I sat in the yard until night fall. Then, the police came and got me. They tried talking to me, but I didn't respond. I didn't see the point in talking if the only thing I'd do when I open my mouth was scream. I was hurting so badly inside.
"Why does everyone abandon me?" I thought as the officers led me to the Sheriff's car, "Why doesn't anyone want to stay around long enough to love me?" When I was seated in the car the Sheriff turned around to look at me. He frowned and said, "I'm sorry, Kid,but Old Lady Crones has passed away." He waited for a response. I just stared,waiting for him to continue.
He coughed and moved his shoulder awkwardly, "Do you understand what I'm saying, Kid? You're Granny's gone. She died." I nodded so he'd know I was following. He nodded as well and turned back to the steering wheel. We waited a few minutes for his deputy to tape off the area. When his deputy finally returned, the sheriff turned on the car and drove to the station. "It's a quiet night." I thought as we drove through the town," but it seems even quieter now that Gran's gone."
The car pulled into the station parking lot. The sheriff turned to me, "Okay,kid,now-"
I cut him off, "I know she's dead. I knew she was dead from the start....I just didn't want to admit it." My shoulders began to shake, but I wasn't going to cry. I couldn't. I never did. The officers just shook their heads. They probably already thought I was crazy. Everyone else in town did. I was the weird girl who liked apples.
The Sheriff opened my door to lead me into station, but I wasn't going. I jumped out and pushed him aside. Then, I picked up my scrawny chicken legs and ran like the street was caving in. The officers called and yelled for me to come back, but they didn't chase me. I knew they wouldn't because they didn't care enough. The only person that cared about me was now dead yet I still wanted to see her one last time. Dead or alive....she was still Granny. I ran home,through the police tape like a track star and burst into the front room. I looked around. Nothing had changed. Everything was as Granny had left it the other night. There were still cards on the table from Gran's and my game of Goldfish. The sink had two plates and two forks waiting in it to be washed. Both utensils had been used for chocolate cake. Everything was exactly the same,but the house no longer had that tingly warm feeling. No, now it was like an overbearing dark cloud had taken refuge in my home. That's what my life was without Gran. A dark cloud.
I went in my room,under my bed and pulled up a loose plank. From under that plank I pulled out a tin container full of money. I had been saving it since my eighth birthday. I told myself that if I saved enough money, one day I could buy Granny and myself a huge house by the sea. There was no need for that now. I took the container and placed it in my pants pocket. Next, I went to Gran's room. She was the same as I had left her that morning. I looked at her face. She seemed happy. I wondered if she was happy to die? Just to get away from me maybe? Still, Gran wouldn't be happy until she was lain to rest properly. I went in the back yard and found an apple by the tree. I picked it up and wiped it on my jacket. Then I took it back into the house and placed it on Gran's chest. "You always said you wanted to be buried under your apple tree," I said to her knowing she wouldn't respond, "I hope this is good for now."
With those words I returned to the front room. Granny liked her house clean so I gathered up the cards and cleaned off the table. Then, I washed the dishes in the sink,dried them and put them away. The floor needed sweeping so I did that,too. The other bedrooms had carpet that needed to be vacuumed. I cleaned them,too. The bathroom was a mess. I cleaned that, too. The living room curtains were dirty.....I washed them. By time I was done cleaning the whole house it was morning,but the apples didn't smile at me like they use too. They knew Granny was gone. Before leaving I went back to Gran's room. I looked at her. Still the same form last time I saw her. "I love you, Gran," I said, "Bye." I closed her door and left out.
When I was outside I walked to the local bakery. As soon as I opened the door a bell rang and all eyes fell on me. I ignored them and walked to the counter where a young brunette waitress stared at me. Like I said news traveled fast in that small town. I tried to smile at the waitress, but failed. I wouldn't be able to smile again until I got my release. "Give me all the cinnamon cookies and hazel doughnuts I can get with this," I handed her the jar. For awhile she continued to stare,but eventually she took the jar with shaky hands and began to count. A few moments later I was greeted with several bags of release. I took in a deep breath and managed a tiny smile.
"Kid," the Sheriff placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him. He was with the deputy who was wiping his mouth with a napkin. The Sheriff had some strawberry frosting on his cheek. They had been in the bakery the whole time. "Kid," he repeated himself, "it's time to go." I solemnly nodded and gathered up my bags. People were staring at me like I was some kind of science project.
"That's that apple girl."
"She's so weird."
"I heard her Gran passed away in her sleep. Poor thing, whose she got now?"
"Nobody that's who."
" That child is just plain odd. Coming to a bakery after having your only family die! Just ain't right. I wouldn't be surprised if she killed her Grandmother."
I walked in between the officers. As we approached door I looked at the table where the woman sat who accused me of killing Granny. She was accompanied by a man and a baby who was crying like there was no tomorrow. I stared at the man and he stared at me. Then, I walked to his table and said, "I didn't kill my Gran ." I looked at his crying baby. She looked to be in about as much pain as I was so I dug in one of my bags and pulled out a cookie and doughnut. I held it up to the woman and child. The mother looked at me with raised brows, but the baby stopped crying and smiled. "Here. This makes me feel better when I'm sad." I placed the treats on their plates. Nearly everyone in the restaurant was stunned. I looked at the baby," These are my favorites. Whats yours?"
