October 10 2011, Thanksgiving Day
I'm sitting at the small round table with Ma. Daddy is outside bringing in some veggies he bought from the Chinese restaurant in town. Ma set the table today. She always does for thanksgiving. In front of me sits a plate with a plastic fork and knife on top. They are the ones that are made silver to look like they are metal, but really they are just plastic. Wow! We never use those. Only if it's a special special special occasion.
The turkey is on the table too. It's only a baby. Ma said the big ones are too big. It smells very good though. I love Thanksgiving. Ma made potatoes too, which were sitting on the same plate as the turkey. Those are also little baby potatoes. Ma thinks they're cuter than the big ones.
"Hey, Monkey!" Daddy says as he comes into the kitchen. "Hi, Honey," he says and gives Ma a kiss on the cheek. She smiles for a split second and watches as he sets the Styrofoam package of veggies on the table. He sits down on the chair to my left; Mommy is on my right. We link hands in prayer. Mommy starts, "Dear Lord, my savior, I pray to you today to thank you for this day's dinner. I thank you for this turkey that we will eat tonight, and I thank you for my family that I am more than grateful to have. Thank you for my beautiful girl, and thank you for choosing me to parent her. In Jesus' name, Amen."
I grab my plastic fork and knife off my plate and grip them in my hands. Dad starts to carve the turkey, and Ma starts to open the veggie container. "Broccoli?" She asks me, though she already knows the answer. I always want broccoli. Dad places two pieces of white meat on my plate, and Mom hands me three small potatoes.
"Mmmmm." I say as I start to dig in.
It's quiet at first. Only the sounds of chewing and swallowing. But then Mom tells me gently to chew with my mouth closed. After that, all I can do is sit and listen.
"Don't give her such a hard time," Dad objects, "She's only trying to eat."
"I just think that she should have some manners. She's eleven now. She's a big girl. Big girls are polite. Big girls have good manners, right Honey?" She turns to me with a gentle loving smile, her eyes filled with sorry. But what she's sorry for, I can't tell.
"Don't criticize her. She's fine the way she is."
I don't realize he's standing until Mom tells him to sit.
"You're fine the way you are, aren't you Monkey?" I don't answer him. "Say something!"
"Mark, stop. You're scaring her."
His mouth turns into an ugly smear on his face as he tells Mama to get up. Mom hesitates and looks at me as she slowly stands up. She mouths I'm so sorry before turning back to look at Dad. He grabs her waist and pulls her close to him by the waist. He mumbles something in her ear that I can't hear, and she struggles to pull away from his grip. I'm already out of my seat running for the door when I hear the sound. It's a sound that surprises me, but I know what it is. He hit her, hard. I'm running faster and faster. My hands hit the door and it pushes open. I run and push myself over the fence outlining our trailer's backyard. In front of me there's nothing but a field of frost coated grass. I run for the trees marking the horizon. The sun is just over their tops, and I can see the light peeking out from holes in the branches. I run, and keep running. I know he's behind me, I can hear him.
"No, baby! Wait! Come back here!"
I run until I can't anymore, and I feel his strong hands on me as I'm pulled back to him. His hand is over my mouth before I can scream, and I see the pink of the sunset, and then it's dark. Very very dark.
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