Tuesday April 7, 2009
Her mammy died in the garage that day. She climbed up on that car to get the draw-string and fell on her neck. Who knows how long it took until somebody found her. Some say four hours, but only that dead brain of hers actually knows how long she was writhing and gasping for air before the cat actually got ahold of her.
The death of his wife killed the girl’s father. He had two kids and two dogs; a house and a job he was about to lose without even knowing it. Her daddy was the one who found her and let the paramedics deal with her. His son, Beau, hadn’t come home yet since his mammy couldn’t pick him up from latchkey and the girl the only living one in the house- but a one year old can’t answer the phone. Her daddy rescued her from being locked in her room and she watched the pretty lights swirl like fireworks outside the window.
Beau! Her daddy said.
Her daddy buckled her into her safety seat and they drove to pick up Beau.
They arrived at the elementary school where Mrs. Tompkins and Beau were waiting outside in front of the entrance.
Daniel, I have been trying to get ahold of you and Angela.
Her father took Beau’s hand and they walked back to the car where she was waiting.
Aren’t you going to thank me, Daniel?
Her daddy didn’t respond.
Her daddy drove the car back into the driveway, opened the front seat to let Beau out and opened the back door to unbuckle the girl. He picked her up and carried her inside as Beau immediately started playing games.
Her daddy put her in her in front of her doll house to play with her toys. He left her room and she sat there for some time just looking around the room. She quickly turned her head to the door and gave it a look of credulity. She picked herself up and baby-stumbled to the door. She fell once through the hallway and twice in the living room until she finally came to her mammy and daddy’s room.
Mammy, she would say.
Mammy…
Mammy……..
Her father would hear her and hide in the same spot his wife had died and begin to cry. The tears hit the floor and mixed in with the drool that gagged his wife because of her inability to swallow.
It was her brother Beau who found his daddy crying in the garage. He just stood there watching him with a placid face and his head cocked to the side. It was as if her brother didn’t know any emotion.
Daddy…
Her daddy quickly wiped his tears and sniffled the snot back into his nose. His trembling hand swept across his face. He didn’t want his son to see him crying. Hey buddy, he said.
Daddy, Alice keeps calling for mammy.
I know, Beau.
Daddy, where is mammy?
We’ll see if she comes back tomorrow, all right?
Daddy, why didn’t she pick us me up from school?
Beau! She’ll be back tomorrow! He yelled as he wailed and tears began to stream down his eyes harder than before.
Beau just stood and watched again until he sauntered away. He saw Alice in the kitchen calling for her mammy and became angry. His hand drew back and released with an open palm against her chest. She went crashing to the floor and began to cry as vehemently as her father.
She looked up at her brother and, if she could talk, asked, why have you done this to me.
Beau ran away when he heard his father coming.
She saw her daddy come to her. She was still crying and when her daddy looked at the back of her head he saw that it was bleeding after it hit the leg of a chair.
He quickly kissed the top of her head and got up.
I’ll come riht back, darling. I’ll be right back.
She continued to cry while her daddy stomped through the living room- through the hallway- ripped open Beau’s door and grabbed hold of him by the shoulders.
Kneeling down he looked into his son’s eyes and looked at the cowardice in them as they juxtaposed the engine driving her daddy’s eyes.
Did you do that to her!?
No daddy-
He put his hand over his sons mouth. Don’t lie to me! When I take my hand off your mouth you are going to answer me the right way.
He took his hand off of Beau’s mouth and Beau was slow to answer.
Well…?
Her daddy saw her brother begin to form an ‘N’ and he threw him against the bed, walked to the door, grabbed the handle and slammed it.
How long do I have to stay in here, he brother asked.
Daddy…
Daddy…?
He began to walk out of his room when her daddy ran with the girl in his hands and slammed the door back on his son with tears dragging down his palid face. He slipped down with his back against the door as Alice climbed out of her daddy’s grasp and began to walk to her parent’s room.
Mammy……….