Sorry for the extreme shortness... i just wasn't in the mood is gonna be raining the next few days so I'm like :P but next one will be longer! Pinky promise (:


I walked along side my mother down the dusty dirt road. A row of mail boxes to our left. we lived about a quarter mile off Route 17 about a half mile from the town of Greenbow, Alabama. That's in the county of Greenbow. Our house has been in Momma's family since her grandpa's grandpa's grandpa had came across the ocean about a thousand years ago. Something like that.

We walked up the drive way of our home. Since it was just me and Momma and we had all those rooms out, mostly to people passing through. Like from oh, mobile, montgomery, place like that. Thats how me and mommy got money. Mommy was a really smart lady.

She lead me to the porch, disrupting my train of thought. "Remember what I told you Flippy, you are no different than anybody else is." I nodded, she bent down, looking me in the eyes, and shuffling my ears. "Did you hear what I said, Flippy? You're the same as everybody else. Your no different." she hugged me, making me smile once more.

Principles office/ Elementary school. (The next day)

I sat, arms folded, staring at the orange bear before me as he continued babbling about my son. "Your boy's... Different, Mrs. Gump. Now, his I.Q is seventy-five."

I shot him an offended glare. "Well where all different Mr. Pop." (Mr. Hancock in the movie)

He sighed and stood up. "I want to show you something, Mrs. Gump. Now this is normal." He held up a chart with a designations according to I.Q., and points to the center of he graph labeled "Normal" a red line below the normal area labeled "State Acceptance." He points to the section below state acceptance labeled "Below"

"Flippy is right here. The state requires a minimum I.Q. Or eighty to attend Mrs. Gump. He's gonna have to to go to a special school. Now he'll be just fine."

Outraged I stood up and shouted. "What does Normal mean, anyway? He might be a bit on the slow side, but my boy Flippy is gonna get the same opportunities as everyone else. He's not going to some special school to learn how to re-tread tires! Were talking about five little points here! There must be something can be done!"

There was a small silence before he snapped. "Were a progressive school system. We don't want to see anybody left behind" he said taking a breath, a whole smile appeared upon his face. "Is there a Mr. Gump, Mrs. Gump?"

I sighed and gritted my teeth. "He's on vacation."

Later at night... Gump Boarding house.

I sat outside on the swing, the night time breeze gently brushing my face repeatedly. It was silent, except for the constant man grunts I herd coming from inside. I sat innocently on the swing, swaying back and forth, until of course Principal Pop steps out from my house, wiping the sweat off his face and directing his attention towards me.

"Well your momma sure does care about your schooling, son. Mm-mm-mm"

He wipes the sweat from his neck, looking back towards me, he continues. "You don't talk much do you?" he said, continuing to wipe the sweat.

An evil smile placed itself upon my lips as I grunted, imitating the grunts I had herd before. His face flushed red as he turned and walks away.

Even later that night.

Momma had grabbed the book, my all time favorite, "Curious George." She read it to me, while I paid attention to each and every word.

"Finally, he had to try it. It looked easy, but oh, what happened First there-"

I quickly interrupted as I remembered her conversation from earlier. "Momma, what's vacation mean?"

A confused look came upon her face. "Vacation."

I nodded. "Where daddy went" I said innocently.

She sighed. "Vacation's when you go somewhere and you don't ever come back."

I nodded once more, then laid in bed and looked up, tuning out my mother and listening to my thoughts as they filled my brain. Anyway I guess you can say me and momma was on our own.