Superman

I am half asleep when I hear the pitter-patter of his footsteps, tenderly tiptoe towards me. I'm half in another world, now ready to conquer the day. I can hear his easing breath carry to my blessed ears. My stomach winces for the expecting burst of knees and elbows. I relax when there is none. Lazily opening one eye, my heart falls apart. His tears consume his eyes, and my heart weeps with agony. I grab him, holding him close; the cause was self-explanatory.

“Stay here” I whisper gravely. Closing the door behind me, my eyes look for her, while my heart tries to stay with him. Through fuzzy objects I find her lying half on the couch, half on the floor. Her mouth, once beautiful and soft to touch, was now covered with punctures and blood. Her skin was as burning as fire to the hand, and as I touched her, the fire burned my heart. Guessing she had finished her seizure, and with both hands carefully placed on her hips, I lifted her to the couch. Grabbing my head, as if to hold all the thoughts inside, I thought of solutions, remedies, of anything but the action.

Closing my eyes I count to ten, feeling the anger evade me right through the tips of my fingers. Picking up the phone, I called the next door neighbor: darling Tracey. Answering the second ring, I calmy state I need to go to the store and would she mind taking care of Richard? Lovely lady, she obliged and my feet, not as softly as his, came alive and walked their way to my room. His bright blue eyes, made my knee's weak enough to grasp for the bed. I cupped my hands to his face, as I wondered how he could be so strong. The only explanation iI could find was he was a god trapped in a 5 year olds body.

“Mommy will be okay. Your so good at crazy eights, why don't you go play a game with Tracey, while I get mommy some medicine, okay?” I declared in my most assured voice. He replies with a nod, and I walk behind him, making sure he doesn't look back to the couch. I watch him slump over to the door beside us, and sigh when he goes in. Mission one accomplished. The air smells stale as my feet come alive again, taking me too my second mission.

I place a hand on her chest, hoping to feel it rise and fall. Her respiratory system was half decent, but not nearly good enough. Calling the only person I could think of, my oldest brother answers the phone.

“Be there in ten.” He says, his voice so old in his years. Ten minutes it was, the longest of my life. The smell of burning plastic grew so overwhelming, my head was in the sink, regurgitating what was left of my withered stomach. Where my hands shaking, or was it my head? A voice inside me started to grow constant; move, do something, it says. I grabbed 3 towels from the bathroom closet, ones I had so carefully folded the day before, as if it mattered if the were folded.

Running them under cold water, like I had so many times before, I laid them over my overdosed mother. Her arm twitches and my heart skips a beat. With latex gloves I remove the CD case of raisin sized crack from the coffee table, taking a break to puke before I finish my 3rd mission. A knock on the door makes my body bounce.

What if its the landlord? What if its my moms drug dealer? What if its my moms boyfriend? This time i know its my hands shaking as I reach for the doorknob. Is it the doorknob thats wet, or my hands? Peeking through the door window blinds, I sigh with relief. Jeremy is here. His eyes, tired and old, seep through my veins, closing in on my first hour of morning. He touched my hair and called me beautiful before he moved in on his mission.

“ Superwoman.” He breaths and I manage to shake my head no. His half smile is pasted on his face, his head cocked to one side. He is superman. Richard is superman. I am merely a 12 year old being driven by the love for my brother.

He scoops her up with one swoop and I open the door, peering outside to check for snoopy neighbors.

“Coast is Clear.” I whisper, and he leaves, kissing my check.
“Beautiful.” he manages to choke out, before I close the door. Locking it, I collapse behind it, and fall to my knee's. Any strength I had was released in bursts of sobs, thousands of tears; my hearts way of bleeding. I can hear screams from the inside. I am left with nothing now. All my missions accomplished except one. Knowing im not strong enough yet, to finish the job, I sit on my knee's and breath deep and hard.

Questions evade my lips, but a voice tells me to shut them up. I think of anything that will block it out, my first thought is trivia.

The common goldfish is the only animal that can see both infra-red and ultra-violet light. Emus have double-plumed feathers, and they lay emerald/forest green eggs. Roosters can't crow if they can't fully extend their necks. The underside of a horse's hoof is called a frog. The placement of a donkey's eyes in it's head enables it to see all four feet at all times.

This relieves my dizziness, and even makes me smile. Getting on my feet, I am prepared for my final mission. I get into my bed and call the neighbor.

“Thank you so much Tracey, can I speak with Richard? “ I ask, she obliges and his humble voice makes me weak again. “Use your key, and head into my room, mommy's with Jeremey.” I state, hearing his sigh of relief. I count to 20 and I can hear the door open softly. I hear the pitter-patter of his footsteps softly creep towards me. Now ready to conquer the day. I can hear his soft and soothing breath carry to my oh-so-lucky ears. His heart pasted on his face, I grab him and he squeezes me, and I smile for the first time today. I feel so lucky just then, because I realize, he is superman.