"Why does everyone abandon me?" I thought as the officers led me to the Sheriff's car, "Why doesn't anyone want to stay around long enough to love me?" When I was seated in the car the Sheriff turned around to look at me. He frowned and said, "I'm sorry, Kid,but Old Lady Crones has passed away." He waited for a response. I just stared,waiting for him to continue.
He coughed and moved his shoulder awkwardly, "Do you understand what I'm saying, Kid? You're Granny's gone. She died." I nodded so he'd know I was following. He nodded as well and turned back to the steering wheel. We waited a few minutes for his deputy to tape off the area. When his deputy finally returned, the sheriff turned on the car and drove to the station. "It's a quiet night." I thought as we drove through the town," but it seems even quieter now that Gran's gone."
The car pulled into the station parking lot. The sheriff turned to me, "Okay,kid,now-"
I cut him off, "I know she's dead. I knew she was dead from the start....I just didn't want to admit it." My shoulders began to shake, but I wasn't going to cry. I couldn't. I never did. The officers just shook their heads. They probably already thought I was crazy. Everyone else in town did. I was the weird girl who liked apples.
The Sheriff opened my door to lead me into station, but I wasn't going. I jumped out and pushed him aside. Then, I picked up my scrawny chicken legs and ran like the street was caving in. The officers called and yelled for me to come back, but they didn't chase me. I knew they wouldn't because they didn't care enough. The only person that cared about me was now dead yet I still wanted to see her one last time. Dead or alive....she was still Granny. I ran home,through the police tape like a track star and burst into the front room. I looked around. Nothing had changed. Everything was as Granny had left it the other night. There were still cards on the table from Gran's and my game of Goldfish. The sink had two plates and two forks waiting in it to be washed. Both utensils had been used for chocolate cake. Everything was exactly the same,but the house no longer had that tingly warm feeling. No, now it was like an overbearing dark cloud had taken refuge in my home. That's what my life was without Gran. A dark cloud.
I went in my room,under my bed and pulled up a loose plank. From under that plank I pulled out a tin container full of money. I had been saving it since my eighth birthday. I told myself that if I saved enough money, one day I could buy Granny and myself a huge house by the sea. There was no need for that now. I took the container and placed it in my pants pocket. Next, I went to Gran's room. She was the same as I had left her that morning. I looked at her face. She seemed happy. I wondered if she was happy to die? Just to get away from me maybe? Still, Gran wouldn't be happy until she was lain to rest properly. I went in the back yard and found an apple by the tree. I picked it up and wiped it on my jacket. Then I took it back into the house and placed it on Gran's chest. "You always said you wanted to be buried under your apple tree," I said to her knowing she wouldn't respond, "I hope this is good for now."
With those words I returned to the front room. Granny liked her house clean so I gathered up the cards and cleaned off the table. Then, I washed the dishes in the sink,dried them and put them away. The floor needed sweeping so I did that,too. The other bedrooms had carpet that needed to be vacuumed. I cleaned them,too. The bathroom was a mess. I cleaned that, too. The living room curtains were dirty.....I washed them. By time I was done cleaning the whole house it was morning,but the apples didn't smile at me like they use too. They knew Granny was gone. Before leaving I went back to Gran's room. I looked at her. Still the same form last time I saw her. "I love you, Gran," I said, "Bye." I closed her door and left out.
When I was outside I walked to the local bakery. As soon as I opened the door a bell rang and all eyes fell on me. I ignored them and walked to the counter where a young brunette waitress stared at me. Like I said news traveled fast in that small town. I tried to smile at the waitress, but failed. I wouldn't be able to smile again until I got my release. "Give me all the cinnamon cookies and hazel doughnuts I can get with this," I handed her the jar. For awhile she continued to stare,but eventually she took the jar with shaky hands and began to count. A few moments later I was greeted with several bags of release. I took in a deep breath and managed a tiny smile.
"Kid," the Sheriff placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him. He was with the deputy who was wiping his mouth with a napkin. The Sheriff had some strawberry frosting on his cheek. They had been in the bakery the whole time. "Kid," he repeated himself, "it's time to go." I solemnly nodded and gathered up my bags. People were staring at me like I was some kind of science project.
"That's that apple girl."
"She's so weird."
"I heard her Gran passed away in her sleep. Poor thing, whose she got now?"
"Nobody that's who."
" That child is just plain odd. Coming to a bakery after having your only family die! Just ain't right. I wouldn't be surprised if she killed her Grandmother."
I walked in between the officers. As we approached door I looked at the table where the woman sat who accused me of killing Granny. She was accompanied by a man and a baby who was crying like there was no tomorrow. I stared at the man and he stared at me. Then, I walked to his table and said, "I didn't kill my Gran ." I looked at his crying baby. She looked to be in about as much pain as I was so I dug in one of my bags and pulled out a cookie and doughnut. I held it up to the woman and child. The mother looked at me with raised brows, but the baby stopped crying and smiled. "Here. This makes me feel better when I'm sad." I placed the treats on their plates. Nearly everyone in the restaurant was stunned. I looked at the baby," These are my favorites. Whats yours?"
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