Hey, I'm back, sooner than I thought I would be, I think my muse is slowly coming back, but it helps that I'm writing about the tragedy from my point of view as a fiction story.
Thought I'd share a story with you, it's not one of how great the volunteers here have been, it's just one that might boggle the mind.
My teacher told me this story, he has a friend that lives in Joplin, but owns land out east of Joplin, about twenty miles. He keeps cows on this land, no barn, no buildings, just land. Well, he went out not to long after the tornado and stopped, looking around, trying to figure out were this barn came from, apparently the tornado picked up a barn somewhere along the line and dropped it twenty miles away, in perfect condition. It's mind blowing how a barn can be lifted and moved in the air and then dropped some ways away and it be in perfect shape.
On another note, I'm not sure if you've heard, but St. John's Hospital, which I had the chance to see in person and from over six miles away, yes, if you've heard that, you can see it from the other end of town, close to seven miles away, but anyways, back to St. Johns, it was moved four inches off it's foundation, pictures don't do it justice. Mind blowing, isn't it?
On that note, I'll say good-bye. Please ENJOY!
"Jane, get back here," I said, following my crawling baby, she'd recently realized that she could get away from me by crawling and she was a fast little sucker. I scrambled after the nine month old, who was trying to get away from me. She then latched on to the coffee table and hoisted herself up, standing on her own with the table's help. I grabbed my camera and shot the photo, her first time standing by herself that I knew about. "Gotcha," I snagged the rug rat who giggled at me.
"Mama," she giggled, along with crawling, she'd also learned who her mother was, nine months and she was full of little surprises. I carried her to her high chair and put her in, just as the phone rang, I went to grab it, Jane wiggling to get out of her chair, but I had her strapped in.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Bella."
"Edward, hi."
"Is this a bad time?"
"Just trying to get food in Jane and then a nap."
"Mama," Jane whined.
"Is she saying mama to you?"
"Yes and she's crawling. I might have to cash in one of those free babysitting coupons Em gave me."
"Well, how about tonight, Alice, Jazz and I are going roller skating and we'd like for you to come along."
"I have to ask my father, I'll call him and get back to you, what time?"
Edward gave me the time that they could pick me up and drop Emmett and Rosalie off with Jane, but I said I'd feel safer if she was at the Cullen's instead of here. He agreed and I hung up.
"You might get to spend some much needed time with Uncle Emmett, let's see how fast you get away from him?" I told Jane.
"Mama," she said. I wish she'd learn another word. "Mama, mama, mama." Another word, anytime soon. I grabbed some food for Jane, which shut her up while she ate, then I called my father who said okay to my plans as long as I had a reliable person with Emmett, I promised that Rosalie and Esme would be there.
I called Edward back and everything was set, Esme would pick us up at five and we'd go to the rink, then Esme would take Jane back with her.
I hung up and Jane had started in on 'mama' again, this was going to drive me insane. I went to get her bag ready, spare clothes included, I knew Emmett well enough, that she'd be needed a spare before the end of the night.
Five came and Edward walked up to the door to get Jane and her diaper bag, I helped get her situated, she keep saying 'mama'. I was wondering if it would ever stop.
"Sounds like she's gonna miss you tonight, Bella," Esme said.
"I fear for you all, all you're going to hear tonight is mama. I'm sorry in advance."
"I'm sorry for whatever Emmett teaches her tonight as well."
We laughed, I noticed that the back seat was quiet, Jasper and Alice where holding hands, I was in the middle seat with Jane on the other side, Edward was in the front with Esme.
We drove the short distance to the skating rink, where I had to climb out to let Alice and Jasper out. I went to the other side and said goodbye to Jane.
"Janie, you be good for Esme and Uncle Emmett, don't learn any swear words while you're there."
"Bella, she'll be fine, I promise. Oh, and Bella, if you ever need somebody to talk to about Jane, I'm a mom and can help you when you need it, even if it's just a neutral ear."
I smiled and hugged Esme before running to catch up with my friends.
"What did mom want?" Edward asked, Alice and Jasper where already in their own little world.
"Just to let me know she's an ear to talk to when I need it."
"You know, you can always talk to me too."
"I know, but what I want to talk about, I don't think you can keep an open mind about."
"It's about Jane's father isn't it."
I nodded and paid my way into the rink, but my money was refused.
"Dad owns this place," Edward told me as we walked into the rink.
"He doesn't work hands on here, but when Em was younger, him and his friends complained about not having anywhere to go, so he found this, the rink had shut down twenty plus years ago and he opened it back up. I will actually start working here in tenth grade."
"Bella," I groaned, it was a boy from my grade that had a crush on me, Mike Newton.
"Hi, Mike."
"What a surprise, seeing you out tonight, we never see you outside of school."
"Keep busy at home."
Mike smiled and skated off, finding another girl from our class who clearly was crushing on Mike, Jessica Stanley.
"I don't like him," I told Edward.
"Me neither."
"Why?"
"Because he was hitting on you."
This wasn't a good sign, hadn't I told Edward I wasn't interested, I let it slid, maybe he'd just said it because he knew how chaotic my life was.
Edward went to the skate rental, grabbed my size, how he knew, I didn't know, nor would I find out. I put them on and went to the rink floor, I knew how to skate, it's just been awhile since I'd been last, Phil never let me go out with what few friends I did have, and when I moved here, I was already pregnant with Jane, so I couldn't skate, then raising Jane, well, you get the idea.
Edward came up to me as I was adjusting to the wheels and grabbed my hand.
"Slow skate," he said and pulled me towards the middle of the floor.
"So what are you going to do here, when you start working."
"I've told dad I want to DJ, but he'll probably put me on floor for a while, then concessions and then DJ."
"It sounds like it will be fun," I said, realizing that I'd be losing time with my best friend.
"Maybe dad can get you a job here as well."
"What about Jane, I can't keep her at Mrs. Hazels all the time."
"I'm sure dad wouldn't mind her coming with you, we can set up a play pen, maybe he could put you on concessions and she can play back there while you work, it's never to busy, we make enough here, but you'd have time to keep an eye on her."
"A playpen, what happens when she learns how to get out of it?"
"Oh, didn't think about that. Do you have a playpen for her?"
"No, I'm saving up to get one for her first birthday."
"Yes, her birthday is coming up, she's sure growing up."
"It seems like it's been forever since she was born."
"Look, for her birthday, give us a list of things you need, mom's been hinting at getting something big for her, like a play place or something."
"I can't accept something that big."
"Bella, accept that you and Charlie and Jane are an adopted part of our family, I'm sure mom is trying to teach Jane to call her grandma or gram or me maw or something along those lines, tonight."
"As long as she stops saying mama all the time, I'd be happy, I think I've heard it a total of a million times today."
"Anyways, her birthday, what do you need? Get us a list and we'll help you with things, and a play pen is right there at the top of the list. What about a sit and spin toy?"
"You and Emmett are going to have way to much fun shopping."
Edward nodded and we continued skating.
