" Lukey, can yous hands me the spatula?" I say. We're playing house at our preschool. He hands me the spatula and smiles at me. Then Gina comes over and kisses Luke on the cheek.
" Hey Luckey Bear." Gina says
" Goes away." I say " I don't want you over here."
Luke walks away like always because he doesn't want to get involved. He goes over to our table with a box of crayons and a piece of paper.The teacher calls for snack time.
" Come on kids, it's snack time!" Miss Mildred says.
Luke gets up and Gina grabs his hand walking to the rug. She utterly smiles and gets her animal crackers from her backpack. I think Luke only likes her because of her animal crackers and that her mom gives her extra juice in her lunch. He scoots over to me and we share my Gold Fish and brownies. After, we go over and play with the blocks. Gina comes over like always and pours juice down my back.
" Gina!" I say " You're stupid!"
" Ms.Mildred," Gina says " Abby called me stupid."
" Ms.Abby,that's a time out!" She says as a look down at my shoes.
I sit in the corner and count to a hundred and it's already to go home. It's Monday's so Luke comes over to my house for a play date. I love Monday's so much! When Luke comes to my house he lets me play with the toys before he does. He so sweet! My Mom walks in the door.
" Come on Abby and Luke." She said
I grab her pinkie and we walk to her car. I get in my car seat and buckle myself in. Luke climbs into his booster seat and buckles the seat belt. He looks at my with his deep blue eyes and his brown hair is flowing in the wind. That sign says " I want your sandwich, Abby." I open my backpack and give him my sandwich. He smiles and eats the sandwich.
" Did you guys have fun at school?" My Mom asks.
" Yeah." We both say
" But Gina pures juice down Abby back." Luke says
" She did?" She says " I will have to talk to her Mom."
We both laugh like it was an old memory. We get home and I run inside dropping my backpack on the driveway. I run up the stairs up to the deck. I bang on the door demanding entry from my sister.
My sister opens the door and says " Really, Abby, you couldn't just wait for Mom and Luke."
" No, I couldn't wait." I say running into the house.
Sierra, my second to oldest sisters, goes into the kitchen and makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Cuts them in half, and gives Luke and I two halves. My mom sits down in the living room with a big sigh. My sister walks toward her.
" What's wrong Mom?" She asks
" Nothing." She says
" Mom, you can tell me anything I'm 18 for Christ's sake."
" I knew this day would come sooner or later." She says dropping her head to her knees
" What?" Sierra says " You know I'm the inpatient type."
" Well, first my life is falling into hell." She said crying
" Just because Dad is a douche and left you doesn't make everything bad." She said
" It's not that, I don't have enough money to pay for bills, Abby's school, college for you and Maggie." She continues " I have you, Maggie, Shannan, Christa, and Abby and an account balance of basically nothing."
She starts crying. Sierra moves closer and hugs her. the sound of her weeping bothers me sometimes. I always feel like it's always my fault because after me my Dad left for a Blondie broad in San Jose. He left because he said he said my mom had too many kids.
" Why do I have to live in tiny house in Wisconsin with 5 kids with no insurance and no husband." She continues " Why does your dad get a mansion with an beautiful wife and 1 kid in California?"
" I don't know why life is so hard for us Mom," Sierra says " we just have to suck it up and I'll get a job and so will Maggie."
" Sierra, it doesn't work like that," Mom says falling back into the couch." two teenager jobs, even full time, wont pay off a 10,000 dollar mortgage." She says
" Oh, I didn't know it was that bad."
"Yeah it's so bad we have to move into your Grandma's house." She says
" What?!" She starts yelling " I'M NOT LEAVING MY FRIENDS AND BRAD TO GO TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE!!"
Sierra stomps out of the living room and slams her bedroom door. Brad was her boyfriend. They are madly in love. They've been dating since they were in the eighth grade. That was 5 years ago. They were planning to get married after high school and college. One time we were just going on a vacation to Florida,and the whole time driving there they were talking and debating who should hang up first. And whenever we went down to pool or Disney Land she would stay in the hotel room with Maggie and text Brad and watch Romance movies. Most of the time she wouldn't look up from her phone or if she wasn't on her phone, would be day-dreaming about Brad and wouldn't listen to anyone. I can see how hard it will be able to leave Brad because it's going to be hard leaving Luke.
I hear Mom packing when I wake the next morning. I didn't know she actually meant we were moving. The last time I heard duck tape screeching and card board boxes moving was when Dad moved out. I've never heard or seen him after that. I sit up rubbing my eyes and hopping out of my warm bed. I walk to kitchen and grab a stool to reach the bowls in the cabinet. I see my Mom packed all of the bowls and plates. Thanks Mom you also packed the silver wear. So, grabbing the stool and heading for the bathroom, my tummy growling, I brush my teeth and wash my face. Yeah, your thinking, a 4 year old can't do this but, after my Dad left I knew my Mom would be upset and too depressed to care for us so I learned some responsibilities. Like on Sunday's I reload the dishwasher.
I feel the cold, biter water wipe my face. I grab my toothbrush and plastic cup and brush my teeth. After, I go into the kitchen and grab a breakfast bar because everything else is packed up or thrown in the garbage because it won't fit in the boxes. I start pacing back and forth in my bedroom because I seriously don't want to leave. my Mom calls me into the living room.
" You need to grab all the toys you want to bring to Grandma's so we can get going." She says " Also, take the sheets and bed spread off of your bed, please."
I walk to my room with my head hung down at the floor like it's locked to it. I grab a card board box and some duct tape and grab some toys. I know we can't fit everything so I only grab only a few toys. I hear a slamming and then a clash coming from Sierra's room. I run to her and Maggie's room. I see her in a corner cry and her mascara smearing.
