Children of the Memory - 2

I got an incredible night's sleep and woke up ready to pack my things and leave Vermonill.  My cheeks were feeling rosy from the cold air and I felt fresh.  It was like a splash of water had been thrown on my life, and it was a clean slate for a new beginning.  I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs.  The sadness and heart-heavy feelings of last night were gone, and I was ready to devour a good meal.  I was surprised that my mother wasn't out of bed, yet.  She is usually down and ready cooking up a great feed for the family by the time I was downstairs before school.  A slight panic came with the change of pace, but it didn't linger long with all of the excitement I was feeling.  What do I do?  Wait a minute...I'm an adult now.  I proudly walked to the roogah pot and began preparing.  Then I put a pan on the stove and walked to the refrigerator for the rest of the ingredients.  I gathered enough ingredients for a country breakfast when my father came down and watched with interest.
     "Good mornin', Appleseed."  That was my father's nickname for me.  Each one of us kids had a nickname and mine was Appleseed because I used to pick them out of apples and show them off as a toddler.  He walked over to me watching my steps as I placed a lump of butter in the pan.  "No, no.  Let me help you out with that."  I took a couple steps back and allowed him to show me how it's done.  I would've liked to make breakfast for both my parents the day before I leave as a surprise, but I'll have to settle for the one.  My time alone with my father was always warm, and I enjoyed sharing the task with him.  Breakfast was almost finished when my little sister, Becky, came down and asked us what we were doing. 
     "Ooooh!" She came running over.  "Can I help?"  Her excitement was infectious, and we allowed her to set the table.  Following Becky were Brenda and Trevor, both wanting to help as well. 
     "Ok." I gave Dad the spatula, and he finished the cooking while I gave the other two tasks.  "Trevor, you open up some windows and let some of this smoke out and Brenda, you can start cleaning up some of this mess."  I felt like Mom, who hadn't woken up, yet.  She was still sleeping like a baby in her bed. 
     "You sound just like your mother," my dad commented while frying up the last of the bacon and placing it on the papertowels on a plate.  A proud smile was on his face while he watched what he was doing very carefully.  I didn't comment back, but instead kept helping by taking away the dirty dishes for Brenda to clean.
     "Here, I'll take this."  Trevor was only fifteen, but was very mature minded.  He was born under the sign of Manooch, which is all about hard work and being mature beyond one's years.  He took all the prepared food calmly over to the table and placed it down with care.  "The food is all on the table.  Do you want me to wake up mom?"
     "Yeah, I think now is a good time."  My dad gave the final orders, and Trevor ran upstairs to get her up.  I could hear them come down the stairs.  Trevor bounced while my mother moved slowly. 
     "Did you all cook breakfast?"  Her face was pleased as she kissed each of her children and thanking us before making her way to our father.  She gave him an affectionate kiss and held him while she looked at the pan he had just used.  She turned around to face her children and the big breakfast table and then looked at me.
     "Why did you get up so early?"  I didn't realize how early it was.  The suns haven't even risen, and I was already out of bed.  My sisters were usually watching television, and my brother was a naturally early riser. 
     "I don't know," I answered and then shrugged.  I really didn't know how to respond.  I was probably just excited about the day ahead.  My dad handed her a cup of roogah, a strong flavored drink made from the fruit of the roogah bush.  We all sat up to eat as the suns rose.  The two rise together with one underneath forming a heart, and they had a reddish aura around them.  The aura changes color with the seasons and normally turns more blue as the weather gets cooler.  Our voices got louder as the suns came up, and soon it was full daylight.  My mother cleaned up as I went to pack up the last of my belongings.  I put my big trunk in the boot of our family vehicle and felt my pain and relief turn to joy and hope at the adventures to come my way.
     "Hey!"  James came to see me off.  He's an early riser and is used to getting up to take care of a few things on his family's farm.  His face was sad with a bit of a smile as he stood there under the red-golden rays of the breaking day. 
     "James!"  I ran over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck.  I had to jump up to reach, and he grabbed me with big, muscular arms.  He swung me back and forth, and then placed me back down on the ground still holding me and my arms still around him.
     "Still plannin' to leave us?"  A bigger smill came to his face with his full lips framing his teeth. 
     "Yeah.  I'll miss you.  I'll write you every day."  Tears were about to fall when I had an epiphany.  All is not lost.  "Hey!"  I took a step back and stretched my arms out.  "Why don't you come visit me?"  I began hopping up and down, but James just stood there a bit lifeless without much to say.
     "Aw, I dunno, Leanne.  I've never really planned on leaving Vermonill."  He began looking away, and I started shaking his arms in an attempt to encourage him.
     "Leanne," my mother called.  She stepped outside to get me and saw that I was with James.  We both looked respectfully at her, and James turned to greet my family.

