The car started and I felt us moving. Neither of the people up front were talking to my brother or me so I looked out at the fast, moving trees. It was hot outside and before we took off, mama had opened my side of the car and rolled my window down half-way then she went to the other side and did the same thing.
I stuck my hand outside just a little bit and soon got yelled for it. How did anyone know I did that? I looked around and then I saw eyes staring at me. Those big, brown eyes that looked hard, like steel marbles, like my dolly’s eyes. Oh, that’s what that was, a small mirror that must have some magic to it, because he could see what I was doing from the front seat. I pulled my hand back in and then I put my thumb in my mouth and drifted off to sleep.
Every once in i a while, I was shaken awake by bumps and a dirt that sort of made me cough a little, then the road would seem to get better and I would fall back asleep. It seemed like just a little bit of time because I was woken to a jerk at my hand. “Get that damn thumb out of your mouth! What are you; a retard?” I quietly, without crying, sat very still.
In the front seat, there was rattle of paper and mama was laughing. I don’t know what about. The man had leaned over very close to her and I could see just a little bit of his hands touching her somewhere near her tummy. She jumped a little but then laughed. At least mama was in a good mood and for this, I looked at the back of that dark, curly hair of the man and sighed in relief.
Mama pulled out some sandwiches. She handed the man two, and she tore one in half and gave each of us in the back seat a half. Just like home, peanut butter sandwiches. I sure wish I had something to drink. I looked over at my brother and noticed he wasn’t eating.
I reached out to touch him to tell him to start eating but I couldn’t reach him so picked up the edge of my tattered book and hit him with it. That startled him for sure. He looked at me and I mimicked putting a bite in my mouth. He ignored me and turned his head towards the window. I couldn’t do anything else so I began eating my sandwich.
Mama must have read my mind because she handed me a can that had some sort of funny taste to it. I was thirsty so I drank it. It tasted like bitter or rotten something. She nudged my brother and gave him a bottle of milk, but from where I was sitting; it looked like there were clouds jumping around in circles in it. My brother didn’t want it and turned his head away.
To be continued…
Who I am 