Neighbors Always

As I was demolishing my room, I stopped to look up at the ceiling. The sunlight was beating down; I could see the dust blowing like sparkles in the line of light left through the window. I scooted across the cold, dusty, oak floor and slowly leaned back, resting my spine on the floor, with my head and neck following behind. I closed my eyes and felt the warmth pressing against the sliver of my arm. I felt the sun piercing through the black collared t-shirt I had chosen to wear.

“WOMAN ARE YOU READY?!” Father yelled in his deep, raspy, yet ear piercing voice. When he yelled I was sure the entire county heard him. Daddy was thought of as intimidating by almost everyone he knew, although he had the sweetest heart, only few ever saw. 

“Yes daddy, Just finishing this last box” I replied sweetly. I grabbed the last of my clothes and shoved them into my trunk and shut the heavy top before locking it shut. I grabbed the last of the plushies off my dusty dark oak shelf and set them in the box. I walked over to my nightstand and grabbed the little alarm clock and diary that kept me company at night, and set them in the box with the pushes. I set the lid on top and walked out through the doorway, down the stairs, to the front foyer. 

“Is that the last of your miscellaneous my dear?” daddy asked.

“Yes papa, nothing but my wardrobe and mattress left.” I turned to face what used to be the living room. It was dark and empty, something mother would have never wanted it to be. I walked through the arched walkway and into the kitchen. I stared over at the yellow and green tinted floral wallpaper that mother had picked out for the walls. She loved the way it looked with the red maytag appliances. Papa alway made sure mother had the nicest of anything she wanted. 

“I’m almost finished loading the truck, time to finish up and burn rubber.” Daddy said as he lifted the last of my trunks into the bed of the shiny bright red and chrome Chevy square body . I walked out the red painted wooden door one last time and turned around. This was it; my entire childhood packed up into a box and the memories left to stay. 

“Hop to it” Daddy yelled from the cranked window, over the noise of the 8 cylinders pumping out black smoke with each growl it let out the toxic smelling exhaust. I dragged my saddle oxfords through the dirt and lifted myself into the cabin of the pickup. 

“Cheer up kiddo” Papa said while gripping the plastic steering wheel. I turned my neck and looked out the window of the truck, reached down and began spinning the knob to crank the window down. I used the air from the window to keep my tears dry. 

“You will love the new neighborhood, I’ve heard there are some great girls you can make friends with, maybe go to the hop or drive in with them.” Papa said, trying to claim himself as ecstatic in an attempt to cheer me up.

“Maybe” I shrugged depressedly.

“Wait till you see the new school where you’ll do all your studies, it is state of the art!” 

“I can’t wait to see it!” I said trying to raise the excitement in my voice for daddies sake. I laid my head against the glass window of the truck and closed my eyes. My head keeps bobbing up and down against the glass but I was too tired to care. 

“Rise and shine darling’” said papa as he eased onto his breaks and slowed the truck down into the driveway of a ranch suburban house. I lifted my head up to find a smallwhite house with a one car garage, the windows were lined on either side with red shutters, to match the red front door. It reminded me of the door we had back at home.

“I’ll get your trunk out and bring it to your room, the movers should be here in about an hour to bring in the furniture.” Papa said as he opened the driver side door of his Chevy pickup before hopping out and walking on up to the front door, with key in hand. As I got out of the truck I noticed some kids playing in their yards with what appeared to be a royal blue kickball. The kids looked no older than twelve and were probably not related. I turned to the other side and saw a grown man cutting his grass with a rusted silver push mower. I turned around to explore to inside of the house. 

“Daddy?” I called out into the void. I walked into the next room to find daddy tinkering with what appeared to be kitchen appliances. They didn’t look like our old ones, these ones looked new, they were a bright shiny white that hurt your eyes in the sunlight. It made me appreciate the old red freezer box I had grown used to.

“Have you seen your room darling?” Daddy asked.

“No sir.” I replied while turning slightly right towards the big bay window that faced the backyard of the house.

“Follow me, I'll show you.” He said. As he stood up he let out a deep groan. I followed his heavy footsteps out the kitchen, through the living room, past the front door to a half staircase. We walked up to a short narrow hallway that had 4 heavy wooden oak doors. 

“Your room is the last door on the left, the master is the door on the right.” papa explained to me as he hit the switch that was a foot below his shoulder. 

“Thank you daddy” I said as I began walking towards the door of what was my new room. I reached down and twisted the golden ball doorknob and slowly pushed the door open. The room was bigger and brighter than I had expected. The walls were lined with a sky blue wallpaper that was filled with teddy bears, and smelled of baby powder. I walked over to the wall opposite of the door to find a large window and nook. As I peered through the glass I noticed a boy sitting at a desk in the window across from mine. He had light brown skin and dark curly hair, he wore a red sweater with a white collar lining his neck. He glanced up at me and quickly closed the navy blue curtains that blocked my view of him. I could see his silhouette in the sunlight everytime he moved. I understood why he had shut his curtains, but I wish he hadn’t. 

