Flock of Family

This is a story about siblings that we had to write in Creative Writing, my all-time favorite class.

We exited the elementary school; Everette and Kolton each tightly grasped one of my hands. I looked at all the other children with their designer clothes �" or just a brand new Hannah Montana shirt �" and their cheerful parents.

Often I had wondered about our so-called biological parents, but they had always been a blackened memory. They left me with Ev and Kolt when I was only eleven, when I had no experience with taking care of kids.

 

          “Goodbye August,” my father whispered, kissing my forehead.

          “Where are you going?” I demanded.

          “It’s not important,” he replied.

          I looked to my mother who stood ten feet away, stone-faced and silent.

          “Where are you guys going?” I whined.

          “That’s not important. Goodbye, August,” he repeated.

          They opened the front door and exited the place I called home. No explanation for why they left; just a simple goodbye and whoosh, they had become dust in the wind.

          For a little while, I stood at the window, waiting to see the blue family car pull back into the driveway. Waiting for my parents to wrap me into a hug and beg for forgiveness. It never happened. I waited for two minutes before I gave up my hopes. I would take care of my brother and sister on my own if they didn’t want to. ‘This will be easy,’ I told myself.

I lasted five minutes; Kolt had decided to empty himself into his diaper. Three seconds of crying and I sprinted over to the neighbors with Kolt in my arms and Ev struggling to keep up. When they asked where my parents were, I lied; I told them that they left for business trips and we were waiting for the babysitter.

          “Could you help me, though?” I begged. “Kolt here needs to be changed and I’ve never done it before.”

          Mrs. Walkins changed him and sent us back to our house. I started to pack everything I could, fearing that our stay wouldn’t be welcome too much longer. We awaited the cover of night to dash for cover. That night, we fled our own home.

 

          “Any homework?” I asked the two.

          Choruses of “no” rang in the alley. As we stepped into our home, I dropped my backpack, my siblings following suit shortly after. Screaming, Ev and Kolt began chasing each other, their blonde and brunette hair mixing as they ran in circles around me. I adored them, how they were happily living in the moment. When they tuckered themselves out, Ev skipped over to me, her bright blue eyes knocking my defenses down.

          “What would you like, sweetheart?” I asked, grinning at her dull blonde hair tangled in a mess.

          “I’m hungry,” she complained, her delicate hands holding her stomach. I turned to Kolton.

“What about you, bud? You want some food?” His head perked up at the sound of ‘food’, eagerly nodding his head.

          “Alright, what do you guys want?” They stole a glance from each other.

“McDonald’s,” they agreed.

          I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, holding my hands out for them after I grabbed my cash. Leaving our home, we walked a few blocks down the street. When a tan brick building with five colorful rings on the side was brought into their sight, they began tugging me forward. I complied, jogging next to them as they ran.

          Chills ran down my spine as a girl about my age greeted, “Hi, welcome to McDonald’s.”

          I smiled, releasing my grip on Everette and Kolton. They ran to the toy display. I looked to the girl, as she smiled adoringly at my brother and sister. Her curly brown hair pulled back into a clip, she absently brushed a curl behind her ear.

          “Alright, you guys, let’s order,” I urged, walking up to the girl. I glanced at her name tag, reading ‘Jennifer’.

          “What can I get for you today?”

          I looked to Everette. “I’ll have a Chicken McNuggets Mighty Kids Meal, with a chocolate milk to drink,” she ordered.

          “And I’ll have a cheeseburger Happy Meal with an apple juice to drink,” Kolt told Jennifer.

          “Alright, and for you, ma’am?” she asked me.

          “I’ll just have a McDouble with a water.”

          “Anything else?”

          I shook my head.

“Nope. That’s for here.”

          “Alright, that’ll be nine dollars and thirty-seven cents.”

          I held out a ten dollar bill, which she grabbed and hit some buttons before handing me the change.

          “Sixty-three cents is your change,” she told me. “That’ll be right up.”

          I nodded, calculating how much money I had now. Last night’s patron was a hundred and fifteen dollars �" he was a very generous customer �" so I had a hundred and five about. Ninety-five once I paid Dean. That would have to last for awhile. Ev and Kolt didn’t know, but I had been sneaking out since our first two days had been rough. Once they were in bed, Dean watched them as I left to get food for their stomachs. Hopefully, they’d never have to find out what I was resorting to in order to feed them.

After we ate, the two ran around the Play Place for a little while; we walked home to find Dean using my backpack as a pillow. His scruffy beard was getting long again, meaning he was out of shaving cream.

          “Hey Dean,” I greeted.

          “Oh, hey there guys. Where’d you go?” he wondered.

