Pieces Mended
002
-Madi's Pov-
“Alright, children. This is the last one, then you guys can go back to playing,” Hayden’s mom spoke. She quickly ran in front of my camera to the group of nine year olds to smooth the birthday boy’s hair out before coming back to my side.
“On the count of three, okay?” I aimed my camera at their smiling faces. “One… two… three.” Immediately after the flash went off, the children ditched the colorful plastic chairs or the ground where they sat to play in the bouncy tent, watch the clown make more balloon animals, or get their fill from the cotton candy machine.
The amount of money spent on this birthday party amazed me, which really wasn’t saying much because the fact that this family had a fountain in their backyard just amazed me. I was just in awe of the sizes of the houses on this block. However, I think anyone from my side of town would be in awe of the rich side. Everything looked so nice. Honestly, dog shit probably would look nicer on this side of town.
Once the sun started setting and some of the kids starting heading home with their parents, I began to pack up my equipment. I had been at their house since nine in the morning, taking pictures of them setting up. Apparently, Hayden’s mom wanted everything recorded. At first, I thought the idea was silly, but once I took some pictures, I realized it wasn’t a bad idea. I must have taken almost 500 pictures that day.
“Madi, I expect you got some wonderful pictures today,” Mrs. Winthrope smiled down at me.
“Of course, Mrs. Winthrope.” I spoke, tucking my brown hair behind my ear. I had straightened it for today’s party.
“How much do I owe you?”
“Oh, you don’t have to pay until you order the pictures. I’ll have the CD for you to look through ready in a week.”
“Oh, good. Here’s a tip anyway.” The poised woman slipped a one hundred dollar bill in my hand. I almost hugged her at the gesture, but knowing she wasn’t the hugging type, I refrained.
“Mrs. Winthrope, I can’t except this,” I graciously declined even though I knew I deserved it, pushing the bill back into her hand.
“Nonsense. I will not take no for an answer.”
I nodded, putting the bill in my camera case. “Thank you so much. I truly appreciate it.”
“Now run along, Madi. It’s getting dark. I’ll be waiting to hear from you about that CD.”
I nodded, gathering my things and pulling on my brown leather jacket. The walk home was going to be long, and in all actuality, I should’ve left hours ago so I could’ve been home before dark. On my side of town, crime rates were sky rocketing, and I was the perfect victim.
As I walked away from the house, I tucked my hair up into my beanie in hopes of disguising that I was a girl and tucked my camera case into my coat to hide the only expensive belonging I had on me. I walked fast through the streets of Orem to get to my apartment, crossing through yards and ducking in the shadows to keep myself hidden from anyone else on the streets.
But to no avail. A couple of blocks away from my house, I started hearing footsteps behind me. From the sound of the heavy books against concrete, there were three of them. I sped up my pace, hoping they wouldn't notice, but they just started walking faster, too.
"Hey," one yelled, and I decided not to see what he wanted and ran in the direction of my home. I didn't get far, though, because one grabbed my arm, knocking me to the ground, breaking my camera in the process. I quickly pushed myself off the ground and started running again. This time I actually got away.
I ran in the opposite direction of my home. For one, I didn't want any thugs to know where I lived, and for two, it seemed like the only way I would get away. I ducked into a 24-hour gas station that I often visited, hoping to wait out my followers.
"Hey, Madi," the girl behind the counter spoke.
"Hey Jade," I sighed, setting my camera on the counter and examined the pieced that were trying to fall off.
"Shit, is it broken?"
"I think so. I'll have to take it to someone tomorrow, and hopefully, they can do something about it."
She nodded. "Why are you out so late?"
"I was taking pictures of a little boy's birthday party on the rich side of town," I sighed. "I think I should head home, though." I put my camera back in the inside of my jacket. "I'm going to use the back entrance if that's okay."
"Sure," she shrugged, hobbling over to the door.
"What happened to your ankle?"
"I hit it on a pipe."
"Ouch."
She nodded, opening the backdoor for me. I quickly slipped through and ran through back yards, hopping over fences, and avoiding angry dogs, until I reached my apartment complex. We lived on the third floor in a two bedroom apartment. My parents slept in one room, while my two younger brothers slept in another. I slept on the couch.
"Hey mom," I whispered, knowing the rest of the family was already asleep.
"Hey, I was getting worried," she yawned, placing the book she was reading to the side. "How did it go?"
"Great," I forced a smile, deliberately leaving out my adventure home and my probably broken camera.
"Well, I'm off to bed. I'm so tired."
"Night mom."
I stripped off my clothes, quickly replacing them with a shirt and shorts to sleep in. I laid on the couch, pulling my thick comforter over me. I didn't have a computer at home, so I had to go to the library in order to fix up Mrs. Winthrope's pictures for her. I planned on doing it tomorrow, getting as much done as possible before I had to go to a party to take pictures.
The person who was throwing the party was someone I went to school with. We weren't exactly friends, acquaintances maybe. I don't think he would have invited me if it weren't for the fact that he wanted the whole thing documented. It was for his birthday party. He was turning 19, but there was no doubt in my mind that his house would be packed with drunks and druggies, which always made taking pictures hard.
I left my apartment after the twins left for school and when my parents were getting ready to leave to their jobs. I stopped by a camera shop on the way home, in hopes of a quick fix of my camera.
"This will take a week, Madi, and will cost you a pretty penny," Ralph, the shop owner, informed me.
I sighed, nodding my head. "Can I pay when it's finished?"
"Of course," He smiled, setting my camera to the side. "I'll call you when it's ready."
"Thanks Ralph," I walked back out of the shop, towards the library. Luckily, I did have a back up. It wasn't my favorite camera, but it would do for a bunch of drunks.
