In memory of Maya Angelou... A short story written by Jill
This is just a short story that i have written for my English assignment, i just wanted to post it up here for you all to read! I hope you guys like it! :) *** OH and i have incorporated 3 of her poems into my story, let's see if you can find them!
I’m okay. I can do this. I thought to myself as I stood outside the open golden iron gates that led to the grand estate. I walked slowly across the driveway with my cream coloured duffle bag in hand. I looked up towards the sky and sighed; I closed my eyes and felt the cold drops of water land on my face. A teardrop fell silently onto my cheeks and I wiped it away quickly. I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts that seemed to engulf me and walked slowly towards the doors. My heart beat rapidly against my chest as I lifted my finger towards the doorbell. This is it; I finally get to meet my new foster family. I just hoped that they don’t turn out like the rest; most of them never cared for me or treated me like I was their own child. With a deep breath I pressed the doorbell and heard a series of chimes behind the door. I let out the breath I was holding in as I heard heels clacking against the floors. The door suddenly creaked open and I was face to face with a tall and slender blonde woman that looked to be around her early 30’s. She looked too young to be a mother. I remember seeing her a couple times when she visited the foster home. She smiled at me and it was one of those rare and genuine smiles that made me feel welcomed.
“Jhené! Come on in it’s cold outside and you’re drenched, you might catch a cold! Please call me Kate or Mrs. Sawyer whichever you feel comfortable in calling me.” Kate said excitement laced in her voice. I smiled warmly at her and muttered a shy hello. She ushered me into her home and closed the front door right behind me. I looked around the house and felt my jaw drop taking in my surroundings. The house was HUGE and spacious, covered with expensive things you would find in a typical rich white family home. I dragged my eyes to the front of the stairs and saw Kate’s family smiling at me like I was their winning prize. ‘I say, it’s the fire in my eyes, and the flash of my teeth, the swing in my waist, and the joy in my feet. I’m a woman phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that’s me.’ I was introduced to Kate’s husband, Jackson and her two beautiful teenage daughters that looked to be about the same age as me; Aimee and Lea. The two girls offered me a tour of their house which I gladly accepted. Before I knew it, we were all called down to have dinner. We talked all night long and I got to learn more about them. Jackson Sawyer’s owned 3 of the most elegant hotels in downtown Manhattan, Kate Sawyer is a famous interior designer in all of Manhattan and the two girls attended a prestigious boarding school.
After dinner we all cleaned up and Kate escorted me to my new room. She lead me up the grand stairs, I was following right behind her carrying my belongings. We walked across the shiny wooden floors of the hallway and stopped right in front of a carved white door. She grabbed onto the silver doorknob and opened the door. I walked right in front of her and stared at the room in amazement. I have never been in such a beautiful bedroom before I thought to myself as I stared at the paintings that were hanging all over my room and the diamond like chandelier above the California king bed. “It’s lovely”, I said in a whisper. Kate smiled at me with a twinkle in her eye, “I’m glad you like it, I designed it myself. Please make yourself feel at home, do not hesitate to call me when you need anything.” “I just came here to tell you that I will be gone on a trip to Canada early in the morning tomorrow and I won’t be back in a couple weeks – not for too long. My mother is dying and I want to be there for her as much as I can before her time comes.” She continued and looked at me sadly, tears welling up in her eyes. “I understand, please go. Jackson, Aimee, and Lea will be here” I replied looking everywhere around the room not meeting her eyes. I didn’t want to tell her how awkward it would be without her here, Kate makes me feel safe. She walked towards me with her arms open wide and hugged me, she let go of me and said bye while she closed the door softly behind her. I changed quickly into my pajamas and searched through my duffle bag looking for my stuffed duck. I hopped right into bed falling into a peaceful and dreamless sleep, clutching tightly onto the doll that meant the world to me.