“Knock, Knock!” said my fathers deep voice before the door swung open, he had the trunk of all my items in his hand.

“The movers are here early, why don’t we go get some pizza while they move everything in for us!” Papa said, trying to cheer me up.

“Yes please, I’ve yet to take my shoes off anyhow.” I said before walking through the doorway and down the hall to the stairs. We walked out and got into the truck and headed to the nearby shopping center, which had loads of eateries. 

When we got home, I took my shoes off by the door, before heading to my room to find my bed had been set up along with my wardrobe and bedside table. I opened my trunk and took out all my personal belongings and set them in their proper places. I made the bed up with my worn white cotton sheets, and added my floral quilt right on top. I changed into my silk pajamas before heading to bed. I went over to my window. I noticed the boy was back. He had reopened his curtains. I quickly grabbed a notebook and sharpie and wrote, 

“Please don’t be afraid” and held it up backwards to the window. The boy looked up and flinched to close the curtains before noticing the paper. He looked down for a moment. Then help up a piece of paper as well.

“I am not scared…” I read aloud to myself. I thought for a moment then wrote on another page before ripping it out of the notebook and holding it to the window.

“I’d like to be friends” He stared for a second, started writing then stopped and looked up again. He looked down once more before holding up a new piece of paper.

“Ok let's be friends, I am Daniel.” I read in my head this time. I quickly wrote my name out for Daniel to read.

“Hello Daniel, I am Lucy. Would you like to meet outside?” I wrote before holding up to the lukewarm glass window. Daniel looked at me puzzled before looking down for a couple minutes. I assumed he was writing back to me. After about five minutes he leaned back up and held up a new page.

“My Saddles are laced I’ll see you out there” Was the last page I read before quietly sneaking to the front door, grabbing my shoes and slyly opening the door to let myself out.  I walked to the edge of the driveway before I stopped to look around. I saw him sitting against the fence that boarded either side of our yards. I walked over and held my hand out while taking a seat.

“Hello Daniel, I am Lucy. It's nice to meet you.” I said first breaking the silence that had been created. 

“Good evening Lucy, might I just say you are gorgeous.” the boy said with a smile. We began talking and getting to know one another. He told me about his family life and I told him about mine.

“So does your mother stay home?” He had asked me.

“Scarlet fever.” I said. He had to hear the tone in my voice lower when the words came out for he reached over to give me a hug. I felt comforted for the first time since her passing. He changed the subject and we began talking about our studies, and our goals for our futures. He told me all about his favorite places in town and all the places he wished to visit one day.

“I hope one day I am able to go see the redwood trees, and the inside of the whitehouse!” he said with wonder and excitement in his voice. He gave off positivity and hope for a better future. We continued our conversation until we were interrupted by my repulsed and aggravated father.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING YOUNG LADY?” He questioned in the most stern, angry, and disapproved tone I had ever heard him speak in. He turned to Daniel and began yelling towards him. 

“STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER AND GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM DO YA HEAR ME!” he yelled as he watched Danile scramble to get up and run back towards his own house. I stood there before crying and running inside. Papa followed me into the house, making sure to lock the door behind him. He went straight to my room to lecture me.

“What were you thinking? We are not on the farm anymore.” He said with his eyes digging into mine. 

“What if a klan member saw you? I would have lost you forever!” I began crying as he just kept going on about how the friendship was not to happen. After about ten minutes of listening I went ape against my own flesh and blood.

“WHAT DOES IT MATTER IF I AM FRIENDS WITH A BLACK MAN!” I screamed at an ear piercing level. His face went blank. I was raised to never back talk, and to never disobey and I was now doing both. 

“You are not to see him.” He said following a sigh. He walked out the door and headed back into his bedroom. I ran over to my window to find Daniel waiting for me. 

“Are you ok?” His paper read. I wiped my eyes before grabbing my marker and writing back.

“Let’s run.” I showed the paper. He looked at me as if I was crazy, then started writing.

“Why?”  He held up his paper still appearing to be confused.

“We are going to the Lincoln Memorial to join everyone else. You are going to see the white house” I wrote before holding the sign up. He took a minute to read it, then smiled ear to ear. He looked down then started writing again. 

“I’ll pack now we meet at the bus stop and leave tomorrow.” I read while turning my frown into the biggest smile I had held in years. I began packing my khaki colored canvas backpack with water, food, clothes and money before shutting my lights off and heading to bed.