once upon a fairy tale...
+ she loves her mama's lemonade, hates the sound of goodbyes made +
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far, far away #1
Friday, April 20, 2012, 10:01 AM ///
6 Hopeful Note(s) ♦ click to comment
every time i ask my parents why my aunt and uncle moved away, i get a different answer. i wish i knew why: are they trying to hide the truth, or do they know just as little as i do?
ill probably never know the real reason, but ill never stop wondering.
they live where most swamp dwellers dream they could. the air smells—even tastes—salty, but only enough to remind you that the ocean is always within reach. the wind is mild, clouds are rare, seagulls circle and cry lullabies… if i didnt know better, id say they moved here just for the sun.
at least now i know where its been hiding.
most memories of my uncle and his family came from christmas cards, or the photographs my gramma mere hordes in a small wicker box down at the bottega. she often pulls them out when i go to see her—theres always a story to tell, like how my dad and uncle travis used to fight worse than kory and i ever have, or how aunt jade used to sneak through his window at night when travis thought gramma mere was sleeping. i can tell, she misses them the most.
i do see them once in a while, like weddings, reunions, other family gatherings that have me hiding in the bathroom from sunup to sundown. but, its not the same—and i think my parents finally figured that out.
to be honest, though, i dont really care why they sent us here. im just happy that they did.
i didnt get to see much of uncle travis while i was there. hes the star pitcher for the barnacle bay buccaneers, but this is his last season before he retires so theyre keeping him busier than santa on new years eve. he said hes relieved—that hes been with the buccaneers too long anyways, is ready for something new.
i hear thats a trend, with him. no one else really likes to talk about it, but gramma mere let slip once that travis is about as loyal to his women as he is to his baseball team… which is to say, not very.
its hard to tell whether thats the truth or not. aunt jades always been distant from the rest of the family, but my mom says thats because we remind her too much of her sister, emerald.
jade tries not to think about her, but my mom told us everything, showed us pictures. she looked so much like jade… i wonder, would i have too, if emerald had been my mom instead? or would i even exist?
if she hadnt died, i wouldnt be here… its selfish, but i dont share my aunts pain.
mom says were not allowed to talk about it under any circumstances, but what if that could help her? … oh well. i guess thats what her therapist is for.
jade used to be in the military, but she was discharged not long after owen started high school. i did muster the courage to ask her why, and she was pretty insistent she just needed a career that would toughen her up, and shed gotten everything out of it she needed.
i wonder if she got any hugs there, because that seems like what she needs the most.
i guess thats all i really have to say about my aunt and uncle, but thats alright, because its my cousins i was really here to see.
the youngest is sally. shes not much younger than me, but still not quite in high school. at first, i admit, i avoided her… from what little i remember at aunt mias wedding, shes not really afraid to speak her mind—including telling you that your dress is absolutely hideous even though it matches your pimples.
i always thought she and kory would get along, but i guess i was wrong. too much alike? maybe. i guess sally is more of a free spirit, where kory is just… mean.
i figured, though, far away from home was a good place to take kenzies advice and get even with kory—and sally was more than happy to help.
it was totally worth it.
before you go saying ‘aawwwwww’—dont. that cute face is a devil in disguise. she ate one of my shoes, peed on my coat, and growls at me every time i walk in the room.
to clarify: im talking about the dog, petunia.
i had to share that, though, to explain just how sweet gracie is. no one can get near that dog except for her. shes some sort of… snake charmer, or something.
she is very kind, but she gets a little bit full of herself about it, sometimes. i think she forgot the ‘humility’ part of being good.
as much as i might try to hold a grudge for that, though, i cant. she genuinely does enjoy helping people… and plumbbob, if she isnt good at that, too. she taught me ‘hot cross buns’ in 15 minutes, which is like a world record for me learning anything.
we would probably be closer, if i werent so jealous. shes pretty, popular, incredibly talented… my mom says shes the spitting image of gramma mere—and got all of grammas artistic skill, too.
lets face it. gracie is a kane, and im a drudge. (just dont let my mom hear that!)
last is owen, who also wasnt around much—but for good reason. following in his moms footsteps, he was recruited for the military… but i think he might be a bit more cut out for it. he sees it as his ‘duty’.
i cant say i really agree with his choice of career, but at least hes passionate about what he wants to do.
he doesnt deploy to bootcamp until next week, so even though he was busy preparing and saying goodbye to his friends (and sweetheart), he occasionally took me out to show me the town, buy me ice cream, that sort of thing.
i hate to say it, but of everyone else, he made me feel good about myself: he reminded me im not the only klutz in the family. we managed to untangle the bumper from the bushes alright, but i had to swear not to say anything to his recruiter about it.
not sure that did him any good—there was a distinctly beady pair of eyes watching us from the window as we pulled in.
theres more, but ill save that for later—i just figured id introduce the family a little first so they werent total strangers.
i started my trip feeling that way myself, but by the end… well, a little of the same blood through our veins does wonders for bonding.
it was a long trip, but even though sharing a bed with kory was a bit of a nightmare, it felt like a home away from home. i hope i can come back, soon.
Labels: family