Summer Memories

“Do you two have everything packed?”
         “Yea, mom” Kyle says. “I told you before that everything was packed.”
         “ Well, help your sister and just remember that whatever you leave here your father will have to ship to Texas.  And we all know how reliable his is, so if it’s left here you probably won’t ever see it again.”
         “I know.” Kyle says while he turns to go up the stairs for one last look around his room.
         It’s July and the warm air is just starting to settle in, as is the daylight and the birds.  The summer has really just arrived and kids are just starting to get in to their summer routines.  But not all things are staying in Long Island this year.  There are some things that are leaving for good and never coming back.
         “Weren’t you suppose to take all the boxes out of my room?” Leah asks her brother, Kyle.
         “I did,” he replies.
         “Well were is my box of barbie dolls?  I had them marked with a crayon. And I don’t see them.”
         “Are you blind they’re right in front of you.”
         “When’s Theresa getting home.  I want to see her?”
         “I don’t know she’s at work.” Annoyed Kyle says, “she’ll be here when she gets here.”
         “But what about Ryan?”
         “What about Ryan?”
         “Where is he?”
         Kyle had about enough of his darling sister, “ He went to get some friends so we can pack up the trailer, with all moms junky furniture.  Alright, enough with the twenty question now.  Go watch T.V until Theresa gets here.”
         Leah turned on the television while Kyle went outside to wait. 
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         “Theresa why don’t you go home?” Kathy her boss asked. “Isn’t today the day your mom is leaving?”
         Theresa reluctantly answers wishing that the answer wasn’t yes. “Yea, but I figure they can’t go without saying goodbye, so the longer I stay here the longer they stay here.”
         “Theresa honey go. You don’t have anymore customers so spend time with your family before they leave.”
         “Alright, then.”
         She got in to her shiney new car which usually made her feel good about herself but that was not the case today.  Today was not like any other day she had ever had, and she was having emotions that she never felt before.  She had felt anger,  pain, heartbreak, and even rage but none of those feelings described the way she felt as she was sitting about to turn on the car.  Up until this point in time Theresa had held all emotions inside, believing that this day would never really happen.  She never thought that anything in her life was ever going to radically change.  But now driving home she new it wasn’t all a bad dream but that this was real and there wasn’t a dam thing she could do about it.
         Pulling up to her house she parked in front of the uhaul trailer.  Before getting out she sat for a second to get back her composer and then squired two drops of anti-crying solution in each eye.  She couldn’t have a breakdown just yet, it had to be afterwards when no one could see.  Theresa slowly walked past the trailer wishing she had a knife so she could flatten the tire, but that would only delay the inevitable not stop it.  So into the house she went trying to act normal.           
         Inside her sister Leah was watching the Disney channel in the living room, while her  brothers, Ryan and Kyle were grabbing more boxes to load on to the trailer.  In the kitchen her mother and father were talking about the final arrangements.  They were talking as if this were any other day.  As like this ‘trip’ was just like any of the dozens of family trips they had all been on through out the years.  They did not seem angry or mad at each other as they had been for the last few years but acted as they should’ve been, calm and civil.  When Theresa walked in Leah jumped off the couch, and said, “Tree-see, your home!” She then proceeded to run over and give her big sister a big hug.          
         “Where’s mom and dad?” Theresa half whispers to her brothers. 
          For the past few months every one had been  walking on eggshells and they became pretty well accustomed to it. They had all become cautious to who’s were and what they were talking about so as to never walk in on certain conversations.  If one was to step into another’s conversation they became referees in a never winning , never ending game called splitting up. 
         “They’re in the kitchen.”Ryan answers.
         “Are they mad at each other?”she asks.
         “No, just talking.” Kyle jumps in.
         Theresa looks at Leah and Kyle and asks the dreaded question, “ Do you know what time your leaving?”
         “Mom said as soon as everything is packed.” Kyle says this as he picks up the last three boxes.  “ When I get back we just have to load all of the furniture, Ryan your gonna help right?”
         “Yea, me and Rob are going to start with this armoire.”Ryan and his friend Rob gently start to take out the first of many heavy items.
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         The sun was slowly falling behind the trees.  The night time chill was slowly approaching bringing with it the departure of half a family. 
         By this time the trailer was nearly full and no one knew what to say or how to act.  Is this a time to laugh or a time to cry, is it okay to smile or should a sulk be more appropriate. 
         Mostly everyone is outside now and the realization finally hit Theresa.  Being the oldest she was trying to stay strong for every one but mostly for her ten year old sister.  She couldn’t hold it in any more and started to cry uncontrollably.  ‘This is it,’ she thought, ‘my mom is really leaving, and so is Kyle, and so is Leah.’
         “Theresa don’t cry,” her mother embraced her in her big warm arms. “ you can come and see us whenever you want to.  I love you, don’t cry.”
         “What about Leah, I ‘m her older sister I’m never going to see her grow up.  I’m never going to meet the first boyfriend or see her go to her first dance.  What if she need someone to talk to besides you, like her own sister.”
         “You can still do all that.”
         “No I can’t, it won’t be the same.  She’s not going to be here and I’m not going to be there.” She continued to cry not caring what any one had to say.  Nothing was going to make this situation any better and all she needed at that moment was to cry.  The breakdown she feared had arrived early in plain sight of everyone.  Her mother was now also crying, saying, “ I love you, I want to come.  It’s not to late we can still pack your stuff.”
         “No,” mom. “I have school and work and friends here.  I can’t go. I don’t want to move, this is where I grew up, I like it here.  What the hell is in Texas anyway? Why do you have to move so far, why not jersey, or pennsylvania.”
         “You already know the answer to that. I just can’t stay here.”
         Deep inside Theresa did know the answer and she did know that this was in the best interest of her mother.  Her mother had been so unhappy and mistreated for a long time and she deserved to finally be happy. She needed to go she had to go, but that also meant that the two younger siblings where going to.  Ryan and Theresa both over the age of eighteen had decided to stay in New York but Kyle and Leah where leaving. 
         The chill had arrived and the trailer had been packed.  The whole family now stood around saying their goodbyes.  Mom to dad, Ryan to Kyle, Leah To Theresa. Unbeknownst to anyone this would be the last time they would all be standing in the presence of each other for a very long time maybe even forever.  One by one the goodbyes ended and in to the van they slowly went.  Theresa crying once again, listened to the van rumble and then began to watch as the van drove away.  Down the street until there was nothing, no rumble, no van and no mom