“My health is not bad and I can eat whatever I want even if your mother is here.” He says and I hear a throat clear behind us. My mom is standing there, with her arms crossed and hereyebrow cocked in my dad’s direction. His chuckle is nervous and he walks over to her and wraps her in a hug. She pushes him away and comes towards me instead.
“Are you ready for your surprise?” I shrug my shoulders, not sure what response they want from me. I hate being put on the spot with other people watching my reactions to surprises. I never act the way I feel like I’m supposed to, the mask covering my true emotions is too deeply rooted now to know what’s truly me or what I think I’m supposed to do, based on societal norms. The only time I’ve truly felt like myself is…
My dad joins us by the front door, making a cupping motion with both his hands, and waiting for me to do the same. When I do, my mom drops a small box into my waiting hands.
It’s red, and a gold piece of twine is artfully wrapped around the outside, keeping the top and bottom piece secured together.
I pull the twine gently, feeling the glitter pull and grate against the other until it’s undone. The top comes next revealing a set of keys.
My own car.
I knew this was coming, or I at least assumed it was. It’s my sixteenth birthday afterall, and that’s usually when parents get their kids their first car. I had been practicing in mom’s and I figured when I got my license, we would just share the car when we needed it until I got my own.
But this was a big deal, bigger than I was originally anticipating. My own car. For my sixteenth birthday.
“It still needs some work, but this is what my dad, your grandpa, did for me when I turned sixteen. It’s in the garage.” My mom leads the way, holding the door open to the garage for me and my jaw drops.
Sitting inside, protected from the elements outside, is an old school Chevy pick up truck. My dad has one almost the exact same, but his is tucked away for safekeeping. He drives it once a month to keep the engine good on it, making a day tripout of it for me and mom as well. I didn’t realize it was something he had done with his dad.
“Can we get started on it tonight?” I ask, excitement thrumming through my veins as I circle the truck and take in all of its glory. There are some signs of rust and wear and tear that can be easily buffed and replaced with new parts. The body is still in pristine condition.
“Would you rather do that or watch a movie?” My dad asks, already walking towards his toolbox in the far corner of the garage. My mom shuts the door behind her as she walks in and sits on a chair she drug up beside the truck.
We work together, my dad explaining how each part and mechanism works to make the truck move as a whole piece. Each individual thing has its own job, and even if something small isn’t working, the rest will follow its lead until the problem is solved.
Working on this truck with my dad, both of our hands getting dirty and greasy, with my mom watching us, taught me a lot about things that weren’t necessarily about trucks. Sometimes things break down, no matter how much effort and hard work we put into it. The right parts and pieces have to be used in addition to hard work, it's an equal balance of resources and capabilities.
My dad yawns for the third time, covering his mouth and making a dramatic show of raising his arms above his head.
“I’m tired, I’m going to go to bed for the night. Maybe I can sweet talk your mom into calling into school tomorrow to get you off to play hooky with me.” I look at mom pleadingly, and she sighs loudly. But the smile on her face says differently.
“Fine, but I’m sleeping in.”
I go to bed that night, my eyes sliding shut with a mixture of excitement and despair. Today, I made a big decision in letting go of things that weren’t mine to hold on to. But tomorrow is a new day, and it looks pretty promising.
5
JERICHO
JUNIOR YEAR
Junior year is kicking my ass worse than sophomore year did. My class load is harder than ever, and I’m not sure why I thought taking a chemistry class would be a good idea. I barely passed physical science freshman year, but something about the idea behind chemistry was appealing to me. The mixture of different things causing different actions and reactions, it was overly complicated in its own explanation but a part of me was drawn to it. In between juggling football, school, and working with my dad on old cars, I have zero free time to worry about anything else.
Raiden and Josh are still going strong, not that I heard it for myself but by the way Ema talks at family dinner tonight they’re doing the long distance thing while Josh goes out of state to play college football. Good for him and good for Raiden.
Football season has been amazing– we’re undefeated this year and the prediction is we’ll go all the way to the championship. It’s an intoxicating feeling being a part of a team with so much potential. Even in our small town, I can’t walk into thegas station without someone calling out to me and asking how the Friday night lights are going to be.
The game tomorrow is an away one, the drive is three hours and my parents are getting a hotel room and decided to make a weekend getaway out of it. Ema and Rodney said they would come as well. I’m not sure if Raiden will be there, or if I even want him there.
I’m packing my suitcase, making sure I have everything that I’ll need for the weekend. Clothes, hygiene products, and my headphones so I can listen to music on the bus ride tomorrow. If I forget anything, I’ll text my mom before they leave for the game. The team is required to be there two hours before kick off time, so we’re cutting out of school early.
Our doorbell rings, loud and unforgiving down the hall to my open door. My parents aren’t here right now, they’re enjoying a date with just the two of them while I work on getting everything ready. I don’t mind that they left me here, they deserve some time with only the two of them. Especially now that dad is home permanently. He’s been trying to spend his time equally between me and mom, and I appreciate it more than he realizes. The old car sitting in our garage right now needs a tune up, but we can do that Sunday night when we get home. Between the two of us, we get the mechanic work done a lot faster. Mom enjoys sitting with us while we work and skipping through songs on the radio that she can serenade us with.
I’m not sure who would be ringing our doorbell, though. Kody didn’t say he was coming over and I doubt anyone from my Chemistry study group would show up without warning.
I drop the shirt I was folding on the bed and walk down the hallway. The doorbell rings again and I roll my eyes heavenward. It’s probably a salesman. The only acceptable salesman to knock on doors should be Girl Scouts when they have cookies.
Opening the door, I’m hit with a shock. Raiden is standing on my porch. His eyes are downcast and his cheeks are flushed, but not in the bright way that I’m used to seeing him. It looks like he’s been crying. His hair is mussed up, the short strands sticking up all over his head and his shirt is sitting askew off his shoulder.
