This is Love

Life Goals and a Dose of Reality, Chapters 1-7

Note from the author: I am looking for feedback for my story.  Any constructive criticism will be appreciated.  Enjoy- Kim Z.

Chapter 1

It was a warm, sunny day as I sat out back behind a large azalea bushes with my dolls, Cassidy and Belle. The smell of suntan lotion enveloped me as my mother called me into the house ten minutes earlier so she could reapply it. I could hear her voice off in the distance toward the house speaking to another woman but was more focused on the important tea party I was having at my bright blue and yellow plastic table complete with water and animal crackers. "Would you like more tea, Belle," my five-year-old self asked the smiling baby doll with a faded pink dress as she was my most cherished possession. I felt hidden here in this canopy of trees and shrubbery and a world away from my house even though it was less than one hundred feet away.

My dolls, Cassidy and Belle, and I were having a lively discussion of our plans to travel to the zoo together and possibly inviting Mickey Mouse when a football bounced haphazardly into the small clearing around my table. It startled me and I spilled my teacup of water down my blue romper that I wore every other day.

A boy ran through the bushes, picked up the football, and froze as he saw me. He was older than me by a few years. He had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and he had two band-aids on his left kneecap. "Did you find it, Ben," a voice called from the other side of the bushes.

Another boy came into the small clearing making the area feel claustrophobic. The younger boy had lighter hair, but the same blue eyes. "Oh, sorry. I'm not so good at throwing," he said kicking the dirt seemingly embarrassed. "My name is Justin, and this is my brother, Ben." They both looked at me timidly knowing they interrupted my private play moment.

"I'm Meredith," I replied shyly. "Would you like some animal crackers and tea," I offered pointing to the open box and Cassidy's plate.

Ben and Justin looked at each other and Ben shrugged his shoulders before setting the football down on the ground. Justin reluctantly sat down next to his brother. "We just moved in next door," Ben stated taking a few crackers from the plate.

"From Maryland," added Justin picking the crumbs out of the box of crackers as he had scarfed down the remaining crackers from Belle's plate.

"That's nice," I lied. I was still rather bitter because I missed Mrs. Stone who had moved out of their house. The large home was cluttered with different knick-knack's and antiques. Every time I visited her, there was a new treasure to look at with an equally intriguing story of how she acquired it. I snuck into her house while the mover's and her son loaded up the last of the boxes in the moving van and teared up at the vast emptiness of all the rooms. I was looking for a memento of Mrs. Stone to remember her by as I was told by my parents that she moved to a faraway place and did not have time to say good-bye. Later as a teenager, I was told the truth that she died suddenly.

I don't know how much time passed, but I learned that Ben was nine years old, while Justin was six. Ben wanted to be a Boy Scout and play football, while Justin wanted to play basketball. They asked me if I had any siblings. "No, but I really want a sister," I replied. They also asked about the elementary school they would be going to in a few weeks and I told them I didn't know anything about the building. This caused me to become anxious as I remembered that I too was starting at the same new school and leaving the comforts of Ms. Caprazzi's preschool classroom.

Justin got up first after all the crackers and water had been depleted. He picked up the ball sitting on the ground between Ben and myself. "Do you want to play with us," he offered.