Baridi Short Stories

Story One: Leaving Home

Cape Coral, Florida

July 30, 2013

2:34 AM

I was dreaming of how I wished things still were. It was summer, I could tell from the overwhelming heat and the sound of bees buzzing from flower to flower. I was outside, sitting at the glass patio table we had out back. My dad was talking about football even though he knew I had little to no interest in hearing about it. But he liked messing with me for fun back then, not like he does anymore. But just as he was finishing up, I heard the back sliding door open up, and there was Mom with tea and lemonade like you see in those cheesy family scenes in '90s movies. She brought them over to the table and set them down, so I took the liberty of pouring myself a glass of sweet iced tea. Then we all started laughing...I think Mom made a joke about Dad? Goes to show how much I can actually retain from a dream. But the most vivid part of it all was who came through the door next. I looked over at the sound of the door sliding open once more and found myself paralyzed in my own dream. I'd recognize him anywhere- his body shape, fur markings, his signature voice greeting us as soon as he walked through. "Ushawishi...", I found myself muttering under my breath in shock. He came over and my family greeted him as if nothing had ever happened. Then I was suddenly standing and Ushawishi was hugging me tightly. He was the type of hugger to put his arms over your shoulders and basically just pull your head in for the hug instead of your body, so my face was buried in his fat amount of neck fluff that our whole family seems to have. I couldn't help but tear up and I embarrassingly started actually crying into his fluff. I felt his arms move and his hands grabbed my shoulders firmly. He pulled from him and looked me square in the eyes. He frowned at me and I asked him what was wrong, and suddenly he fell over. As soon as he hit the ground, everything around me changed. It was dark and we weren't home anymore. It took me a second, but I remembered where I was- I was right in front of the store I used to work at with Ushawishi. There were police cars all around us, but no people. I looked down to where Ush had fallen, this time noticing the red pool surrounding his body. I rushed down to try and help him however I could, but he simply disappeared right before me. All that was left was me and the scene as I sat there in tears. There was suddenly a harsh ringing in my ears that slowly started to sound like a voice. Like my mother's voice. "Wake up", reverberated through my ears over and over again until I found myself shooting up in bed, tears still in my eyes.

I felt my mother's hands clench onto my shoulders and it woke me up and put a sort of fear into me.

"Baridi, we have to go NOW," she exclaimed.

"Mom- what are you doing? And where are we going?" I asked her.

"To the airport, you have to get out of here, B," she told me in what sounded like a worried voice. "Your father...he isn't thinking clearly right now and hasn't been since-," she paused.

I knew exactly what she meant. Ever since ushawishi died, he hasn't been the same. He's blamed me for it and things have only gotten worse and worse between me and him. Between him and everyone actually, he even started to mess with Mom too.

"Why are we leaving?" I said tiredly. "And why did you say I'm going on vacation, what about you?"

"I'm staying here, you're going across the country for your own safety," she told me, her voice audibly shaky like she was holding back tears.

"Across the country?" I questioned. "If this is about Baba, then you should come too! I can't leave you-" I tried to finish, but she sat on the bed with me and put her hands on the sides of my head. Ever since I was little, it's always been a weird thing that calmed me down. The feeling of her hands against me now felt as loving as ever, but I couldn't stop myself from the tears falling down my face from this sudden rush of emotion I had to wake up to.

"Baridi," she said firmly. I could see her eyes water in the dim moonlight streaming from the window. "I need you to not fight me on this, okay? I have clothes packed for you and I took some money out of the bank for you to use. I got you a ticket to California. Use the money to get yourself a place to live. Get a job, go to college, you're a great son, Baridi, and I know you can do whatever you want to out there."

"But-" I stopped myself. Mom was sweet but stubborn. And I knew there was no way I could talk her out of what she had in mind. "Okay, Mom. I'll go to California, for you."

She smiled at me and used her hands on my head to wipe away the tears that had fallen out of my eyes. She leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead to try to reassure me that it was okay, then she stood back up off of the bed and grabbed the suitcase she packed by the handle.

"Go ahead and get dressed, I'll be waiting outside in the car when you're ready. Baba should stay asleep, but hurry," she told me before walking out my bedroom door.

I sat there in bed for a moment to try to process everything that just happened. I don't want to leave her here with him, but I know she wants me to leave for my own safety. Baba has made some threats to both of us before and physically proved he could follow through with them if he wanted. As if this wasn't enough to deal with right now mentally, I started thinking about how I could start a new life in another state. I mean, I just turned 18 and graduated high school, and now I'm gonna have to restart with nobody to help me. I did have some colleges in mind to attend for college though, so at least that whole process can be a little easier.

I heard the car start up outside so I knew Mom was ready to go. I sighed to myself and wiped away the new wave of tears that had popped up in my eyes. I stood up and went through my dresser and pulled a t-shirt and shorts out of it. I looked around at my room at the realization that it'd probably be the last time I saw it.

I almost walked out afterward, but quickly turned back around and went to my bedside. I lifted up my pillow and took the small rock from underneath it. When Ushawishi died, they gave us all of his possessions that he had on him at the time. All otters have a favorite rock, it's just a genetic thing that literally every otter has. But we value them a lot, kinda like an important little charm. But when we got his stuff back, they gave us his rock back too. My mother kept it but gave it to me when Baba turned sour. Ever since then, I've kept it close to me for safe keeping and so I can feel like Ushawishi is still here in a way, with me. I slipped the rock into my pouch and walked out of my room, closing the door behind me. I walked slowly down the hall and down the stairs to the front door.

Opening the front door and stepping outside, I could see the car on with Mom inside waiting for me. When she looked to me, I put a little smile on my face for her to try and reassure her like she's always done for me. I walked over to the car and put my hand on the handle to open the car door. I stopped to look at the house, thinking of all the memories I had made here in my life. I was going to miss this place, I was gonna miss mom especially. But with that, I opened up the car door and got in, closing it behind me. My mom held my hand to give me some confidence which surprisingly worked. Then she put her hand back on the wheel and she backed the car up so we could go. And just like that, we started driving out of the rocky driveway. I don't know how I'm going to do on my own or who I'll meet when I'm in California. And I'll always be worried about Mzaza, but I know she can protect herself if she needs to. I was going to leave for her, but what kind of life was she dooming herself to because of it?

But I had myself mentally convinced that we were both going to do just fine. Maybe I can make some friends in California. Maybe Baba will get better without me around. Whatever waits for me on the other side of the country, the only way to figure it out is to get there myself.

“Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed, and very dear.”