The Lilies In her Hair

1-Mary Ann Roberts

August 1955

The early orange sun slips through the gaps of my yellow lilies-ed curtains. It reminds me of the farm back in Texas, how I'd wake up early and feed the hens. But these days I can't even get up and face the day that lays before me.

I miss him, I miss everything about him. How he made me feel even if I was living on a strange planet called California. But he's gone now, hopefully not for long.

I never introduced myself, I'm Mary Ann Roberts, I moved to California a few months back from Texas. I thought I would live a normal teenager life until I met Eddie, Eddie Jackson.

Your probably wondering what happened, whats my story?

It all started in May when I first moved in to the white picket fence neighborhood, something very rare in Texas. The sun was pouring hot boiling lava onto the Earth, my mother insisted that we should visit the board walk carnival by the blue ocean. I argued with her just like all mothers and daughters do. I gave in and I wore a white dress that went up to my knees and it showed my pale skin. I wore my ginger hair like I always do with braided pigtails hanging off my shoulder.     

When on arrival my parents lingered behind me with my mother leaning on my father as if they're love struck teenagers again forgetting how bad of state their marriage was. I stormed ahead of them finding my self dead still staring at a figure leaning against the railing staring off into a distance of the deep ocean.

His skin glistened from the sun, he stood there counting the waves upon the shore  washing away shells and sea weed back to its watery grave.

As he stood there balancing himself on a pole of a railings, I had an urge to approach him, to speak to him, but with such an idea there comes confrontations, my parents. They would serve my head on a sliver plate if I did. Lets just call them 'old fashioned'. 

I look back at my parents who were waiting in an endless line for the rusted  Ferris wheel, I step forward slowly attempting to talk to the stranger. As I reach closer my heart begins to leap, beating faster each step I take. Smiling without control or conscious.

I climb the pole which he stands on and say: "We really shouldn't be leaning on this thing it's really rusted." He climbs off and looks at me and smiles and says: "You shouldn't be leaning on that thing it's really rusted." I giggle, his smile makes my knees tremble. He puts his hand out and says: "I'm Eddie, Eddie Jackson, and you are?" I shake his hand and say: "Mary, Mary Ann Roberts"