     "Oh, hello James,” my mother said her voice pleased to see him as usual. “How are you?” she asked. He was about to answer when my mother darted away.

      “Hold on.” My mother ran back inside leaving my father where he stood and came back with a camera.

      “How's it goin'?” he said raising one hand in a limp in greeting. James nodded and greeted him back. My mother came running out with a camera and told us to pose for a picture. James grabbed me in one big bear hug lifting me off the ground and “snap!”. There was one picture. James put me down on the ground, and my mother snapped another picture while James and I looked at each other smiling. Brenda came running out with Trevor carrying Becky on his back. We all got together and posed for another picture. And then another and another. Finally, eveyone else ran back onto house leaving me alone with James. I heard another snap and saw a flash before everyone was finally back inside.  James and I stood outside chatting for about a half an hour before my mother invited him inside for a hot drink and left over toast.  James sat down in the living room with a hot cup of roogah, sipping it slowly enjoying it's fresh, pungent aroma. James enjoyed his roogah sweet and hot with a splash of half and half just like most people from our town. It's a Vermonill novelty to have roogah prepared this way served with strawberries covered in special tree syrup. My parents loved James and loved to spoil him just like one of their own children. My sisters and brother loved him, too. They were always so excited to see him whenever he would drop by.

      “So what are your plans now that you're out of high school?” My father asked inquisitively.

      “Aw, I'll probably just hang around Vermonill and help out at home.” James looked down at his cup and then back at my folks.

      “Honey, how are you going to feel without all your friends around up at school?” My dad asked compassionately without thinking. He knew how this made me feel, and my parents haven't been saying anything to cause me to feel anymore stress than I already felt.

      “Tom!” My mother whispered.

      “That's okay. I'm gonna write eveyone and, before you know it, I'll be back home for the holidays.” I put on a cheerful face over my feelings of jittery anxiety. I'd never left Vermonill and I was scared to death. James knew this as well as the rest of my family and gave me a reassuring smile as he held my hand.

      “I've told Leanne this town is always here for her.” He gave me a reassuring shake, and I felt a lot better.

      “Yeah, Leanne. We'll all be here waiting for you.” Brenda came up behind me and put her hands on my shoulders looking over one of them with a bright smile. The other twin came behind her doing the same, and they both started to giggle playfully.

      “Okay girls. Come on.” My mother snapped up my sisters to get them out of their pajamas and into clothes for the day.

“I hope you won't be a stranger around here,” said Trevor. James was a few years older than Trevor and his time was usually taken up with sports. Trevor kind of looked up to him as the older brother he never had.

      “Yeah, James. Our doors are always open to you,” commented my father.  "Maybe the three of us can get together and throw a ball around next Sunday. If you're free and all.”

     "Yeah, that would be great."  James' face lit up at the mention of playing ball and male bonding.  It was coming up to the time for me to leave, so I finished doing what I had to do while James hung out with my dad and brother.  I took a shower, put on my clothes and ran down to the door.  It was time to go, and my mother was still finishing up a few odds and ends in the kitchen. She jumped in the car and waited for me while James walked me to the door. He held my hands and looked down at me with the love of old friendship.

