I remember when the sun used to shine. The sky used to look like the yoke of an egg. It had a bright ember center, and arms extending as far as the eye could see. I remember learning that the sun was a big star that burned brightly in the horizon. I remember days where mamma would force me to go outside and "play" even though I never really wanted to. I remember waiting for some sort of animal to eat me as I played in the woods by myself (for my baby brother was not old enough yet to play with me).
I remember my mother's face. She used to have pale skin, rosy cheeks, and curly, red hair. I remember her plump figure. I remember when it got to dark to play outside, she would call me in from the back porch.
I don't remember my father. I hardly ever saw him because he worked the night shift. I knew my father looked like me, and I knew he was always asleep when I was awake.
I remember dinners with mother. Mother would look so sad.
"Mommy, is daddy going to eat with us tonight?" I would ask. A single tear would drip down her plump cheeks.
"No darling, not tonight. Eat your meatloaf." She would sniff.
I remember being poor. I remember some nights only having pork, and beans for dinner. I remember nights where mommy, and daddy would shout.
"YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD START WORKING THE DAY SHIFT, SO YOU COULD SPEND TIME WITH YOUR CHILDREN!" Mommy would yell.
"I ALSO PROMISE EVERY YEAR TO TAKE THEM TO DISNEY. I CAN'T AFFORD TO ASK FOR THE DAY SHIFT. DO YOU WANT ME TO LOSE MY JOB? DO YOU?" Daddy would yell.
I remember the night when he walked out. I remember mother running after him. I was in bed.
"DAVID!" She shouted.
My eyes fluttered awake, I rushed to the window; and saw my father get in the family car, and drive down the road. Mother was on her knees sobbing hysterically, and pounding her fists. I went into my closet, and grabbed my bathrobe. I ran down the stairs. I hugged my sobbing mother.
"What are you doing here, you should be in bed Sally." She told me. A tear dribbled down her cheeks.
"I came to see what was wrong. I heard shouting. Mommy, daddy isin't coming back; is he?" I asked.
"No, Sally. He's not." She cried.
"What's gunna happen to Charlie?" I asked her. Charlie was my baby brother. He was not even a month old. "Is Charlie going to live with daddy?" I asked.
She dried her tears, still embracing me.
"No, he's going to stay with us." She said.
"Promise?" I asked holding out my pinky. She took it in her own.
"Promise." She smiled. "Help me up." She said. I stood, she held out her hand. I brought her to her feet, and lead her inside. I watched her sit on the couch.
"I'm going to make you food." I promised her. I went to the kitchen cupboard, and pulled out the only food I knew how to make. Macaroni and Cheese. I took out a pot from under the counter, I filled the pot halfway with water. I put the pot with water on the stove. I turned the burner to high. I reached in the side cabinet for salt. I sprinkled it to make the water boil. In the meantime, I went over to my mother. I spotted a blanket behind her on the sofa.
"Everything is going to be okay." I told her.
"Okay." She smiled.
I watched the water boil, and bubble for about five minutes. I opened the box of pasta, and took out the cheese. I watched the pieces of pasta slide out of the box, and drop into the boiling water. I thought of my daddy burning in the scolding water. Finally, the pasta was done. I took it off the burner. I grabbed the cheese, and mixed it in. I grabbed a bowl from the cupboard, and put the pasta in. I walked it over to my mother.
"Here." I said.
"Thank you." She said gratefully.
"I forgot the fork." I smiled. I went to go get it, and bring it back to her. I presented it to her. "Here." I said. I sat down beside her.
I watched her eat the pasta. Its contents dribbling down her chin.
"Cheesy?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Mommy, are we going to be poor?"
She spit the food out into the bowl.
"No, honey. We won't be poor. Not now. Not ever."
Believe it or not, daddy leaving was the last normal day I remember.
5 years later
It came on the news at 9 o clock am. Outside it was raining. On a normal day, my mother would not have hesitated to allow me to walk outside.
"Mom can I go out?" I asked. I was oblivious. She was making Macaroni for Charlie, and me."
"Better not. Why don't you stay inside with Charlie?" she asked. I shrugged.
"Okay."
"Fourteen thousand people have died in this what seems to be technological rain. How are these people dying Rodger?" The reporter woman asked.
