Bird Song

Chapter 2

  I could swear I'd just closed my eyes when the awful cramping of my stomach woke me. I lunged for the toilet, pulling down my pants to sit, and grabbed the empty trashcan. Experience had taught me it was safer that way; at least I wouldn't pee myself. It looked like it was going to be nothing but dry heaves this morning anyway. The only thing I'd eaten after last night's fateful puking episode was a couple of garlic knots, long digested by now.

 When I was sure I was done I grabbed my apron and dug in the pouch for a packet of oyster crackers. I found nothing but my order pad, a couple pens, my seriously depleted bottle of Scope,  and the handful of cash from Stephanie. I had completely forgotten about the money. Curious, I pulled it out, and my eyes widened at the sight of a fifty and at least two twenties. Almost reverently I began to smooth out the bills and sort them. All in all it was two hundred and thirty-six bucks. The girl was crazy, but I sent up a little prayer of thanks for her. The familiar tightening of my throat warned me that a crying spell was imminent- I didn't have time for tears though, I needed to get ready.

 One of the few things I'd taken with me from the house I grew up in was the old trunk that held my clothes. I knew for certain that it was my mother's and her mother's before that. From the wear of the leather straps, I would guess my great-grandmother's before her as well. I suppose it was worth a bit of money, but I wouldn't sell it no matter how bad things got. There were too many memories with that old trunk.

 I used to sit on top of it, next to my Nana while she sat in her rocking chair. She would patch up my clothes for school, rocking slowly back and forth, singing softly under her breath. She didn't tell stories like some grandparents do, she sang. When she would sing America by Simon and Garfunkel I would sit there with wide eyes, running my fingers over the surface of the trunk. The ridges and dips became my map of the world, my fingers traveling with the duo from Saginaw, Michigan, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to New Jersey. I had never seen these places, but I knew them in my heart.

 I've never forgotten that song. After Nana passed away all I could think about was leaving Linnesville and finding my America. I closed my eyes to run my hands over the trunk's surface. The embossing my grandad did was barely visible, but I could still feel it. I opened my eyes again to see the leather tag on the handle, my mother's addition. I smiled, turning it over to see the familiar poem:

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

 I learned my love of music from my Nana, and my love of books from mom. I don't think they meant to set a fire in my soul that yearned for adventure, but it happened nonetheless. Someday, I would add my own legacy to this trunk. I placed my hand on the barely noticeable swell above my pelvis. And someday I thought, you will too.

 I went onto the roof to check the temperature before getting dressed. The weather had been temperamental lately. Deciding on a long skirt, some flats, and a long-sleeved shirt that didn't seem to be wearing through anywhere, I headed downstairs. No time for a shower this morning; I was starving and needed to get some breakfast before the diner closed for church service.

 “He was such a hunk! I hope he comes back through town,” I heard Darcy giggle to her partner in crime, Cassie Lamont.

 Cassie was a year behind her in school, but their physical development was years apart. At the moment, Darcy's burgeoning breasts were being pushed nearly to the point of bursting from her too-tight shirt. A show, for anyone wishing to get an eyeful, except there was no one in the dining room besides the three of us. Cassie giggled right along with her; the giggle of a girl who knew, somewhere deep inside, that she would do more listening to tales of carnal exploits than experiencing them for herself. Suddenly, I wasn't so hungry.

 Despite my quick breakfast, I was one of the last ones in the church. I made my way quietly to my seat just as service started.

 “Good morning, children of God,” Pastor Jacobs spoke from the pulpit, answered with an unintelligible mutter from the congregation. He looked around the room, and, seeming satisfied that everyone had arrived, began the service.

 “Let us not forget that Jesus said unto men 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' By being here you are showing your love for God, so I ask you now, please, turn to your neighbors and give them a greeting of peace.”

 I turned to my left then right, murmuring a quick “God bless.” On my left sat Brandon Goddard, on my right, his sister in-law, and my closest friend, Selma.

 “Are ye comin' by today?” she whispered. I nodded as Pastor Jacobs began speaking again.  

 “Today we will read from 2 Samuel 13. It is an excellent reminder that we must love our neighbors as we would love ourselves.”

 I opened the well used Bible from my childhood, and followed along. I heard what was being said, but I wasn't really listening; I was looking at the words on the page, but not really reading them. My thoughts were on the baby. Would the child look like me, or like Hunter? What was I going to do when the baby came? My concerns were brought to a halt as I heard my name.

 “Miss Sparks,” the pastor was saying, “if you would be so kind as to sing the hymn for us?”

 I nodded and looked questioningly at Selma.

 “Amazing Grace,” she mouthed, winking. It was my favorite hymn. Thank God for best friends who know when you're not paying attention in church.

A/N Hi just a short chapter as we're getting to know Kestrel. Love it or hate it always let me know what you think!

This is my first mobile upload so hopefully it copied okay from dropbox.