Early summer 2008,San Diego...
Megan Parker walked down the winding,little path through her front yard where young hedge buds were trimmed and surrounding the wide expanse of green grass.It was an expectionally beautiful day after the previous rain.
"Morning,Miss Parker."The African American mailman greeted her.
"Hi,Arnold."she said,wringing her hands anxiously behind her in attempt not to appear anxious.It was important she didn't let on her excitement.
"Lovely weather today,isn't it?"He flashed her a polite smile and stowed the mail in the large,bricked mailbox."A perfect day for a little swimming."
"It sure is."Megan agreed with a smile of her own.Please leave.
"You have a nice day now."With a tip of his blue hat,he walked off.
As soon as he was well onto the next house and his view of her was cut off by a large pile of gradually decaying bush limbs Walter hadn't gotten around to throwing away yet,Megan practically charged for the mailbox.
With only one objective in mind:Seeing if she had unscrambled a hidden code correctly that was sent off two weeks ago in order to win a pair of free tickets to the Jonas Brother's concert in June.Two front to be exact.
She opened the metal door and pulled out a generous stack of mail from the slot.Electric bill,car insurance,a magazine titled How To Handle Less-then-Successful husbands,bank statement and then three letters that were addressed to her and her brothers.She tore open hers eagerly to reveal...
Dear Megan,
I know we haven't talked-
Megan abruptly stopped reading the letter to check the return address.
Andrew Parker.Brooklyn,New York.Johnson ST. 10017.
This letter was from her father.
"Outta my way!"Josh hollered out spastically as he struggled to haul back a straining Drake from reaching out and grabbing the letters from Megan.
"Drake,"she released a breath of incredulousness."You won't believe this but I've got a letter from our dad.After eight years he's actually written us."
"Great Megs."Drake said absently as he managed to get Josh in a tight head lock and rip the remaining two letters from her hands."Ha,got'em!"
In a single rip he tore open his letter;in the middle.As he stood there in a gawking state,Josh seized the opportunity to nail his brother in the belly and make away with the remaining letter.Slowly,he slit it open with a nail.
"Well,"Megan said impatiently."Any day now,Sir Boobs Alot."
"You can't rush suspense."he argued and tore it open quickly anyways.
They both waited as a look of sheer amazement spread onto his face.
"I've gotten my acceptance letter into Yale!"
It was Drake's turn to look overjoyed as he connected the sheets back together."Dude,they want me to go on a music tour all summer."his grin reached from ear-to-ear as he looked up at them."In London England."
"That's...great."Megan glanced down at her letter and folded it up to put in her pocket as the guys raced back into the house.Her real father had put off contacting his family for eight years,a few more hours wouldn't matter.
x.x.x
"You guys didn't have to throw us a party,"Josh said modestly."Seriously, I know we've been having an awesome year so far but this is kind of a lot."
"You've earned it."Audrey insisted,moving some of her red hair behind her ear."Besides,how often does someone's child get an acceptance to Yale?"
"Or get to go on a summer long concert tour?"Walter added with a laugh.
Drake looked up from devouring his fourth slice of cobbler."Is that some sort of trick question?"he asked,confused.Seeing that it wasn't,he set his plate down."I see what you mean though.It also means no college issues."
"Drake!"his mother shot him a look of disbelief."You'll have to go sooner or later.You still haven't gotten a letter from the university but still you'll-"
"Mom,I'm 18."
"He is right,you know."Walter confirmed and gave both boys a thump on the back from where he sat in the center of the sofa."And you know what happens after you all move out,right?"he winked over at his wife."Right..."
"Which we'll discuss at the right time."She replied.Drake and Megan both cringed while Josh sat looking puzzled.What could his dad mean by that?
"Mom,"Megan sat down on the arm rest of the recliner,pasting on a smile that she hoped looked assuring."What would you say if someone we use-"
"Speaking of letters,"Walter intervened."Where's the rest of them?"
