10The Night Of September 17, 2002
It was a bright day out. All I could think of was how beautiful the sky was. A friend of my sisters and I, Ediom, came over. He's 23, but he was always cool with us. I didn't feel like talking, though, so I went into my sister's room, since my roof was leaking, and played with my Barbies on the bed. I was watching television. Jimmy Neutron to be exact. I thought nothing could ruin my day. While the girls were downstairs with Ediom, Mom had gone out with her latest police boyfriend, Terry, they drove out to Alabama on his motorcycle. I heard the door open and thought, 'Hey Mom's home." I was right. She went to her bedroom. I played around for about thirty minutes, when I heard the phone ring. My mom had picked it up, but I read the caller ID. It had been my aunt, my father's sister.
I walked into her bedroom after she hung up the phone.
"What did Aunt Andrea want Mommy?"
"Nothing, uhm, could you go back into Jessica's room while I speak with Ediom for a few minutes?"
" ." I figured exactly that-they just wanted to talk. About twenty minutes later Ediom knocked on the bedroom door.
"Yeah?"
"Your mom wants you downstairs, your Aunt Tina is here."
" . I'll be down in a minute." I gathered up my things and put them back in my room, except my favorite Barbie. It was an Asian one my father had bought me for my birthday last year. I loved her she was beautiful. I walked into the living room to see my mother's sister standing beside her.
"Sit down sweaty." My mom said to me. Since Brittany, my 17-year-old sister, was already in the recliner, with Jessica, my 15-year-old sister's, head in her lap, and Ediom was in the rolling chair, I sat in the most uncomfortable chair.
"So what's up Mommy?" I asked. I could tell she had been crying.
"Girls.I can' , that's why I called you."
"Yeah, , your father had a heart attack a few hours ago." It took a minute to sit in.
"Is he dead Mommy?" Brittany asked the question none of us wanted the answer to.
"Yes." She said as tears fell down her cheeks. Brittany fell to the floor beside Jessica. They leaned on each other. I pulled my knees to my chest and put my head between them.
"No." I whispered. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't feel my chest. I rocked slowly back and forth in my seat. My world was crashing down. I couldn't believe this! No! NO! I screamed inside my self. Then Ediom walked over to me and hugged me.
"Are you gonna be ok, Heather?"
"I don't know."
"I understand." He walked over to my sisters. I clutched the Barbie tighter than I had before. Her hair twisted in my fingers. My aunt came by and wiped my face with a cold towel. The next hour or so was all a blur. My sisters and I talking to my aunt. Walking outside, confusion and panic. I, on the other hand, went straight upstairs after the first thirty minutes. I was going to go to school the next day anyways. I laid down on my mother's bed. I still don't know how I slept that night. It had began raining, and every drop was a heart beat lost. They pounded in my head. This was the last day I can remember being genuinely happy. I still have the Barbie.