New Year Day 2016 – Wednesday – Buffalo, New York
Colors exploded across the night sky, shaking the hearts of souls cranking their heads far enough to watch them crackle away. Christina Ammeen blew her paper horn out the window at people littering the downtown streets of Buffalo, New York. The smell of smoke from the firecrackers and the aroma of delicious entrees being served in restaurants open past their usual times, made her smile with joy.
Nothing was more exciting than being outside amongst the crowd for the New Year countdown. So much happiness and anticipation for what was in store in the new year was the only vibe she felt. Maybe moving to Buffalo would have been the greatest decision she and her mom had ever made.
"Ma next year we have to go to Times Square to see the countdown."
Her mom, Michelle Ammeen, gave her a closed smile eyes focused on weaving the car through the traffic.
"Maybe," she muttered. "If the traffic will be like this in the big city then we might have to watch it on TV."
Christina blew her horn again and fumbled with her glow-in-the-dark bracelets, pulling her back to when she was a little girl eager to discover new things.
"But, maybe right?"
"Yes maybe. Ugh, I can't believe I allowed you to persuade me to go to that countdown."
"Oh, ma you know you loved it."
"I did, but the traffic though."
"We're almost home," Christina said. Her mom then slammed her foot on the breaks as young people obviously drunk darted into the street.
"Watch where you're going?" her mom shouted out the window only to receive bright smiles and woohaas in response.
Christina chuckled and couldn't help herself but to woohaa out the window. The group got extra pumped with joy and finally removed themselves from the middle of the street.
"Ma relax," she said tapping her with the red, blue, and white pompoms they had bought from an outdoor stall.
Her mom frowned, fingers tapping the stirring wheel with irritation or maybe worry. Christina couldn't tell, but she knew one thing, her precious angel of a mother probably wanted to crawl into bed by now.
A few minutes later, they fumbled into their rowhouse on Fiddler Street and donned their coats, hats, and scarves. Although, they were far from the downtown area, Christina could still hear the distant booming of firecrackers and people pressing down on their car horns.
"I feel great mama," she said pulling her into an embrace and pecking a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks for taking me down there."
"Yeah, you know why I did it," she said placing a hand on her hip.
Christina grinned and nodded. "For my birthday. I know mama. Next year I promise we will stay indoors for the countdown."
"Please and thank you," she said with an exhausted smile.
She shook her head at her mom who looked younger than her age of thirty-three. With cocoa brown skin that looked to have its own natural glow and a waterfall of wavy black hair, one would think she was an angel from heaven.
At this point, the two went their separate ways. Christina went to her bedroom to change into her pajamas and her mom fumbled around downstairs before making it to her own room. Plugging her smartphone on the verge of dying, she turned on the television and snuggled into bed. She sniffed in the fresh smell of lavender detergent her mom always used for laundry and felt nothing could go wrong from this point on.
YOU ARE READING
Dawn's Pendant
Fantasy16-year-old Christina Ammeen is an orphan. Simple as that. Nothing great or interesting about it. She's bounced from home to home and along the way she's searching for her mother who seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. Only struggle an...
