Country

”This is OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!”

“ Don’t, John Skipper,” I said.

“Don’t. If I wanted to, I would have , Hannae.”

“Neither of you, dressed for this. And, (Laughs) you cant change that.”

“Shut-up. (Laugh) Hey, Perry...Hard.”

“ You talking to me!? Girls, you want to bet on it and lose!?”

“ Perry, he was talking to you. Not me...I’m cool.”

“How cool?”, Perry asked.

“Cool like the breeze...(Interrupted).”

“Uh, oh. The poet is in her speech.,” said John Skipper.

“ I know! It’s about me.....Right, Hannae?,” He bluffed.

“ Like a fresh fallen rain cannot hold my gaze. For I looked over there (She pointed toward a parking lot near a laundromat) and saw where windmills circulate over rooftops....(Interrupted).”

“Hannae? That don’t sound like me.”

“Not yet! (Laugh) I’m getting there...Wait? (She poses as if plucking an apple off a tree)...The eagle is flying high. Higher than my words could stop....And then color beams; streams at me! My Troop have arrived to meet thee!!!...”

“Hannae? (Annoyed) Where I’m at?”

“....(She goes on talking and stumbles onto her bottom). Ugh...Gosh, that was a hard fall man couldn’t kill.”

All laughed at her joke. She should go to her Troops. The girls will heal her soul a little. They joked,” We will never forget you on your bottom...Ugh.”

Their laughter was much as with the chuckling. She waved them away by her hands walking backward seeming to bow. Then she quipped in slang they are dismissed from her fanfare. The boys rushed after her. One of them, fibbed,” Wait, girl. You lost your book!”

Hannae ignored them running fast into her friends housepad. They are not prepared. She is the locking them inside the house!

Palace yelled, “ Don’t take no - Why did you run in here?”

JoJo giggled. “ She needed money. AND......”

Hannae said,” Nahhh....(Calmly, she sat down in a sofa chair.) They dont have no money. I’m sure.”

The girls laughed and giggled until they came to their door pounding upon it. Shelle said, “ Run? We can escape out the bathroom window.”

They thought about the escape. Alas, no one moved.

Hannae said, “ Nahhhh....(Calm. She leans back in her seat) They can sweat it. I am too calm. I’m not going to let them get to me.”

John Skipper warned pressing at the window with one of his worst comments,” You left somethin....(He became a Star Wars menace.) I brought it back. Come out to play or you can't have one.”

Hannae quipped,” Leave it at the door, John. I’ll pick it up later. Darkness becomes you. Drink water and I will see you in the morning.”

Perry joined him sneering,” We are going to stop you dolls. Ladies, where are you?!”

Hannae said,” We are all out. I left them at my mothers house. He looks kind.”

Girls bursted out laughing about the expression.

Perry shoved the book in the mail slot on their door.” Take it you sweet marshmallows.”

The boys have their share of chuckling. They wouldn’t leave. The young men dressed in work clothes uniform played on the porch. Their overheard friendly jesters made her yell for them to leave now.

Hannae said,” I have no time for that.”

Julie teased,” Isn’t it time for you all to go to work?”

Boys returned a comment.” We’re off today. One of those cases where you got time to visit someone.”

JoJo joked,” Go do it. Is that us you are visiting. That’s a GOOD idea!”

Palace opened the door saying,” I am here now....(She widened eyes) Anything , you say belongs to me. Your shoes, your hat, your face- And if you don’t leave, I will take off the part about me to remain silent.”

The boys yelled in a fun manner as if girlfriends,” No, body wanted to play...No, security.guard? No, phone dealer? No, meds?So. We will go. Leaving you in here until tomorrow’s.”

Hannae playfully shouted seen at the window from outside,” Deep male talk. But, some other time.”

JoJo added,” And don’t be shoving books at us. We are not the customers.”

Hannae noted,” Chewy, where did you come from?!”

Palace said,” With a dimpled face like that?! (She stressed) . She complemented,”Paradise.”

Girls yelled.” Not now, Palace. We are not going to really talk about that.”

Julie reminded them,” I have to walk near where those fellas are everyday.”

Gently, Palace closed the door.” Well,” She said,” speak to Chewy when you get there.”

The females sighed.

Hannae is relieved to be home. Why did they argue about a book? She accused human nature of being inquisitive. She tossed the book on the sofa almost throwing it saying,” I’m stuck with a book they found on the ground?”

The walk home was so quiet. You could breathe tranquility. This is unlike the usual weather you would notice. Her mind keeps going back to the skyline.

........

Strange. No, people. Silence. A sunlight that beams down rays onto your head follow another’s step all the way to destinations. Every step maintained her appreciation about the”blazing out” businesses advertisements. The building trees are superb in Early Spring:

Small, colorful shrubbery tree trunks in purple, yellow and orange “blazing out”. The trees reach all away around the block. Either-side copied the design. Someone, an artist possibly, painted the trunks of the trees in sameness as their branches...Felt good. Her Troop were playing over by the overpass below when she tripped on that book. She wasn’t really dressed. Hannae wondered if anyone else noticed her indigo -dyed jeans in blue acid wash two tones wearing a chunky sweater overlapping in a soft leafy green. The girls were dressed in camp shorts, jean jackets, restaurant uniformed dress includes tights and warm fashionable tops. Anyway... she pranced around the local graffiti -walled fence eyeing artists spaypaint. Cool! Someone used colored chalk. Colored chalk is a favorite to see at the fence. Girls like it because of a softening effect. The truth is chalk does wear off.

