Memories

This is a continuation of the Second Vocal Creators Saloon Story Series, one episode written by each author. Please, start reading the following parts before continuing:

❈ Part 1: The Calling ❈ Part 2: Back Home

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Opening that door was a mistake. The wet orange-cypress-wood smell was still there. His Mama’s cider smell flooded him next, and he wanted to puke.

“Y’alrigh, Pa?” Leslie sounded worried.

“Relax, kiddo. I’m okay.” Lester had to quickly change his expression. He was trying to be positive, but all those memories were hard on him. “Careful, Les.” He wasn’t even sure if she listened to him, that little cutie was already absorbed in the middle of the main room, looking into the portrait above the stone fireplace.

It took no time for him to follow her, staring at those faces. Lester doesn’t remember those smiles. That was the last photo that they took as a family, not long after his father died in an accident. Then, they all were different. His Momma never smiled again, so he forgot that she ever smiled.

“Will you bring this with ya?” His daughter asked, but he did not hear her words.

“Wha??” Lester was still confused because he didn’t remember taking that photo.

“Will you take it?”

“Dunno.” It was more a thought than an actual answer.

“Y’all seem happy.” She giggled. “I wan to be happy too.” The little joy of his life was running between the couches, saying the word happy nonstop.

Lester was confused. Why didn’t he just remember his mother like that? His body sank in the nearer couch, and he kept looking. It was so hard to think of those times! Mama was deep and crude to him since then. They fought all the time, and she couldn’t understand him. They were no family anymore.

He couldn’t stop thinking where did that smiley Mama go? There were four smiley faces into that frame: his Papa, his Mama, him and his sister. Papa and sister were gone. Mama was gone this year. He felt lost, in a sense. Where was he? Running?

“Look, Pa. I look jus’ like her!” His little one woke him up from that gaze. They were indeed similar, the same cute hair, those eyes and that smile…

“Adriana…” He knew that she wasn’t her sister, his daughter. But he hasn’t heard his sister name in years, he needed to say it out loud.

“Who’s Adriana, Pa?”

“Your auntie.” He stood up. “Wanna check her room?”

“Ya!” Leslie held her father's hand, waiting for them to check it out. “Les’ go!”

His memories were deep within a closed box. Each step he took nearer that room, he thought about anything that he could to bring her back into is mind. The pain was so real that he blocked it all. The fun moments that they were as a family, after tragedy stroke.

One sunny day came into his mind. His family was so happy that even his past self-seemed like a stranger. They were making a swamp-clump. Each Sunday, they would walk very loudly early in the morning to turn the neighbors on. The last that would get scolded by them would be the one that would make lunch.

Adriana was always the one to lose. She loved to cook and we all knew it. Each of her steps were so soft that no one would ever scold her. Her giggles were enough to get anyone to smile with her. Lester was smiling just remembering his sister. Until he remembered that she was no more. Her room were the only place in that house that he never visited again, since his Mama didn’t want him moving anything.

She would lose it if he was near that door. It was those screams and that expression of hate that he remembered more about that house. His Mama wasn’t happy with him there. He wasn’t happy in that house. He went to never return.

“Won’ we enter?” His daughter was pulling on his hand, throwing a little tantrum that he wasn't listening to her. “Les’ go!”

Lester's hand reached the doorknob, he took a deep breath as he turned it, the door was no longer closed…

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First, I am so glad to be part of this Vocal Creators Saloon family! We have so special people in there!

You can check one by clicking Christina DeFeo profile, the next author of this series! Stay tuned for the next upcoming episode by her!