Spirits

Tempest?!

“Kimberly! It’s time to get ready for church!” shouts my Grandmother.

I can’t believe that I fell asleep, and I didn’t even have dinner. I get up and grab a knee high blue dress off of the hanger, and slip it on. I quickly put on a bit of mascara and lip gloss. I look at the charm bracelet as it hung almost gracefully off my hand. I see the moon, sun, two castles, a star, and an arrow with fire at the tip. Oh no, the girl in the dress is missing! I quickly look through my drawers, on my nightstand, in my draw string bag. I can’t find it! “Let’s go Kimberly!” exclaims my Grandmother.

“Coming!” I shout back. As I run to the car and I put on my black flats, I look for my charm, but it’s nowhere to be found. I hear the honk of the car horn.

“I’m coming!” I yell. Forget it, I have to go!

I run out the door, and hop into the passenger seat. We are off to church. My Grandmother starts to play Christian music on the radio, as we drive to church. My Grandmother’s church is huge! There is even a separate building for the little kids. I can still remember when my mom and I would come down and visit my Grandmother in the summer, and I would go to the kids building while my mom and Grandmother had “big girl church.” “Big girl church” is what my mom and I called it when I was little. My mom would tell me once I was a “big girl” I would go to church with them. I couldn’t wait! Now, here I am with my Grandmother walking into “big girl church,” and it’s not at all what I thought it would be. Sometimes, like today, I wish I was little again. I loved my childhood! Your childhood is where you know that no one is judging you, and they just love you for who you are; but the thing I miss the most about my childhood it my mother.

“Kimberly let’s find a seat now,” says my Grandmother. I nod, and we take our usual spot. In the front. I hate being in the front, but I don’t complain because it’s my Grandmother, and as she says that there are many memories in these seats. It’s where my grandfather sat with my Grandmother, and where my Aunt Jennifer and mom sat when they were little and yet big enough for “big girl church.” The sermon today was on love your neighbor as thy self, which is one of the Ten Commandments. When the sermon ends my Grandmother of course visits with other people who she has known for a while.

“Kimberly I am going to go visit with Beatrice over there, and I will be right back,” states my Grandmother.

“Okay,” I say, and watch as my Grandmother walks over to Beatrice and begins to talk and laugh.

“Kimberly?”

I turn around to see who it is; it’s Andrew. He is wearing khaki pants and blue button up shirt. “Hi,” I say trying to be polite.

“So how have you been?” Andrew asks.

“Pretty good,” I reply, “How about you?”

“Well, actually, I have something urgent to tell you!”

“Wha-“ I was then, interrupted.

“She doesn’t want to hear what you have to say!” It was my Grandmother. I can’t believe that she just said that! I don’t like Andrew, but I would never be that straightforward and rude! Then it hit me, “Well, I can try! And you better tell that boy to leave her alone!”  The boy that she was talking about is Andrew! Why would Andrew need to leave me alone? I stare at Andrew, as he stood there looking at my Grandmother and then at me, and then back again.

“But ma’am-“

“No buts! Now go along and join your family like a good boy!”

“Of course, I am very sorry,” apologizes Andrew, and he walks away to rejoin his family. My Grandmother changes her gaze from Andrew to me. As Andrew leaves one question still remains along with many others: What was so urgent that he had to tell me?