My Jade

chapter 2

ch. 2

Well, mom definitely stayed true to her word. she packed absoluetley everything she thought I might need, including my life size poster of team jacob! Really mom? I have to hand it to her though, I know she is just doing it because she loves me and wants me to be comfortable in the strange new place I am going, but I'm not so sure the people at the check in counter really liked it when I showed up with two bags over the limit. I ended up having to pay for them anyway. She promptly apologized for not having room for my bedding and pillows. I told her I thought I could manage to buy a new one down there. they must have a Costco or Target somewhere Im sure.

"I dont know what I'm going to do up here without you all summer." she said as I stood in my terminal  

"I'm sure you'll manage something mom,'' I replied  

I can see her about to start pouring tears just as I hear the attendant announce my flight is boarding. I really wish she wouldn't go all weepy mom on me in the middle of the airport its so embarassing. "you know mom I could just turn around with you and go right back home and forget about this whole thing," I say sarcastically. Like that will ever happen.  

"No, honey you have to go. This may be the last chance you have to find out who your father really was," she says instantly sobering up from her cryfest, " you may regret this later on, even if you hate him now things might change in the future and youll wish you had gone."  

"I doubt that will happen, but okay only because you want me to." I remarked  

I give her one last hug and turn to leave befor I start crying myself. She stops me and hands me a small envelope. It has my name on it and it looks pretty old, I notice as I study it. I realize it's the letter he left me fifteen years ago when he left us. "I thought you didn't want me to read this. I thought you threw it away years ago when I found it in your drawer."  

"No. I couldn't keep this from you. But do me a favor and don't open it until you are in the air okay?" she added  

"Okay.thank you mom and I love you." I said as turn to hear the final announcement for first-class to finish boarding. That's my cue to hurry up. I have never ridden in a plane before, let alone first-class. I definitely didn't want to mess up my first time.

Sitting in my very own section, I guess because this state just isnt popular or something I don't know, I flip the envelope over and over in my hands examining it. It is still completely sealed except for the tiny corner I tried to rip open without my mom knowing when I was eleven. I cant seem to take my eyes off the elaborate handwriting on the front. Its so neat and precise. Did my dad really write like that. Ive never seen a boy with even decent handwriting. Maybe he was gay, maybe that's what my mom meant when she said I learn who he really was. Then again, I think that's kind of stereo typing huh? Just because he could be gay doesn't automatically mean he has to have neat hand writing. I mean gay people could have sloppy hand writing. I don't know now im confusing myself on politically correct thoughts. Geez, whats happening to me? This letter has me so worked up I cant even seem to think right. I wish they would hurry up and finish boarding so we can get into the air.  

Women and small children finish, and now they are calling the remaining passengers to board. I cant take it anymore I have to open it. I put my finger inside the tiny opening and right as I am about to rip the top open a tiny hand grabs my elbow from the isle.  

"whacha doin?" a small girl about 5 years old asks me. I stammer for words as she just continues to look up at me through a mane of beautiful golden locks that fall past her backside.  

"Um, Im uh. Im opening a letter from my dad." I respond in the sweetest big sister kind of voice I could manage.  

" Ooh, is it a good letter?" she replies still staring through those beautiful emerald green eyes with gold around the outside.  

"I, I don't know, where is your mother?" I reply kind of starting to get anxious because I really want to open my letter.  

"oh she is out there im sure. She is okay she was putting my teddy is the special box above our seats so nothing happens to him."  

"well im sure she is going to be worried about you if you don't hurry back to your seat." I said just as I hear the stewardess come over the intercom announcing a missing little girl. I get up to walk her to her mom leaving my envelope on my seat. We pass through the curtain seperating coach from first class. I think I could manage to spot her worried mother a mile away. She looked in the exact same state as my mother when I boarded my plane, distraught with worry for her little girl. When she sees us walking down the isle she looks at me in relief.  

"Oh im so glad you didn't wander off theplane I don't know what I would have done if you had gotten left behind." She said crouching down to the little girl to be eye level, "don't you know how scary that would have been? You would have been all alone. Don't ever do that to mommy again!" she looks up at me and thanks me for bringing back her daughter and I turn to head back to my seat.  

I walk through the curtain to see an old woman standing in the isle next to my row of seats. She is holding my letter. It isnt open, but she is looking at it. I stand there staring at the elderly lady. She is african american mixed, small and very fragile looking, with long dangling earings with small crocodile teeth at the ends of them. Her neckace and matching bracelet have puka shells with a skull in the center. And her worn, white, wide fishnet shaw is dangling over her elbows wrapped around her wrists at the ends. Then I notice her cane, the one with the bright red stripe around the bottom of it. That's weird. Why would she be reading my letter if she cant even see? I think to myself.  

"can I help you miss?" I ask, startling her out of what ever trance looking site she had on my letter. She instantly drops it and turns to go to her seat. That's really weird. I pick up my letter and sit down just in time to hear the overhead announcement that we are beginning our ascend and need to fasten our seatbelts, followed by a demonstration on how to use the drop down oxygen masks and flotation devices. Great we are finally in the air. Time to read my letter.  

Im careful not to mess up the beautiful scriptive writing on the front by breaking the black wax seal on the back of the envelope. Insied reveals to things. First I pull out an old photograph. Its my dad holding a baby me, in one arm and his other hand in the air holding up three fingers. That's weird I think. Did he not know how to hold a piece sign? He has the biggest smile on his face though. How could he ever want that to end? Why did he leave me and mom if he was so happy like he is in this photo? Nexti pull out an old piece of folded parchment paper. I open it to read....  

Push, pull, 23-3-10, open  

Weird.