Life Has its Moments

Everybody

As Imogen and her friend got off the school bus, her friend pushed the wheelchair with Imogen's bag on it and she walked on her crutches to to the front door. "I see dad's not home," she said when she saw Mike's car not there.

"Whoa! You live here?!" her friend exclaimed, staring at the building.

"Mhmm" She shrugged and stopped to open the front door. She stopped to listen for a moment but the usual bustling of Lauretta wasn't heard. She knew she couldn't be dusting as she did that the first thing everyday. Since it was about 3:30pm she should be doing laundry but there wasn't any sign of that. Nevertheless as she walked in, the house was clean and spotless.

With every room they entered or passed, her friend would scream, 'Whoa, amazing' or something like that.

On the kitchen counter, Imogen found a note with a cup on it from Lauretta- Gone for grocery shopping. Pasta in the food warmer and sauce in the pan.

"Looks like nobody's home," Imogen said but there was no answer.When she turned back, her friend was nowhere to be seen. "Jordin? Jordin?" Suddenly her friend appeared, wide-eyed and smiling like a little child who had been given a new puppy.

"Your swimming pool's nice!"

Imogen twisted her face. "We have a swimming pool?" She really didn't like going to the backyard as it was grassy. Mike was too lazy to mow it off and it wasn't Lauretta's duty.

"Uhhh, yeah, but it's covered." That explained why she hasn't see it before.

"So how do you know it's nice? Oh. Oh well, im gonna go pop this pimple, you coming?" Imogen asked, forgetting about the swimming pool since she couldn't swim.

"Of course!" Jordin replied cheerily. She always had a positive aura about her.

They headed upstairs, Jordin running and her black African hair bouncing. Imogen looked up at her and thought their was still a little girl trapped in this 17 year old.

"Race you to your room!" Jordin shouted when they reached the top.

Imogen cleared her throat and said, "First of all, this isn't a fashion accessory." She waved her hands at her crutches. "And second of all, you don't even know which one's my room."

She killed Jordin's happy vibe, but just for a moment. "Oh silly me then!" she laughed, leaning against the wall and adjusting her green sweatpants.

In the room, Jordin went from one place to another, admiring everything while Imogen struggled to pop a pimple just below her left cheek in the bathroom.

"So where's your mom?" Jordin asked from the room.

Imogen came out holding a tissue to her face.

"Ah it's a long story." She didn't seem to mind being asked about her now.

"I've got time," she said, sitting cross-legged on the single bed and staring at Imogen with a smile that started to creep Imogen. So she was forced to tell her the whole story.

"Interesting life," Jordin said when she finished. "So, do you want her to come back?"

Imogen just shrugged & briefly looked away saying "I guess so. I think if she does, she will be a changed woman, hopefully."

It had been about half an hour when they heard the front door close. "I think Lauretta's back." Before Imogen could get up, Jordin was up and out of the room.

When she reached downstairs, she got a glimpse of Mike's car from the window but got a shock in the living room.

"Mamma mia, give me some sugar," Jordin said and moved up close to Mike and grabbed his collar.