving, the weather around lets winter come sooner, I kicked off my sandals falling on my bed, my arms sprayed around me.

"I wish it would go by just like snow." I muttered to the walls, they replied with silence. I felt like an idiot speaking to the walls, sometimes expecting an answer but never do I get one, of course not; their walls. Better then a cat I suppose, at least the wall doesn't constantly beg for food.

Snow comes and goes so why can't my last year in this shriveled up fishing town? I buried my face into my pillow, all I can do is keep wishing but I knew it would never happen, the year would go by slow, the end almost miles away.

"Heather! Come here!" Grandma's voice came from the kitchen, I closed my eyes briefly before I pulled myself up trudging to the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"Could you please go get some sauce? I completely forgot to get some!" My grandma looked at the cooked noodles, the absence of the sauce was clearly obvious.

"Fine...I'll go, I'll get some, I mean...." I could feel some annoyance building up in my chest, "I can just go right now!"

I put on a fake smile as I went back to my room slipping on my sandals, the more her memory messes up the more my parents and I have to do everything for her. I can't blame her, she's getting old! I mean, I'm gonna be like that when I'm her age! I pushed my bike away from the porch. Peddling as fast as I could, I took the road to town.

Gone. I'm gonna be gone, what's going to happen to her when I'm gone? She'll be put into a nursing home because mom and dad are too busy with work to take care of her.

That's what's keeping me; my grandma. She's forgetting everything and I'm the only one who does anything for her, what's going to happen to her when I go to college? Its the guilt that builds up, telling me I'm a monster because I want to move but moving would leave her alone with the real monsters. Being alone. It's a killer and we all go through it. I bit my lip peddling faster to the grocery store, I hate that feeling but it always comes! I screeched to stop in front of the store, chaining my bike I grabbed my wallet.

"Heather? What are doing here?" Rosy, the cashier, looked at me puzzled.

"Grandma forgot the sauce." I replied, I headed for the back where it was shelved. "Again."

Grabbing seven jars I held them tightly in my arms heading back to Rosy, they hit one another as I laid them down in front of Rosy.

"How's she doing?" Rosy asked, she rang up the jars.

I shrugged, "okay with everything but her memory."

"Painful huh?"

I looked up from wallet, "what?"

She smiled softly, "you know, slowly losing someone, watching them leave."

Her words hit me like bat, I bit my tongue, I always avoided those words but I can't now, huh? I nodded handing her a twenty grabbing the jars I said bye to Rosy, we all leave it just depends when. When will I leave? Now? Tomorrow? The jars rattled in the basket as I peddled down the road.

"I want leave." I said to the air, I looked back to town pausing. I held up hands as if I was holding a camera, click!

"I'll leave."

°°°°°°°

Once I got home, I found Mom's car in the driveway, the thick trees above us already dropping leaves on the shiny black paint.

"Hey mom."

I handed the sauce to grandma, again, I threw away the plastic bag. Mom was at the table looking over folders, as a real estate agent, she wasn't home all day every day except for Sunday, that was God's time as grandma said. I always thought she was amazing, forgetting everything but God, amazing how faithful she is. I liked that about her.

"Sweetheart, do you know about the old Mason house back in the woods?" Mom looked up at me, her voice somewhat tired.

I shrugged, "maybe, why?"

She gathered all the he papers putting them in her briefcase, "well, I need you're help with it, I need to go open it up." She looked at me tiredly.

"Okay.." I asked, I looked at grandma who was cooking happily. "How long?"

"Just an hour." Mom looked to grandma, smiling weakly. "Not too long, sweety."

I nodded slipping off my sandals, I gave one last look to grandma before I followed mom to her where she tossed her blazer and bag onto the bed.

"What are we doing?" I asked, mom fell down to bed, she let out breath rubbing her temples.

"Airing it out because the daughter of the deceased couples decided to move back in with her two kids all of the sudden," she replied.

Move back? To this place? In this fishing town that smells like fish and salt?

"When?" I asked.

"When what?"

"When are we airing it out?" I asked again, she sat up undoing her hair.

"Tomorrow so wear old clothes," untucking her blouse, "that old house has been sealed up for years."

I nodded leaving mom to change, I closed her door gently listening to grandma clang around in the kitchen. School starts soon, the year will be over soon, and I'll be gone.

I want to be gone.