by maddie rose

Created on: August 30, 2008   Last Updated: September 14, 2008

Nope, You Cannot go Home Again

A house too small for the seven occupants who lives there, creaks on a unexpected, cold day in the south, one upon a time. The house is slowly coming apart at the seams, by the mere appearance of it. The old white wood farmhouse, with the rusted tin roof, comes to its awakening early as it does every weekday morning, promptly at five a.m.

At five a.m., every morning, the father with the face of man too old for his year, and too many lines on his rough skin, attempts to do the first most important job. He lights the space heater, lining every room, in the small two-bedroom house. The heaters never really warm the house, at the least not for hours. However, the man has not given up in the attempt to get this accomplished anyway.

When this task is completed, he makes the biscuits. By now, the mother has come in and relieved to find his help in the kitchen. One less worry for her to do for the morning. They see one another, though no words are exchanged. This couple have become 'conditioned' to their lives. An acknowledgment with a smile seems to be enough.

She is not the young, silly girl he married at fifteen years old. As he is neither the wide- eye dreamer, she met and married when he was twenty-one, but they have learned to find their places and fit nicely into them. The routines in living have begun to rule their days; they have allowed their life to become this way, unknowingly to them.

The father leaves and begins his next step. He wakes up the three sons, who share an extremely tiny room at the back of the house. When he tells them, "Get up," He there is no need to repeat this statement again. These sons of the man have long since learned when their father tells them something, they do it. The consequences of refusal are too great. They get up and obey. As the father leaves, he hears the sons fighting among themselves, he knows they are up. This is usual.

He enters their own bedroom. In the corner are two small girls, asleep in a roll away bed. He tells them, "Time for breakfast." (The girls are too young for school.) However, they know, and understand. They too get up.

By the time, the table is visited by the occupants of the house, the father is found, reading a paper and finishing his coffee. The children are encouraged to finish and do this quickly, as the bus will arrive much too soon. The mother and children have learned to eat quickly and whatever is on their plates.

The father leaves for work, and the mother is left to finish the job. The boys are rushed until they run to the bus, as it stops.

The smallest girl walks and follows her mother, while the older one looks at a blank television in a cabinet. She can see herself in the small porthole. She terms it on with the 'click' of the dial and watches her favorite "I Love Lucy" show. In the background, big band music is played too loudly while the mother and the younger sister disappears into the day.

The little girl grew up, still watching the re runs. It is an embedded in her memory, as her childhood still loves "I Love Lucy" in re runs today. But she knows every one of them and what the characters on the show say it.

But the house, as the family have long since gone. So have the characters of the show.

Learn more about this author, maddie rose.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.