Continued

Wow! A wonder! A talent! Someone painted couple in an embrace. She was going to fall and slumped into his arms. Their eyes could have made contact. There is a picture of a wolf. Not just any kind of ole wolf andbesides this is a Blue Wolf which is hard to find. Names “shooting stars” of being written in glitter, ink black tar or neon ghetto hues. Hannae takes a breath.....All of the businesses are white with electroplated black trim. Ferns are atop the roofs. Those ferns placement makes you feel like climbing.

She walked back outside to pickup “Fannie Farmer” at the corner store. “Fannie Farmer is candy. Thus, the store sales different candy brands. She don’t know why her senses do that. Probably, what she picked up makes no sense to you. However, it does to her. She have the old fashioned lollipops, small chocolate sticks in a pack, m&m’s withbesides fudge and chewing gum. She decided to drink seltzer behind these confections. Hannae eyed the area where she fell down. Mid- Poetry? Where did it come from? Oh, someone also lost a canvas tote bag. Peeking inside, all she could see is pencils or water. Maybe, the water is from rain a day earlier. She doesn’t see ice or glaze on the ground- Not even frost. She decided to return to her house. We played all the time. She loves her friends. We are older now...Yes, I have a house. We all do. Wereflected on a fact that they’re in early thirties.

..........

Her block plays music of their own style: Country, Folk, Jazz, And HipHop or Alternative Rock can be heard. Sometimes, in the cars. Sometimes in through the house windows. Nowadays, she feels compelled to listen too. Soon, she goes into her house with a tune of her own on a Walkman: Good old days where use of headphones returned from the 70’s. Her tTroop Of best friends are aware of earplugs today.

She picked up the black book hoping it is not ‘criminal’. Evidence unlikely avoids an interrogation From its appearance, a few crumpled paper. From the inside, each leaflet filled by used game cards or billing cards. Finally, a worthwhile venture. She fumbled with what inside deep creases of the black book. Money! Alright!!! This is real cash? Yes! Tickets pushed it far to the bottom. Hannae starts to count the bills. She searched to be sure she can keep her cash, in and outside this black book. The total is 2 thousand dollars. Then, she found in a leaflet a picture of children. One is wearing embroidered socks on her leg. Another one is smiling bright with his teeth. She thought, he must be proud! The two children seemed very happy. Names on the backside of photos are Tiffany Ann and Dewan James. She doesn’t know the last name. Her smile softened; Her gladness remained. She looks further anywhere therein her newfound black book. Good. There is a phone number on an ID card adjoined to the book. A few pages but not much for writing notes. She hesitated to call them.....She wanted to settle in after her dreamscape. The local houses located off road near a countryside. All types of regular, modern houses are here. A small woodland tries to become a forest...We have seen tiny geese or foxes peeking at us. They could be seen walking down a trail. Owls in a tree are not unfamiliar hooting down at them.

.....

She decided to eat and contact them in the morning.

Her mind shifted to new places. She enjoyed fried trout along with french fries, Waldorf salad offsetting a dish of peppers coated in cheese. This is the day! She grabbed fresh fruit in yogurt sitting down to watch a little cable television. What made her change mind about tomorrow? No one knows.

Hannae retrieved the phone. She wanted to pour her soul out to a social group of friends. Sudden change of thought, somewhere, made her not call them. At least, not at this moment. Instead, she called the children’s phone number. The message she left was simple. She said she found their money and gave a phone number she can be reached at later. Hannae was enjoying a movie after sports when someone called her too.

She paused eating. This is the day! She exclaimed again. I will tell them all about what I found in the book.

“Hello,” She said,” This is the Thellows residence. Please, state your name.”

The lady sounds upset.This caused her to stop eating putting a yogurt on a end table. “Excuse me, may I help you. Or do you have the wrong number?”

She said her name aforementioning the black book. Hannae stood up. She felt nervous, antsy and worried. She spoke softly,” I am trying to return the black book, I found. Does it belong to you?”

Lady blurted,” My children’s pictures inside of it.”

Hannae admitted casually,”I found money inside your book. Could you tell me your name? Children’s names? I need some identity about you.”

The lady sounded happier. She explained,” My children don’t live with me. I don’t have much but I sure have pictures. Sometimes...I would really...”

Hannae agreed. “ You can have it. Where are you? Do you want to come and get it?”

The lady saddened. “I don’t have a ride. That could take days.”

Hannae asked,” Are you allowed where you are for me to visit? I could drop it off? I found two thousand dollars in it.”

The lady added,” I didn’t think I had that much...Not leftover, anyway.”

Hannae said, “ Okay.”

They exchanged addresses and she was on her way to the house. She noticed the neighborhood was a city alight with visitation. Maybe, a town looks like to her? AND she saw her house. A tall white house almost as a mansion or apartment house. Fancy double doors are in the front, patio up high and bay windows near its roofing. Hannae hurried to aid her knocking at the door. It’s clear, she cannot keep it, she guessed. No one answered. She ringed the doorbell. A man with a package is walking the stairs behind her. Obviously, that is her package. Hannae spoke to him firmly hellos. She did tell him the person is coming to her door. He said,” Gracias. She always do. She’s a very nice lady. Gracias means thank you.”

Lucia opened the door. Neat! She have a name not often associated by some people. She introduced herself. She waved the black book a little at shoulder level graced in a smile. The kind lady opened her door retrieving a book handed to her. Hannae started to leave. Lucia said for her to wait. She offered a 50 fifty dollar bill. She contemplated saying to her afterwards, “ You may need it.”

The delivery man was whom gave her that woman’s dollar bill. He said approvingly with a usual cliche,”Don’t be too proud. That’s what you get for being honest.”

The End.