Down The Road

Chapter One

The handlebars on my bike twisted and hit the brick wall, coming to a stop. Almost immediately, the squeal of a child and the bash of the screen door on its doorframe greeted me. I inhaled and closed my eyes, putting a smile on my face. A topless baby in a diaper came running up to me and jumped onto me.

"'Eiley!" He squealed. Chuckling and picking Ty up in my arms, I walked him back to the porch where Lily and Tammy were waiting. Lily clutched an old Barbie in her fist by the feet; this particular Barbie had been Abby's, and mine before that, leaving "Alexis" with matted hair and a missing arm from being over-doted by us as young girls. Tammy had a similar doll who was only wearing a pair of sparkly magenta leggings and whose leg was perpetually twisted to the outside. Abby and I used to make up tramatic stories in our youth to explain what traumatic events occurred to our toys when they broke.

"Hey Ty!" I exclaimed, ticking his belly. "Did you have a good day today with Mommy? Did Nana come over today?"

"Nana had lunch today with Aunt Brook." Lily chimed. "Momma told me."

Lily and Tamara, twin girls of the age of six, who couldn't be less alike. Lily emerged from the womb with a full head of messy brown hair that only grew more sizably voluminous with age, while Tammy always had thin blonde hair. Lily was the more extroverted, but excelled in things such as art and music; the school was even paying for her violin. Tammy excelled in reading and math, as well as just about any athletic sport. Dodge ball, basketball, baseball, football, and even track. Of course, they both got the Wicks' eyes. All the children got a set of root-beer brown eyes.

Ty is our baby. He's barely three and has made it clear he disregards his appearance. He always seems to be covered in something as someone who enjoys playing in the mud... or paint, or any type of cooking material. You name it, he's been covered in it. But he was always happy as a baby. Always smiling about something.

"Ooh, okay," I said, shifting my weight to balance the baby and my heavy backpack, trying sound interested. "What are you two playing?" My glasses slipped on my nose, and I shoved them back onto the bridge.

"Alexis," Lily held up her doll and gave it a shake. "and Louisa are going shopping at the mall to buy her a shirt because hers ripped." Tammy tugged Louisa's ragged hair over her bare chest. "Could you go buy us more doll clothes? Pllleeeeeaassse?" She wondered excited. Tammy grinned, sitting up on her legs.

The truth was hurtful: we didn't have enough money to spend on new toys. I didn't have time to get a job and no one dared ask for money. I spent most of my time at school or babysitting the kids. The stuff that cluttered our floor was either a hand-me down or had been accumulated over the years through church funded garage sales. Mom is overly thrilled to go buy cheap toys at the annual church sale, but we never had anything to give there. The twins were quite persistent, chiming with loud enthusiastic pleads. "Girls, I have to start on my homework... I know we don't have many barbies, but surely you have a shirt somewhere..." I told her. The thrills in their eyes faded into sadness. "Here, give her to me and I'll draw her a shirt." Tammy handed me Louisa, with a disappointed shrug.

"What'll we do while we wait?" Tammy wondered, following my every step.

"Why don't you two go walk over to Beverly's house next door? Go ask to play on her playground." I suggested. Ty squirmed and wiggled anxiously, tugging on my hair. Lily looked at her counterpart and shrugged. They leapt up and jumped down the steps, running across the yard.

I walked into the house. The TV in the living room was playing a loud children's cartoon. "Mom?" I called out over an animated dog singing.

"Shut up, Eileen, I am on the phone!" Mom yelled back.