Her mind drifted temporaily away and back to the rest of the mail all over the sidewalk."Um...vultures.Big nasty ones ate them.Now,Mom,I've got-"
The phone ringing suddenly startled everyone to attention.Drake reached over to pick up the phone and answered it still a bit startled.Frowning at it, he turned the phone over to Josh who took it with a slightly curious "hello".
"Hey,Mindy.Guess what..."he trailed as she apparently was talking faster and over him."What?No way.You solved a puzzle to go see that Joseph band in June this summer?"Megan could feel the urge to scream out loud.
Even if the Boob couldn't get their names right,he knew how much she'd wanted to see them live.Her room was decked out in Jonas Brother stuff.
"Sure,Hon.I'd love to go."he said the unthinkable."I've got news too."
As he retired up to his room,Drake went in for fifths and Walter rushed out to the front lawn,Megan felt a hand sliding down by her thigh.She turned to see her mother had pulled the folded slip of paper from her father out of it.
"What's this?"she inquired,smoothing the slightly wrinkled message out on the coffee table."I thought you were texting instead of passing notes now."
"Mom..."Megan began uncertainly.
...Her mother's eyes skimmed the words.Dear Megan,
I know we haven't talked in quite some time,I wouldn't blame you if you didn't even remember me.But I want you to know I've thought of you often.I didn't have your address so I couldn't keep in contact but I forunately came across it by looking up your brother on the internet.
He's become quite a handsome-looking rockstar like his father.Well, without the rockstar part.Listen,I know it's asking a lot but I'd love to send for you this summer vacation for a few weeks.I've enclosed a plane ticket and my home and work number.You can call anytime.
Just make sure you call before telling your mother,we wouldn't want to give her a heart attack would we?Small joke.I look very forward to hearing from you.I bet you've grown into such a amazing big girl.
Or should I say young woman?
All my love,
Dad.
There was a quick "cha" sound and the letter was in half.This time it was not the error of a hasty move to open a letter,it was with the intention of it never being read again.Megan stared at her fuming mother,turning pale-ish.
"Don't you ever let me catch you trying to contact that man."she told her in a firm,demanding tone."He's nothing but a lot of talk and empty promises."
"Why haven't we talked to him in years?"Megan worked up the nerve to ask,she had never seen her mom this way.Totally engulfed in rage like this.
"It doesn't matter."Audrey told her,nearly snapping."You will not contact him at all.I'm throwing all of this garbage away and that'll be the end of it."
"But Mom,you've never even told us why he's like that."
"I have my reasons!"
"What reasons?!Why!"
That's when the even more unthinkable happened,Audrey slapped her.The touch that was normally used to comfort was used to redden her cheek,to cease the onslaught of questions fired at her.It had been her only defense.
"I'm sorry,"she said after a moment,ignoring the stinging on her daugther's cheek."I'm sorry,Megan.But you are too young to understand any of this."
The room was completely silent after her mother stalked away up stairs and Walter came back in with the bills.He gave Megan a questioning look but started up the stairs,oblivious to the scene prior to his re-entrance.Just as well,Megan started over to the foot of the steps herself and took a seat.
Drake hadn't even noticed from his concentration on the stupid cobbler,now he got up and was taking off for outside.
"I can't believe I got into Yale either,Mindy."Josh's voice echoed."And the fact that I get to go with you to see your favorite band sweetens the deal."
She got up and moved into the kitchen to grab a diet soda,through the vent above she could hear her mother actually,amazingly cursing.Megan paused from closing the fridge and heard it,the sound of the family paper shredder.
"That idiot Andy."she panted angrily."I'll burn this boarding pass tonight so Megan will never have to have a one-way ticket to his tricks like I use to."
And that was it.Megan knew she would have to intercept that pass before her mother got to accomplish such an underhanded method.She was going to New York,where one person might just give a darn about what she did.
Might just care about what she accomplished.
To be continued...