Yes, it was Lizzie wearing a hair net. When she finished wiping the tables, Lizzie would receive a lunch tray. She was a sixth-grader and why she was not with her class, I did not know. I began to wonder what is worse, cleaning tables to get a free meal or having the words ‘feed me’ stamped on one’s forehead.

A year ago, I ignored the taunting hurled at the kids from Slab Town. Mother always reminded me, we live two blocks away from Slab Town. We do not live in Slab Town! We live in Plant City. I wore new clothes and bought my lunch like the rest of the Plant Citians who were non-Slab Towners.

In the blink of an eye, life had drastically changed. Father had a nervous breakdown caused by flashbacks of being an officer in World War II. He could not forget being one of the only two survivors in his unit. His comrades were wiped out from the exploding bombs. Bombs that did not fall from enemy planes, but from our very own. Father was intuitive. He knew before it happened. A secret he would carry to his grave.

I tossed the paper bag into the trash bin. Oops! I forgot! Oh, well, too late now. Mother would be upset! She needed those items to pack tomorrow’s lunch. Well, there was only one thing to do. I would have to tell her the teacher made me throw it away.

For the rest of the school day, I was hungry. On the way home, Henry began to look like a nice, pork roast. No, no, no, I must not think like that.

Before reaching the back porch, I knew I would see him there. I could feel him! Snapping chips of white paint off the side of one wall was my younger brother, Joey. He began nibbling on a piece.

“Hey, I want some?”

Joey gave me a large piece and said, “It tastes just like ice cream.”

I bit into it. I spit it out. It tasted like chalk! Joey rolled on his back laughing.

“I fooled you,” he chuckled.

“You, worm,” I screamed knocking him down and tickling him on the stomach.

Click on the 'NEXT' arrow Part II Survival

Check out Saturna Brown’s website: alieninthekitchen.spaces.live.com

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