Chapter 11 Where I woke up

Chapter 11

 

“Good morning Wilma.” Mrs. Davis said.

            I limped into the kitchen felling as if my legs were numb.

            “Morning.” I mumbled.

            Mrs. Davis looked over her newspaper. “It’s going to be hot today.”

            “What will the temperature be?” Dr. Davis asked. He walked in with his shoes in hand.

            “High 80s.”

            “Shooo…” He said. “I do bad in anything above 70.”

            “Too bad.” She responded.

            I looked down to my feet.

I know Mrs. Davis well. She was my second grade teacher but she soon retired a few years after. She and Mom are close and will talk when they see each other.

            “Wilma?” Dr. Davis said.

            “Hun?” I said feeling as if I was woke up suddenly.

            “Are you hungry?”

            I shock my head. “Not at all.”

            “Why don’t you get ready to go out?” Mrs. Davis said.

            “I’m fine as I am.”

            “Are you sure about that?”

            “I’m just going home, I don’t see the point.”

            She paused and gave me a quick look over. “I’ve seen kids in worse.”

            “Thanks for letting me stay.” I mumbled looking at Dr. Davis.

            “Well I would like to help your parents out now.”

            “I guess they was busy with the funeral and all…”

            “Please send your Mom that basket there.” Mrs. Davis pointed to a wicker basket on counter.

            I looked at the basket. It was filled with tea and fruits.

            “If you want something get it.”

            I nodded and I got an apple out. “Thanks.”

“Wilma your Mom told me you have a gift for music.”

“I guess.”

“Well I have some piano scores in the basket.”

I bit down into the apple and the crack rung threw the kitchen. “Thanks, again.”

“I used to be go good at the piano, but then my Arthritis got in the way.”

I nodded as I put on my shoes.

Dr. Davis took me home before he went to work.

The house was dark even though Mom and Dad were home and it was 11am. Food covered the counter. I didn’t have a place to put the basket so I took it up stairs.

I heard music play softly in Wade’s room. I nibbled on kiwi but stopped when I started to fell as if my stomach was hurting. I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling.

The only sounds I could hear was the sounds of my heart slowly beating and of the clock ticking. I looked at the purple wall clock to see what time it was.

Purple is my favorite color. Kiya once said.

Well mine is yellow! I responded happily.  

That was when we first met. Within time our tastes changed, but our relationship grew stronger.

The day I met her the sun was shining and I was bored. Kiya was sitting at the end of the street drawing a circle on the concrete with chalk.

“Hay what’cha doing?” I asked.

She looked up at me. Her eyes were hallow almost as if she wasn’t going to welcome me. She stiffened as she leaned away from me.

“Hi.” I repeated. 

Kiya’s gaze shifted to the ground. “My Mommy said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

“I’m not a stranger!” I responded. “Strangers are creepy old men, I’m a friend.”

Kiya never said anything until I took the piece of chalk from her.

“Hay!” She whined.

“I just want to draw something.”

Quickly I wrote ‘Will’.

“Who is that, your boyfriend?”

“No that’s my name.”

“That can’t be your name, you’re a girl.”

I sighed as I began to explain my story to her. “My full name is Wilma but that sounds like an old women.”

“But you want to be called a boy name?”

“Its not a boy name, it’s a nickname. Will.”

She took the piece of chalk from me and kept drawing circles.

“Why do you only have one piece of chalk?”

“Because It’s purple.”

“Why purple?”

“Purple is my favorite color.”

“Well mine is yellow!”

The memory started to fade as I started to fall asleep. I was woken up by someone knocking on my door. “Dinner.”  

I came into dinner feeling as if my chest had a gapping hole in it and by the way things seemed, so did everyone else. Mom’s eyes had dark circles and Dad was pale. Wade’s demeanor was somber.

There was somewhat warm lasagna for dinner.

“Mom I don’t want this.” I said as she put the plate in front of me.

She paused for a second. “Well why?”

“Mom… I’m…”

“Oh, Oh I forgot, Sorry.” She interrupted. “Someone brought a broccoli casserole, why don’t you eat that?”  

I nodded getting up and getting the casserole

We ate quietly trying not to even look at one another. During the middle of the meal Mom got up and walked away. I looked up at Dad, but he didn’t keep my gaze long. It was as if he was trying to avoid something.

I tried to keep my eyes off of Kiya’s chair.

No one said it was her chair, but somehow we all knew it was hers. Kiya seemed drawn to the chair come meal time.

Dad ran his hand over his mouth to wipe away pieces of food. He had eaten quickly. “I have to work on my novel for a bit.” He told us as he placed his dish in the dishwasher.

Wade left with plate in hand. He left no explanation so I figured he wanted to finish dinner alone.

I was left alone, but I didn’t mind. I just quickly ate and then slipped off to look at the music Mrs. Davis gave me.