The Ties That Bind

"Lesley Anne Donahue" my Mom seemed to spit her words out.

I just got home, what else could be wrong?

"What?" I grunted and the guys walked into the living room with me trailing behind them.

"Phone call from school and guess what the principal had to tell me..."

"I've been doing so well they want to comend me for it?!" I retorted sarcastically.

My Mother stood up.

"Sarcasim digs you in a deeper hole Lesley. You SKIPPED 3 days of school AND got a detention for talking back to a teacher!"

I shrugged and walked past her.

Bryan looked at me with a smug face.

"Mom we are leaving in a few days and I am taking her with me."

I spun around on the balls of my heels.

"WHAT?!" My mother and I screamed at the same time.

Not out of excitment at all.

"Les needs to be shown tough love and well I'm offering to help. We'll home school her on the road."

"Um We? Are you french all of a sudden?" John didn't seem to bothered by my brother's request but I guess felt the need to attempt and break some tension.

My Mother pondered a bit then nodded her head.

"What?! NO! NO NO NO NO NO. I AM NOT GOING WITH THEM!"

"You can't get out of school when you have to do it on the bus so yes you are. Get packing."

I glared at my brother and ran up the stairs slamming my door shut.

I heard a knock at my door. I wanted to ignore it but whoever it was, the person was persistant.

"Just come in." I groaned and Martin walked in.

"Hey kid they sent me up here to help you pack."

I nodded.

He went through my drawers and pulled out an old notebook of mine.

"You can chuck it." I unzipped the bag and started throwing my stuff in it.

He flipped through the notebook and found a letter that I never bothered to send. Well because it wasn't really a letter--but a suicide letter.

"Les--You were going to hurt yourself?"

"I was thinking about it. Decided not to."

"The letter is addressed to a Dear Lion? Who is Lion?"

I shook my head.

"It's not important."

"You were just going to send this to anybody. Not even let the people who care about you most know?"

"Just be grateful that I didn't even do it!"

Part of me wanted to add a 'yet' in there, but that would cause them to take turns on suicide watch while on the road.

He shook his head.

"Just know that we all care and love you. Hopefully you going with us will help."

He locked me in his warm embrace and I squeezed his sides.

"I know. Love you too."

He let go and turned out of my room.
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"Daddy can we go see something else?"

My dad swung me back and forth then set me so my feet were flat on the floor.

"You know this is the last and most important exhibit. The LIONS."

I looked up at him scarred.

"Baby there is nothing to be scarred of!"

He set me down infront of the window peering into the habitat that was built for these wild creatures.

"They are Kings. Strong and brave."

"Like you are?"

He smiled and picked me up.

"There are a lot of people that are like Lions. I can only hope you have the expierience of meeting a special one."

I looked at him puzzled.

"You will understand when you are older."
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I was six then. I finally understood what he meant once I met that "Lion" just a few short years ago. But I realize he will most likely never understand.