Starry Night

Peridot and Walt were woken at two in the morning to pack. They prepare to leave.

  "Peri?" her mother's frantic voice called, "What's taking you so long? Mommy said we were in a hurry, right? We have to go!"

   Peridot was frustrated that Mother thought she was immature enough to still call her that. She also wished her mother would see that she didn't like being called Peri. At two in the morning, what could Mother expect?

   "Did you even start packing your bags yet? Peri, come on, we need you to hurry up here." Mother's eyes were pleading. She never gave that look unless there was something horribly wrong. That and the early hour they had been woken at clued her in that something odd was going on. Peridot knew what her mother was asking of her, but at this hour of morning Mother was lucky to have gotten Peridot out of bed. She had begun packing her bags, but she was exhausted and hadn't been able to finish.

   Walt took her hand and smiled encouragingly, "Come on, Peridot. I'll help you finish packing." She allowed her older brother to gently walk her in the direction of her room.

   Walt was always kind. He always stood up for her, even when it was his friends that were teasing her. He took care of her when Mother was too drunk or out too late. Walt knew that she could listen to people and understand them just as well as anybody else. Mother would often act like she wasn't listening just because she couldn't complete what was being asked of her. When she could, Mother would treat her just like she would a dog; she would tell her she was a good girl and throw a slight smile her way.

  

   Teachers were worse. They thought her problem was that she couldn't understand anything, including speech. They seemed to think that anything she learned just went in one ear and out the other. She was put in a "special" classroom and taught her ABC's day after day, week after week. She listened to the same tape on the same tape recorder every day. One day she couldn't take it any longer, and while Ms. Lanchon was using the restroom, she threw the tape recorder and headphones in the trash can. Then she set the trash can on fire. Ms. Lanchon had been very upset and had called Mother. Mother had assured them that they were very sorry and bought a new tape recorder. With the same tape. Peridot wasn't sorry, though, and hated that whenever Mother spoke for her, she simply told others what they wanted to hear. Walt would've told them what Peridot really wanted to say. She just wished she could tell them herself.

   Peridot gazed out her window as Walt packed the last of her clothes. She saw that the moon was just a sliver, like a witch's fingernail, but it was packed in a bowl of stars that made up for its small size.

   She turned back to look at Walt as he shoved the last couple pairs of clothes she would need. She didn't have to talk to Walt. He could always tell what she was thinking. Now was no exception.

   "Don't worry. You can sleep in the car." The corners of her lips turned up slightly at his thought of her. He was so considerate.

---

   Walt packed away the last of his sister's clothes and shoved a few extra belongings on top. She pointed at the things she wanted or needed. Then she went to the bathroom. She had such a remarkable memory. Even in a state where she was almost sleepwalking, she hadn't missed anything. It was like she had a checklist in her head. She never had to be reminded about anything. That was how he knew there was nothing really wrong with her. She was so smart. She could do anything and everything except talk. He just wished he could know why.

   Peridot had never been properly diagnosed, and that bothered Walt more than anything else going on in his dysfunctional family. His father had died while stationed in a foreign war with the army. In her grief, his mother had become a drunk and quickly gambled away all their money and more. More than they could pay back. Somehow those problems just seemed to make Peridot's more important. Even among all the madness, she needed a normal life. Even if her condition couldn't be cured, her teachers and others would be able to read up on how she was smart but just couldn't talk. Maybe they would stop teaching her that stupid alphabet lesson over and over.

   Mother's problem was the one that plagued his mind tonight, though, as it had for the last week or so, since Mother had told him. All their money was gone, and there were people coming to collect on money they didn't have. Dangerous people. Despite this, Walt was opposed to Mother's solution. Leaving the country was a big deal, and running away to Mexico to escape your debt was an even bigger one.

   Walt loaded their bags into the back of the minivan. He remembered Peridot's prolonged look at the night sky and gazed up to see what she had been looking at. A tiny sliver of moon stood among a billion stars scattered in the deepness of space. There must have been a billion stars in the sky. He climbed into the shotgun seat in the car. Would the stars in Mexico look the same?

Reviews

[Terra Hart]

Good so far! Although, it would be better if you would stick to one font size :)