My Life As Audrey Duhamel

   Being eighteen is a drag. Some would say it's a time to have fun and enjoy your last year of high school. But it's not. Well, at least it's not for me.  My name is Audrey Duhamel. And since I was a little girl, my world has been stomped on, kicked around, and turned upside down. My mom always told me that God is loving and that he cares for all his children- no matter what. But I'm finding it hard to believe anything she tells me nowadays. You see, if God is so loving and caring, why is my life a living hell?

 

   April 10. It's a girl. I was born into an interracial, Christian, upper class family. My mom, Lana Alon McLaughlin-Duhamel, the first, black female in the small town of Willow, Massachusetts to go to college and earn a Ph.D. in Egyptian history. My dad, Logan Alexander Duhamel, became an orphan in Saudi Arabia when his parents died in a car accident or at least that's what I was told. He was never adopted. Not knowing who he really was, my dad traveled around the world and later joined the Israeli military. He became a star pupil among his other colleagues as he showed off his leadership and extraordinary combat skills. My dad was soon recruited by the United States as some type of secret spy and after a few years became an official U.S. operative. Soon daddy, I mean my dad, met my mom while working a case in London. The two hit it off, got married, had me, and the rest is history. In my younger days, my dad was always home. He would make breakfast for my mom and me, drop me off at school every morning, tell me stories about his gunfights in Paris and highway speed chases in Beijing, and then read me any book of my choice before I went to bed. He was my best friend. Then, I got into junior high and everything changed. He was never around. I know I was growing up and everything, but that shouldn't have stopped him from coming home at night or just once picking up the phone to call and see how I was. So I thought maybe if I did well in school, my dad would finally come home. I excelled in all my classes and even took on piano lessons- and I hated the piano. I would look into the audience, and the only faces I would see were of my mom and my Nana, dad's mom. My mom always told me that he was just really busy with work, but I knew better. They were no longer together or worst, he died. I prayed every day and every night for my dad to come home, but he never did. My prayers were never answered.

 

   January 1. It's a boy. I was now eight-years-old. Adrian Alexander Duhamel. He was so small with the prettiest brown eyes. I. Mom was so happy. I hadn't seen her smile like that in a long time. We took Adrian home after a couple of days at the hospital and my mom let me stay home from school a few weeks to help out. We had the nursery painted blue with race cars, right between both our bedrooms. Even though it was a joy having someone to share our big house with and all the things that were in it, I couldn't stop thinking about my dad. When Adrian was put down for bed one night, I went to my mom's room where she was lying on her king size, Victorian bed reading her bible. I sat next to her and asked her if my dad was Adrian's dad. I could see in her eyes that she knew that this day would come, but she never thought it would be so soon. She told me that her and dad had got together to work things out, one thing led to another and Adrian was born. She told me that it wasn't til after dad left to go back to Virginia, she found out she was pregnant. She told me that she told Dad about the pregnancy, but he wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. Suddenly, the door bell rang. I went to go answer it as my mom followed behind. I could not believe my eyes. It was my dad. I ran into his arms. Tears poured from my eyes. My dad held me close. I will never forget the warmth that came from his hug that night. The same way he used to hug me when I was little. He picked me up and carried me into the living room. However, my mom was not so happy to see him. He wiped the tears from my face and told me he missed me and he was sorry he'd been away for so long. I asked him why and he told me that he had to keep me safe. I wanted to ask him why he didn't call or send letters, but I was just so happy to see him home. When I was about to tell him about Adrian, my mom sent me to my room to get ready for bed. My dad said he would come tuck me in. I was so excited as I put on my night clothes that I could hardly even get them on. I quietly made my way downstairs and I could hear them arguing in the kitchen. I want to see my daughter! You came here uninvited this late at night; Audrey has school in the morning and you do not deserve to see her after what you've done! What I did?! You're the one who's filling her head with lies! I haven't been telling her lies; you know you left because you didn't want anything to do with us. Lana, how many times do I have to tell you that I HAD to leave! I had to keep you both safe! The things I do can cause me to lose everything that I love. Audrey was too young to understand, and that's why I left. I try to reach out, but you continue to push me away, Lana. I don't know what it is you want me to do. I want you to be a father to your kids! What?.. Kids? Yes, Logan. Kids. You have a son. I couldn't tell if he was more excited about Adrian or more upset that my mom hadn't told him until now. Well, can I see him? No. You need to leave or I'm calling the police.

    I ran downstairs and into his arms. I begged him not to leave and I cried so much that I wet his shirt. He kissed me on my forehead and told me that he loved me more anything. Take care of your mom and your brother, o.k? He walked out of the door and the door slammed shut behind him. That night was last time I saw him. I could hear my mom crying. Dad was gone and so was my heart.

 

 August 15. Park Square High School. My first day of senior year and a new school. I had never been to a public school and I don't know why I had to start now. It's not like we didn't have the money for me to continue going to a private school, but my mom wanted me to get "socialized". Whatever. I drove to school in my Mini Cooper. The school was only a couple of minutes away but it seemed like hours as I thought about starting a new school. I wished it was till summer. I pulled up to a palatious, beige school with wide stairs leading to several big, glass doors and large, bay-like windows on every side of the building. There were girls with really short skirts flirting with boys, and a couple of football players picking on a boy wearing clothes and large square glasses from the '80s. At Diamond Prep, none of this went on in front of the school, especially not on the first day of school. Diamond Prep also had a mandatory uniform compliance. What those kids were wearing at Park Square looked nothing like a uniform. Some wore clothes that were sporty, girly, sophisticated, s****y, punk, and goth. I kinda liked that I could finally wear what I wanted to school. If I can remember, I was wearing a pair of expensive Victoria Beckham high-waist shorts that showed off my long legs with a stylish crop top. Along with a pair of diamond studs my Nana got me for Christmas, a pair brown booties, and my hair was in a messy bun. At least I think that's what I wore. Anyways, I walked through the front doors of Park Square and it was so clean and bright. The lockers were in the school colors- blue and white. I swear I could see my reflection in the blue and white checker board floors. I went into the admissions office to get my class schedule where I met the front desk clerk, Mrs. King. She was short and would say "okay sweetie" after every sentence. She showed me to my first class, Ms. Rodgers, Piano 4, and I was on my own from there. The day went on and I had yet to see anything interesting about this school. Second period was Mr. Cowan, AP Government- boring. Third period was Ms. Smith, Yoga- not too bad, but boring. Fourth period was Mr. Lewis, AP Calculus- so boring. Fifth period was Mrs. Odom, AP Literature- so freakin' boring. Sixth period was Mr. Hall, AP Biology- he spits every time he uses a word that starts with "S". And seventh was a free period. I didn't eat lunch at school that day or any day I went to school that year- it looked like jail food. I would always eat at a pizza place I'd been to for years where I would meet up with Nate Donovan. He worked there only a few hours a week and played for the school's basketball team. He was different from the other guys at school. I really like him, but would he feel the same way about me if he found out who I really was? 

 

 

Reviews

[Warrior]

Great story telling. This did justice in the realm of getting the message across. Great message. There's lot of times where a story can have a great message to aim for, and have a lot of under lining things but then no one gets it, and if no one gets it, then the point has failed. But in my opinion this did well to get the message across. You made it clear, which is why I think it's good. Keep up the good work. What was also great was that I could imagine the story as I read it, and that is also a strong point of stories. The ability to have the reader imagine it because after all we're reading not watching it, but it was as if I was there as I read this, and that is great. Good job once again.