Status: Finished
Golden Slumbers
Maybe She Was Right
Oli
I left school early yesterday. I felt kind of bad about walking out on Till, but I couldn’t take it. Today is the anniversary of my dad’s death. I can still remember our blood everywhere, the smell of gasoline and metal, how my dad lay there gasping for breath that wouldn’t come. I passed out after that, and woke up in the hospital.
Ever year it seems like the day is getting worse rather than better, as my memories of him fade. I stayed home from school and watched TV all day, too empty to do anything else. My mom does the same, but worse.
She uses her vacation at work to take the week off, locked in her room with mementoes of him, crying most of the time, sleeping the rest. The first few years after he died she didn’t do that, she kept on a brave smile for me. But the year I turned twelve she started this.
I came home from school to find her door locked, the sounds of sobbing inside. She told me not to come in. Two days later I woke up, heard a crash, and then silence. I was so terrified she’d killed herself that I somehow broke the door down and charged in. She was in her bed.
All she had done was throw a shoe at the wall, so I left. I took care of myself that entire week. To be honest, I was surprised she was able to pick me up yesterday, but I needed her to. When her car pulled up to my school I ran out, ignoring the calls of my principal.
He doesn’t need to see what my mom looks like right now-hair greasy and knotted, eyes black with bags, wearing clothes she hasn’t washed in days. I have to go back to school tomorrow, but I don’t really want to. It’ll suck.
Till
Oli came back to school today, but he wasn’t here yesterday either. Today he was scary. He walked in wearing all black, head down. Before school even started the principal came out and yelled at him, something about disrespect, the need to protect students, and attendance.
Oli stood there, took it, and walked off without saying anything. I didn’t talk to him all day and I barely saw him in the hallways. When we finally got to English he followed me from the classroom and didn’t talk at all until I asked him what happened. He raised his head and gave me a completely blank stare. “Nothing. Nothing happened. Let’s just finish this fucking project, okay?” I nodded quickly and went back to work. Maybe Ella was right.....
I left school early yesterday. I felt kind of bad about walking out on Till, but I couldn’t take it. Today is the anniversary of my dad’s death. I can still remember our blood everywhere, the smell of gasoline and metal, how my dad lay there gasping for breath that wouldn’t come. I passed out after that, and woke up in the hospital.
Ever year it seems like the day is getting worse rather than better, as my memories of him fade. I stayed home from school and watched TV all day, too empty to do anything else. My mom does the same, but worse.
She uses her vacation at work to take the week off, locked in her room with mementoes of him, crying most of the time, sleeping the rest. The first few years after he died she didn’t do that, she kept on a brave smile for me. But the year I turned twelve she started this.
I came home from school to find her door locked, the sounds of sobbing inside. She told me not to come in. Two days later I woke up, heard a crash, and then silence. I was so terrified she’d killed herself that I somehow broke the door down and charged in. She was in her bed.
All she had done was throw a shoe at the wall, so I left. I took care of myself that entire week. To be honest, I was surprised she was able to pick me up yesterday, but I needed her to. When her car pulled up to my school I ran out, ignoring the calls of my principal.
He doesn’t need to see what my mom looks like right now-hair greasy and knotted, eyes black with bags, wearing clothes she hasn’t washed in days. I have to go back to school tomorrow, but I don’t really want to. It’ll suck.
Till
Oli came back to school today, but he wasn’t here yesterday either. Today he was scary. He walked in wearing all black, head down. Before school even started the principal came out and yelled at him, something about disrespect, the need to protect students, and attendance.
Oli stood there, took it, and walked off without saying anything. I didn’t talk to him all day and I barely saw him in the hallways. When we finally got to English he followed me from the classroom and didn’t talk at all until I asked him what happened. He raised his head and gave me a completely blank stare. “Nothing. Nothing happened. Let’s just finish this fucking project, okay?” I nodded quickly and went back to work. Maybe Ella was right.....