“Well, what do you feel like doing today?” I asked Joey.

          He looked at me strangely. “Huh?”

          I knew ‘why’ he looked at me like that. I never asked him what he wanted to do. He did whatever I did.

          Then, I heard a noise. I nearly ‘jumped out of my skin!’ Oh, it was just Mike and Kyle riding their bikes into the yard. It did not take much to figure out what they would be doing. More than likely, they would count their money and oil the chain on their bikes.

          Mike glanced over and saw us on the porch. “I know you two are up to something. I can see it in your eyes.”

          I rolled my eyes. Then, I looked over at Kyle. He never spoke a word around Mike, unless he had to.

          When they left to put their bikes on the front porch, Joey asked about taking a nap. It was a strange request for him, but I felt like taking one, too.

          I heard a soft, voice whisper in my ear. “Wake up.”

          I opened my eyes. There was no one there. I felt ‘chilled to the bone,’ because I could sense the house was empty. Mother was not home. Mike and Kyle had probably gone to play basketball at the nearby courtyard. My heart began to race. I could not catch my breath. An overwhelming feeling of sadness engulfed me. I swallowed trying to shake this feeling. Then, I heard a noise in the kitchen and the sound of keys jingling. I knew before I walked in. It was Father.

          He stood by the back door. There were two paper bags on the table filled with clothing and other stuff. He stood waiting for me.

          I ran to him. I threw my arms around his waist.

          “I’m going to stay at Uncle Gordon’s for awhile,” he whispered.

          I could not stop the flow of tears running down my face. “Don’t go! Please don’t go, Daddy.”

          Father held me close. “Be a good girl, Cissy. I’ll see you when I can.”

          Father picked up the paper bags and stepped onto the back porch. I left the door open and walked away.

Another true story from the book, “Two Blocks from Slab Town,” will be coming in mid-July or early August 2008.

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

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