SOLO ELITE THE GREAT AWAKENING

School had started, and surprisingly fifth grade wasn’t what I’d expected it to be. Within several days I had made a few friends who didn’t fall under any category to label, but, for the first time, I felt like things were finally working out for me. Heather Crystal stuck to giving mean stares at lunch for now, but I hadn’t had to punch anyone yet, so that’s a major milestone for me. I actually wanted to go to school; I did, however, miss a few days when I had a doctor’s checkup. Sometimes after my checkups, Mama would even let me have the choice to stay home the rest of the day. It would often surprise her when I chose to go back to school, and, most of the time, I would—unless I had something extremely important to do, like swing from a tree or jump a ramp made out of my school books.

November 20, 2010

“Robin! Get up and get dressed and come eat! You cannot miss another day of school!”

I could hear Mama calling me from the kitchen like she does every school morning. The aroma of hickory smoked bacon filled my room as I peeled my face from my wet pillow. My stomach grumbled at me to get up, yet, like any other school day, I wanted to sleep in, but Mama would always be persistent.

Mama was a kind and soft-spoken God-fearing woman who was surviving as a single parent. Her eyes were always heavy and red from working the night shift, but she still somehow managed to take care of me and my grandpa. I used to love to sit in my room and pretend Daddy was here while I watched TV. Mama didn’t care too much for the house; she and Daddy had bought it together when they first got married in hopes of raising a big family.

After Daddy left, the house seemed to be much smaller. Mama didn’t seem to smile as often, but she always reminded me how much the two of them loved me and that what happened between them wasn’t my fault. She always made sure I knew I was her everything but told me I could be a little stubborn, like Daddy was, but still wouldn’t trade me for the world. Mama knew that I loved her and loved to be home with her and loved to explore the woods behind the house. Sometimes she would explore with me, even if she had worked the night before.

Sneaking down the stairs, I stopped about halfway and debated whether or not I should do what I was about to do. “Screw it.” I ran for the back door and snatched it open and made the best biggest splash ever with an epic cannonball into the pool. I knew it wasn’t the smartest idea—being that it was freezing outside and I would surely get sick—but it would prolong going to school, and that was all the reasoning I needed. It’s not that I didn’t like school. It’s just, making an adventurous soul stay indoors is flat-out wrong—cruel really—not to mention most of the kids at school were jerks.

Anyway, I guess Mama had been so busy cooking and had frankly been too tired to see me that she completely missed me sneaking out behind her. Only my elegant door-opening skills, not to mention the cannonball, caught her attention. Jumping in the ice-cold water did not bother me as much as you might think because I must have been a fish in my past life. Crossing my arms over my legs, I sank peacefully to the bottom, like a rock. This was heaven. I could hear my dog, Edgar, barking at me through the chilly water.

Goose bumps rose along my skin from the chill of the water but, still no school, no learning, just frigid bliss. At least being down here separated me from the rest of world; deep in the waters there could be no school. It was my escape, but it was short-lived. Mama had walked to the back door and crossed her arms, leaning herself against the door frame and waiting for me to surface. I scrunched my nose and fought my hardest to prolong my stay, but, dang it, I had no choice but to come up for air and face the world. Mama was standing there, smirking, holding out her arms to me. Grabbing the rim of the pool, I pulled myself out and slid on my belly like a sea lion.

“Come on, sweetie. Let’s get you warm,” said Mama.

Shivering, I shuffled my feet into the house digging for a way to stay home. Looking up at Mama, I asked her, “Do you think God could make me into a fish?”

She kissed me on the head and said, “Even the fish have to go to school, baby.”

After getting dry and thoroughly wrapped up, I came downstairs from my room. Passing Mama in the recliner, she handed me my glasses and told me to go on and eat before I missed the bus. So I shoveled my eggs from side to side on the plate while looking out the window, wishing it was already our school’s winter break. The sound of Grandpa’s almost-toothless mouth, gnawing on a piece of bacon, caught my attention.

“Well, teeth don’t fail me now,” said Grandpa as I turned and saw his greasy smile.

After Daddy left, Grandpa had moved in with Mama to keep her company, but I think Grandpa needed the company too. Grandpa’s wife had passed away a few months before I had been well enough to leave the hospital, so Mama had asked him to move in with us. I don’t remember exactly when he did, but I know, after I came home from the hospital, he had already been at our house for a while. Mama never really told me why Daddy left, but I think it had something to do with all the time Mama was at the hospital with me.

“Happy birthday, sunshine. I got something to help a little explorer like you,” said Grandpa as he pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and what looked like a large silver locket.

“Oh, yeah. It is my birthday!”

With his shaky hands he gave me the money and placed the locket in front of me.

“You open it up like this,” he said, his fingers fumbling to open it.

“Here, let me do it, Grandpa,” I said, pressing the silver button on top, releasing the facing and revealing a compass.

“If you ever get lost, you’ll be able to find your way back home to me,” said Grandpa.

Kissing him on the top of his head, I told him thank-you and headed to the living room. When I got there, Mama was in a daze in the recliner. With Mama not having the energy to argue, I figured now would be the best time to ask her, “Mama, can’t I just stay home with you, please?” I tried my best to pout with my lips.

Mama sighed and said, “OK, dear. It is your birthday, after all. Happy birthday, by the way, sweetie.”

“Yes, Mama. It is, indeed, my birthday. Thank you for understanding!” I replied, feeling the need to reinforce her decision. I darted for the back door again.

“Stay in the backyard! And don’t let Teddy Joe know you stayed home today. I’ll have to call the school and tell them you have the flu or something! But, Robin, this is the last time for a long time! Do you hear me?”

But with the water still in my ears, what I heard was, Robin, go get Teddy and go have fun because it’s your birthday!

“OK,” I said on my mad dash for freedom.