A small boy with shaggy, combed brown hair sat shivering on a
cold, wet bench. He wore a brown jacket, a pink tie that reached his knees,
the nicest black pants he could find in his drawer and his Power Rangers
light up sneakers, they blinked with every step and Nicky was so proud of
them, he insisted on wearing them everywhere.
Nicky tried really hard to look nice for the bus stop today. He had
picked out his dad’s favorite tie, and tied a knot at his neck, he didn’t know
how daddy got it to look the way it did, Nicky was sure he knew how to tie a
knot. He practiced every day, twice, before school. You couldn’t get through
first grade without practice.
Nicky had also spent hours filling up his matching Power Rangers
backpack with two sandwiches, one with peanut butter and bananas for him
that read Nicky Hagan , and one with peanut butter and mustard that read,
Mommy. Nicky never understood how grownups could eat mustard, but he
made sure he put some on mommy’s sandwich. It was one of those things
that Nicky would never understand about grownups, they liked to read the
newspaper, they liked to watch movies where other grownups kiss each
other, and they liked to eat mustard.
It had been a long time, at least ten minutes. Nicky wondered
what time Mommy’s bus would get here. He looked impatiently at is blank
wrist. He didn’t know why, but everyone else did it, it must make time go
faster.
Nicky sat for another five minutes. Still no Mommy. He checked
his wrist again. It wasn’t working; maybe it only worked for grownups. He
knew this was where Mommy was going to be, daddy had said over and over
and over again. She would be at the bus stop where Nicky waited for her
every single day to come home from work. Grammy told Nicky that Mommy
would never come back, but she was always right there, and she would pat
him hard on the heart. Nicky never believed her. If Mommy was in his heart,
why didn’t she hear him telling her to come back?
Now, getting impatient, Nicky pulled out of his Red Ranger
backpack, an old walkman, the one he got last Christmas. He stuck the
earphones over his ears and pressed the big button on the left. Nothing
happened. Nicky’s ears were still filled with the muffled sound of raindrops
and honking taxis. He pressed it again, this time harder. Nothing. Again, he
pressed with as much strength as he could muster. Nothing.
This was perfect. Nicky was all alone, his tie was getting untied,
he was wet, his music wouldn’t play and mommy’s bus was very late. Nicky
had gotten all dressed up, all by himself just for Mommy and she wasn’t
even showing up.
Nicky laid his head back against the bench, it was a long day, he
couldn’t wait for Mommy’s bus. He hadn’t seen her for a long time.
“Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” Nicky ran excitedly to the front
door. Everyone was dressed up at his house and everyone was here except
Mommy. It had to be her.
The door opened slowly, revealing two old people with tissues
and big, red, puffy eyes that Nicky did not know. When was Mommy getting
here? She was missing the party, and no one seemed to be having a good
time without her.
Screeeech! Nicky’s head shot up, a big blue bus slowed in front
of him. Mommy! Finally, Nicky thought, he’d been waiting. He ran up to the
bus doors, they creaked open and a bunch of grownups came bustling out.
Some smiling at Nicky, giving little waves, others pushed and hurried out,
some with briefcases and cell phones, some with children, some with
tabloids and newspapers, others with laptops or books, but none of them
were Mommy.
Nicky watched as person after person came shoving their way out
of the bus. Where was Mommy? She always sat in the front so she could be
the first one out to meet Nicky. People continued to hasten their way out, as
the bus emptied, the last few came lugging heavy suitcases. Nicky stuck his
head inside the bus. It was empty. No Mommy.
He took a step off the bus and kicked an annoyingly placed rock
in the ground. His Power Ranger shoes gave a pathetic flicker. He looked
down at the rock.
In remembrance of Sarah Hagan, may she always be in our hearts
Nicky always wondered about that rock. His daddy loved it and visited it all
the time. It didn’t mean much to Nicky; he only had thoughts for mommy.
He sat back down, Mommy would be on the next bus.
This was originally a prompt I wrote, so it's not the best. I just want some 'suggestions, rather than critiques, if that makes any sense. Maybe make it more emotional, or something that I just can't put my finger on. Thanks
P.S. Sorry about the format, I tried REALLY hard to get it right, but i couldn't get it.