"Well, Trish it appears that they are just disappearing. A whole family outside for dinner on the back deck, reported dead within seconds of this rain dropping."
"What should people do to protect kids?" The reporter asked.
"First off, get food. Get enough food for your families to survive years. Stock pantries and use umbrellas. Don't let the rain touch you!" The reporter warned.
"And now a listing of our school closings." The reporter said.
"Honey. I think we should go shopping." Mom said in the kitchen.
I huffed.
"Seriously?" I asked.
"The reporter said to stock up." She said.
I thought about it for a second.
"Fine." I agreed.
She took out two rain coats from the coat closet.
"Here put one of these on." She told me. I did.
She grabbed two pairs of boots.
"And these." And then came a hat, and then a umbrella.
"Is this one the broken one?" I asked her. She shook her head, no.
"The rain only takes out the people, not anything around it." The reporter promised us.
"Bundle up folks, it's gunna be a rainy day for sure. And stay safe."
Then. The power went out.
"We better get going now." My mother said fearfully.
"Okay mom." I said.
We went into the garage. We went into the van.
"Do you know how to drive?" mom asked.
"No, never learned." I shrugged. "I'm only ten. Remember?"
"You're going to learn today." She told me.
"If anything happens remember the right pedal makes it go, the left makes it stop. The d means drive. The r means reverse. Steer in the direction you want to go. Got it?" She asked, frightened.
"Yes." I assured her.
"Good." She said.
We pulled up to the grocery store at around 10:00 am. Everyone was running inside of the store, and pushing; and shoving to get to carts.
"FILL A CART FOR 50$!" a lunatic screamed.
"When I park, grab a cart." My mother instructed.
"But mom." I moaned.
"Grab a cart, and run to the soup section. Grab as much soup as the cart can handle. Got it? Grab anything else we might need. Toilet paper, canned vegetables. Fill that cart. Do you understand?" She asked.
I felt scared now.
"Yes, I understand."
"Good."
She parked. She gave me the car keys, and fifty bucks.
"Run." She said.
I grabbed a cart, and ran towards the store.
"In case." She said.
She grabbed her own cart, and followed me.
When I got inside I made my way to the soup isle. Most of the items were already gone. I grabbed some of the cheap cans, and threw them in. Chicken noodle. Tomato. Cream of mushroom. Cream of chicken. Gravy cans even in the bag. I put whatever was left in that cart. I moved next to the tomato sauce. I put all of that in the cart. I moved then to the mashed potatoes, then to the beans. Pork, and beans thrown into the cart. Cans of tuna. Cans of chicken. Cans of Vienna sausage that nobody wanted. Cans of deviled ham.
Then I went to the canned vegetable isle. Ten cans of fresh cut string beans, five cans of creamed corn. Creamed corn? Yuck. Five cans of regular corn. Better. Cans of mixed bean salad, beats, and pumpkin. We would need that for thanksgiving. I grabbed cranberry sauce which there was a lot of. If we starved, we could at least feast a little. Next the pasta isle. In the cart went instant mashed potatoes, instant macaroni; regular boxes of macaroni. My cart was almost full. Not full yet. Almost. I put a few boxes of pasta in. Then, I decided to make my way to the medicine isle. The good stuff was mostly gone. Toothpaste. Toothbrushes. Thankfully there were two toothbrushes. I grabbed those, and I grabbed the last tube of toothpaste. I grabbed a bottle of mouthwash. I grabbed a box of Tylenol. That would help break a fever if someone caught cold. I remembered mothers headaches, and grabbed some aspirin. I remembered my baby brother had allergies. Benadryl went in the cart too. Crap. It was full pretty much. I saw a huge line of people. Frustrated, I dropped the 50 on the counter, and ran to the car. Mother was waiting there. Mom had things I forgot. Diapers, and even more canned food items. She seemed proud of me.
"Well done, Sally." She smiled.
"Don't mention it." I winked.
"Put the stuff in the car." She commanded.
In went all the cans, boxes, medicine. She put all her stuff in too. We brought our carts back, and went into the car. We drove off.
"Mom. How do you think dad is doing? Do you think he's still alive?" I asked.
"I know he is." She said. Smiling. "I know he is."