Winnie's Randomness

Nelson- short story #1







I crack my silver grey eyes open. The thick woolen purple blanket around me is so warm. I groan. I don't want to get up! I casually swing my legs over the edge of my bed and step down.

I can suddenly hear my mom's twinkling music-like voice from downstairs." Adele I'm leaving for work. I need you to watch Nelson for me," she calls.

Nelson is my blonde haired little brother. He is a super sweet kid and I absolutely venerate him. Nelson is autistic so it is really important that I take good care of him while my mom is at work. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to him.

"Ok mom!" I holler back. Then I add," have a good time at work!" She bids us both 'goodbye' and, I march down the yellow walled corridors of our home. Sun is wafting from the skylight on our top floor. Then I creep down the oak wood stairs and into our family room.










Nelson is on the couch with our pumpkin tabby cat Mr. Nibbles. (Nelson named him I swear I didn't take art in that). I run a hand over Mr. Nibbles' fur.

Nelson glances up. "Hey Adele." He chirps. "Morning Nelson." I counter. My eyes dart to the medium sized television in front of us. "Um is that an elephant?" I ask referring to the gray creature on the screen in front of us. Nelson laughs and adjusts the channel. "Yeah!" He says, "That was Animal Planet." Now he has his most beloved show on. Adventure Time. Colorful characters in the candy kingdom dance about the screen. Nelson laughs about something Finn say on screen. I put my arm around Nelson. "What do you want for breakfast Nel?" I question. Nelson considers this for a moment. His face contorts into an austere expression. I laugh at his concentration. "Can we please, please, please have scrambled eggs Adele?" "Please?" I stand up and call to him while exiting though the doorway, "Sure! It is Saturday after all!"










My toes tap the floor lightly as I make my way to the kitchen. My favorite place on earth. My mom always says," When Adele is cooking she's not there anymore, she's in her own little world." In a way I am. My dad taught me everything I know. Right now he is on the road. My father is a mailman. Sounds stupid right? Wrong. He idolatries his job. I take from the reflective covered fridge, three eggs, milk, and some shredded cheddar cheese. Then I get on my tiptoes and select a pristine white bowl from the top shelf in the first cabinet. While I cook our eggs I turn on the kitchen television. We have one. I mean, why not? I practically live in here anyway. The music channel is the first this I play. A soft One Republic song Is playing. I sing along quietly and prepare our breakfasts.










After I finish cooking the delicious smelling eggs, I put two pieces of cinnamon toast on each plate, and pous two glasses of apple cider, my favorite. "Nelson!" I yell. "Breakfast is ready!" Nelsons small eight year old feet scamper to the dining room counter. "This looks great Adele!" I thank him and we start to eat. Can you flip to the town channel?" Nelson asks. I give in and transition the music channel t our town's local TV channel. Nelsons eyes go from concentrating on his fluffy eggs and nectarous cinnamon toast to the screen before us. A local reporter Maria Santorez is doing a report. "Local mail truck drowns in a lake. No survivor. Police are still looking for clues to how this all happened. More on the story at eleven." Nelsons face contorts into panic. I feel mine do the same. Was dad in that mail truck?










Nelson begins to bawl. My eyes water and I feel salty tears slipping down my face. A sour taste fills my mouth. My hand searches for our house phone to call my mom. Ring, ring, ring, ring. My mom answers, "Adele?" she asks on the other end. I can hear her crying and I could tell she was trying hard not to burst into tears." Mom," I cry. "Is dad-"Nelson cuts me off with a howl of sadness. He's curled up in a ball on the floor with his head resting in his small hands. Mr. Nibbles has wandered into the dining room. His green eyes survey the room, trying to figure out what's happening. "Yes Adele. I am on my way to meet with the police. "I will be home later." My mom says sniffling. "I love you mom." I hear myself say. My body is frozen in shock and I can barely speak. Nelson looks up at me. His eyes are red and his once calm face is now ridden with sorrow. "Oh Nel." I squeak. My arms wrap tightly around Nelson. Nelson pulls away. He gets up and walks to the kitchen. Then I hear the back door close. I know where he has gone though. Nelson always takes walks on the path in our backyard when he is sad. Mr. Nibbles sensing my melancholy attributes rubs his thick orange fur against my leg. I put my head down on the short chair of Nelson. And I cry. And cry. And cry. Until I feel no more tears came come. I make my way to my dad's office. My hands graze over his favorite brown chair. I sit down. Pictures of me and Nelson flood his bulletin board. Nelsons first day at kindergarten. My eight grade graduation. My parent's marriage. Tears threaten to spill over. But they don't. I scoop up my dad's journal. With one motion I tear the book open and to the most recent page. The words "I love you" are printed neatly in my dad's all-caps handwriting.










Once my mom has driven home I open our door for her. She engulfs me in a warm hug that I really needed. "Where's Nelson?" She sniffs. "On the paths." I reply. My mom's phone dings. "That's a text." She says. Her voice is hoarse from crying. She pulls her phone out of her purse. "It's from you?" she says. My eyebrows furrow. "I didn't text you mom." I say in confusion. "Nelson." My mom breathes. I stutter out, "What does it say?" My mom reads the text. She makes a strangled noise and holds her breath. "Adele." She says. She holds her phone out for me to read. 'Goodbye'. I scream. My legs can only do one thing. I run.










I run outside. Past my mom, past Mr. Nibbles, past my dad's death. My hands tremble in anxiety once I have reached the path. My feet do the rest, and my eyes search for blonde hair. The path seem like it goes on forever. Then I stop. Nelson lays there. On the ground, next to my phone. I breathe a sigh of relief. "Nelson lets go back." I say. No response. Then my eyes spot red. Pouring out. A kitchen knife curled in my little brother's hand.










My little autistic brother I adore, who I love so much. My little brother who asked for eggs and whos favorite show is adventure time. My little brother that I never got to say goodbye to. My little Nelson, is dead.