“Alright, children. This is the last one, then you guys can go back to playing,” Hayden’s mom spoke. She quickly ran in front of my camera to the group of nine year olds to smooth the birthday boy’s hair out before coming back to my side.
“On the count of three, okay?” I aimed my camera at their smiling faces. “One… two… three.” Immediately after the flash went off, the children ditched the colorful plastic chairs or the ground where they sat to play in the bouncy tent, watch the clown make more balloon animals, or get their fill from the cotton candy machine.
The amount of money spent on this birthday party amazed me, which really wasn’t saying much because the fact that this family had a fountain in their backyard just amazed me. I was just in awe of the sizes of the houses on this block. However, I think anyone from my side of town would be in awe of the rich side. Everything looked so nice. Honestly, dog shit probably would look nicer on this side of town.
Once the sun started setting and some of the kids starting heading home with their parents, I began to pack up my equipment. I had been at their house since nine in the morning, taking pictures of them setting up. Apparently, Hayden’s mom wanted everything recorded. At first, I thought the idea was silly, but once I took some pictures, I realized it wasn’t a bad idea. I must have taken almost 500 pictures that day.
“Madi, I expect you got some wonderful pictures today,” Mrs. Winthrope smiled down at me.
“Of course, Mrs. Winthrope.” I spoke, tucking my brown hair behind my ear. I had straightened it for today’s party.
“How much do I owe you?”
“Oh, you don’t have to pay until you order the pictures. I’ll have the CD for you to look through ready in a week.”
“Oh, good. Here’s a tip anyway.” The poised woman slipped a one hundred dollar bill in my hand. I almost hugged her at the gesture, but knowing she wasn’t the hugging type, I refrained.
“Mrs. Winthrope, I can’t except this,” I graciously declined even though I knew I deserved it, pushing the bill back into her hand.
“Nonsense. I will not take no for an answer.”
I nodded, putting the bill in my camera case. “Thank you so much. I truly appreciate it.”
“Now run along, Madi. It’s getting dark. I’ll be waiting to hear from you about that CD.”
I nodded, gathering my things and pulling on my brown leather jacket. The walk home was going to be long, and in all actuality, I should’ve left hours ago so I could’ve been home before dark. On my side of town, crime rates were sky rocketing, and I was the perfect victim.
As I walked away from the house, I tucked my hair up into my beanie in hopes of disguising that I was a girl and tucked my camera case into my coat to hide the only expensive belonging I had on me. I walked fast through the streets of Orem to get to my apartment, crossing through yards and ducking in the shadows to keep myself hidden from anyone else on the streets.
But to no avail. A couple of blocks away from my house, I started hearing footsteps behind me. From the sound of the heavy books against concrete, there were three of them. I sped up my pace, hoping they wouldn't notice, but they just started walking faster, too.
"Hey," one yelled, and I decided not to see what he wanted and ran in the direction of my home. I didn't get far, though, because one grabbed my arm, knocking me to the ground, breaking my camera in the process. I quickly pushed myself off the ground and started running again. This time I actually got away.
I ran in the opposite direction of my home. For one, I didn't want any thugs to know where I lived, and for two, it seemed like the only way I would get away. I ducked into a 24-hour gas station that I often visited, hoping to wait out my followers.
"Hey, Madi," the girl behind the counter spoke.
"Hey Jade," I sighed, setting my camera on the counter and examined the pieced that were trying to fall off.
"Shit, is it broken?"
"I think so. I'll have to take it to someone tomorrow, and hopefully, they can do something about it."
She nodded. "Why are you out so late?"
"I was taking pictures of a little boy's birthday party on the rich side of town," I sighed. "I think I should head home, though." I put my camera back in the inside of my jacket. "I'm going to use the back entrance if that's okay."
"Sure," she shrugged, hobbling over to the door.
"What happened to your ankle?"
"I hit it on a pipe."
"Ouch."
She nodded, opening the backdoor for me. I quickly slipped through and ran through back yards, hopping over fences, and avoiding angry dogs, until I reached my apartment complex. We lived on the third floor in a two bedroom apartment. My parents slept in one room, while my two younger brothers slept in another. I slept on the couch.
"Hey mom," I whispered, knowing the rest of the family was already asleep.
"Hey, I was getting worried," she yawned, placing the book she was reading to the side. "How did it go?"
"Great," I forced a smile, deliberately leaving out my adventure home and my probably broken camera.
"Well, I'm off to bed. I'm so tired."
"Night mom."
I stripped off my clothes, quickly replacing them with a shirt and shorts to sleep in. I laid on the couch, pulling my thick comforter over me. I didn't have a computer at home, so I had to go to the library in order to fix up Mrs. Winthrope's pictures for her. I planned on doing it tomorrow, getting as much done as possible before I had to go to a party to take pictures.
The person who was throwing the party was someone I went to school with. We weren't exactly friends, acquaintances maybe. I don't think he would have invited me if it weren't for the fact that he wanted the whole thing documented. It was for his birthday party. He was turning 19, but there was no doubt in my mind that his house would be packed with drunks and druggies, which always made taking pictures hard.
I left my apartment after the twins left for school and when my parents were getting ready to leave to their jobs. I stopped by a camera shop on the way home, in hopes of a quick fix of my camera.
"This will take a week, Madi, and will cost you a pretty penny," Ralph, the shop owner, informed me.
I sighed, nodding my head. "Can I pay when it's finished?"
"Of course," He smiled, setting my camera to the side. "I'll call you when it's ready."
"Thanks Ralph," I walked back out of the shop, towards the library. Luckily, I did have a back up. It wasn't my favorite camera, but it would do for a bunch of drunks.