          “McDonald’s. Augustana treated us to Happy Meals today. We got toys!” Kolt screamed happily, using my nickname. Dean had given it to me after I told him my favorite song of all time was ‘Boston’ �" the acoustic version, of course.

 

          “August, slow down!” Everette cried. “I’m tired!”

          I sighed. “Ev, we have to find a place to stay. Just a little bit longer, okay?”

          “Okay, August,” she whimpered.

          I froze, kneeling on the ground, holding tightly on Kolt’s stroller. “Hey, don’t cry, Ev. It’s going to be okay. I promise, alright? Here, we’ll rest for a little while. Just lay down. I’m here.”

          Logically, taking a stroller didn’t seem like much, but it had brought me some cash later on in our street lives. I had that kind of luck �" the kind where I acted without thinking and it later came to help me out instead of biting me in the butt.

          “I wanna go home!” she blubbered, tucking her face into my chest. I tentatively wrapped my arm around her and rubbed her back.

          “Just lay down, Ev. We’ll find a new home, okay?”

          I slouched carefully against a building, pulling her with me to rest. Her breathing slowed, becoming even. My eyelids threatening to close, I started to doze.

          “Hey, I wouldn’t sleep there if I was you,” a deep voice warned.

          My eyes popped open to find a scrawny man in his early to mid-thirties. Dressed in some rags, he looked like a hobo, with some holes in a layer of clothing over another layer. He looked at me as if I was insane, thinking about sleeping here.

          “We’re just resting. My sister couldn’t go any farther,” I explained. “Why do you care?”

“Anyone caught sleeping in the open will be taken away. Considering you are kids, you’ll be put in foster care and separated.”

“I’m just letting her rest for a little bit before we find a spot.” I grimaced. “We can’t be separated. They’re all I have.” Thoughts of losing them brought tears to my eyes. I foolishly thought he hadn’t noticed the watery eyes, and ducked my head to wipe them away before he noticed.

          “Come on, I’ll carry the little girl. I found a nice spot for someone; already got me my own spot. I’ll show you and it’s yours.” He lifted Ev with ease and began walking down the street. I scrambled to my feet.

          Couple blocks down the road, he turned down an alley. Covered in trash, but it had an essence to it. If I cleaned up the trash that people had so carelessly thrown in the world, it would look more domestic. Knowing that I would start cleaning immediately, I wondered if I had ever thrown my trash on the ground. Had I ever mistreated the land? I shook off the thought, admiring the beauty of the alley that lay underneath. It had potential.

          “This is ours? Really?” I asked.

          He nodded.

          “Thank you…” I trailed off, unsure of what to call him.

          “Dean,” he introduced, holding his hand out.

          “August, and these are Everette and Kolton. They’re my sister and brother.”

          “Hey, August, I was wondering, maybe we could be friends? I don’t have any yet, and it gets lonely.”

          I grinned. “Of course, since you helped me so much already. And to prove it, I’ll tell you a little about myself. Go ahead and ask five questions.”

          “Hmm, why are you out on the streets?”

          “Our parents ditched us, and I can’t let my family be broken apart. It would kill me if that happened,” I answered sadly.

          “I’m sorry. Let’s go with some easier questions. Favorite color?”

          “Blue. The color of the sky.”

          “Favorite song? Personally, I like Thriller by Michael Jackson. That man has talent.”

          “Augustana’s ‘Boston’. The acoustic version’s amazing.”

          “Huh, that’s funny. Your name’s in that band’s name.”

          “Yeah, it is. It’s pretty cool,” I replied.

          “That is pretty cool, Augustana.”

          I beamed. “Augustana?”

          He nodded his head. “Yep.”

 

          “Oh, is that so? Well, that’s lovely.” He turned to me. “Can we talk?”

          “Yeah. Kids, go get your beds ready. I’ll be right back, okay?”

          “Okay,” they chimed.

          We walked down the alley, just out of earshot. I thrust ten dollars out to Dean, but he shook his head.

          “No, you keep the money, Augustana. You need it for the kids.”

          “Dean, I’ve told you: you need to be taken care of too. You need shaving cream. Take the ten dollars and go buy some �" I know you hate having a scruffy beard. Just take it,” I ordered.

          He sunk. “Fine. Is everything else okay, though?”

          “Yes, everything’s fine. I’ve got this. Been doing this for six years, and I’ll keep doing it until I don’t have to,” I explained.

          He nodded. “Alright, well the cops are asking around. We think they’re looking for you three.”

          “They won’t find us. But why are they looking now? That doesn’t make sense. Whatever. You’ll keep a lookout for them and warn me, right?”

          His hand flew to his forehead in a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am,” he promised.

          I grinned. ‘This is my life.’