      “Remember, Leanne, we're always here for you. Okay? Anytime you wanna come back we're here for you.” He shook my hands with conviction and then gave me another bear sized hug and kiss on the forehead. “Remember we love ya here.” His full lips curled up in a smile framing his smallish, white teeth as he looked down to me. I could feel my eyes twinkling with excitement and I looked back up at him.

      “I know.” I smiled back and then bounced off to the vehicle. “I'll write you every day!” I yelled from the vehicle. I jumped in with no care and slammed the old door shut. The rest of my family watched me disappear as my mother and I disappeared and were transported onto the road leaving the family and friends I loved so much behind.

Good-bye Vermonill...and hello big city of New Jaspern.  

  

Author's Note

If you read this, please leave a review and tell me your experience. Constructive cristicism is always welcome. Thank you to anyone who reads my work and those who leave feedback. Please give as honest feedback as possible so that I may grow as a writer.

Reviews

[Tala]

Oh, yeah. try not to be so "spelling it out" to explain things that are different in this. For example the roogah. instead of saying what it was maybe you could have her see a place selling roogah fruit or something. it's a small thing but it does help. i did like that bit where you went from weird alien drink, to adding half and half to it.

[Tala]

pretty good! there's still a few small things you could do to make it flow better but i think it works overall. my only problem was with the whole "lips framing his teeth" thing, i just sounds a bit gross as imagery.

[Jasmine Thousand]

It gets better and better! :) I'm really curious as to why James isn't going to college as well...hmmm...is there a plot developing there? :P I loved it, awesome work! :D

~Fifth Daily War Award~

[Samuel Dickens]

Fantasy, so I believe, is one of the most difficult genres. Not only does the author have to make up a ton of names, creatures, legends, etc, but they have to be at least somewhat believable. You're doing a very good job of it--much better than many others I've reviewed. As pointed out before, you could make this chapter still better with a bit of editing, especially with an eye on word economy. If you can say what you need with seven words instead of ten, the seven is usually preferable.

[Neva Flores Smith - Cha..]

wonderful family time containing the excitement of a big change. Well written

[Ravyne Hawke]

This is getting more and more intriguing.. I love the separation from Earth with this drink made from a root. It really helps to distinguish Kelbridd and give it more of a life of its own. This is moving along really well. Great job!

[Jessi Berlasty]

"It was like a splash of water had been thrown on my life(,) and it was a clean slate for a new beginning." "feelings of last night were gone(,) and I was ready to devour a good meal." "father was always warm(,) and I enjoyed sharing the task" "s(S)he came running over." "Her excitement was infectious(,) and we allowed her to set the table." " Brenda and Trevor(,) both wanting to help" " Dad the spatula(,) and he finished the cooking while" "I felt like Mom(,) who hadn't woken up, yet." "sign of Manooch(,) which is all about hard work" "My dad gave the final orders(,) and Trevor ran upstairs to get her up." "The suns haven't even risen(,) and I was already out of bed." "watching television(,) and my brother was" "forming a heart(,) and they had a reddish" "as the suns came up(,) and soon it was full daylight." "jump up to reach(,) and he grabbed my(me) with" " me back and forth(,) and then placed me back down" "looking away(,) and I started shaking his arms" "respectfully at her(,) and James turned to greet" "put me down on the ground(,) and my mother snapped" "I looked at each( )other smiling" "with a hot cup of roogah(,) sipping it slowly" "you're out of high( )school?" "made me feel(,) and my parents haven't been" " a reassuring shake(,) and I felt a lot better." " her doing the same(,) and they both started" "time for me to leave(,) so I finished doing" "It was time to go(,) and my mother was still finishing up"

[StarNinja]

"A bigger smill came to his face"
*smile
Everything was pretty rock solid. Nice work. Me thinks there's a little something more between James and Leanne? Hmm? I'll have to read on and find out I guess.

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A bridged affair of emotion and tolerance, well done good read

[Cricket Kidd]

I really like how you bridged the titles for the title a week group together. I wouldn't have thought of that. Good job! Please keep writing!