If I Could Be Who You Wanted - Chapter 3
The smell of dust filled the room as the door to the shabby old apartment creaked open. Kay coughed at the intake of the foul smell.
Balancing her baby in both arms carefully, she made her way down the hall to the tiny bedroom. She knocked open the door with her left elbow, kicking a pile of dirty clothes aside as she entered the room.
Kay laid her baby down into the wooden cradle; careful not to disturb her from her slumber. Beside the cradle resided a cheap green matress, the only thing Kay could afford to sleep on at the moment. She picked it up at a yard sale, actully.
"I wish I could afford a better place than this for you, Anna," Kay mumbled to herself, sitting down on the matress and staring at the palms of her hands. They were stained with grease and ketchup; her nails broken and uneven. She reflected back to the days when she used to paint her nails a different shade everyday. That couldn't be further from where she was today.
Anna stirred suddenly, making a gurgling sound. Kay bolted upright and went over to check her, finding her kicking her legs up in the air and wriggling her arms around like crazy. Kay smiled at the image, savoring the feeling. She didn't have too much to smile about these days.
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Miguel's shoes thundered on the hardwood floors of the dorm room. He threw his luggage on the floor, and gazed around at his surroundings. He couldn't believe he was finally here. At college, out on his own, without the ties of Harmony dragging him behind.
"Wow, huh?" Luis said as a broad smile spread across his face. "I remember what it was like the first time I stepped into my dorm room too. There's no feelings like it. Pure freedom, man!"
Miguel looked around at the bare white walls of the room, not a poster or a photograph in sight. The room didn't exactly look homey, he knew, but it would do, and in time he would make it his own. "Yeah, you got that right."
"Just don't forget the little people you left behind, alright?" Luis laughed. "Seriously though, I hope you know we'll always be there if you need anything. Now, I better get going before I start to sound TOO sappy."
After Luis left Miguel was left in complete silence, wondering what to do next. He finally picked up his navy blue suitcase, tossing shirts, jeans and underwear into random drawers. At the very bottom of the suitcase rested an old pictureframe; dust clotting up the picture which rested inside.
"Now how did this get in here," Miguel wondering to himself, picking up the pictureframe. He shook the dust off of it and it took a moment for his vison to adjust to what he was seeing.
The picture was of two seven year olds, hand in hand, smiling like there was no care in the world. They were outside in the Lopez Fitzgerald yard, with the sun reflecting off their rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes. It almost looked like a picture from a storybook; if Miguel hadn't been there himself he would have believed it was.
Kay was clothed in big-fitting overalls and a blue plaid shirt. Her hair was bunched into a messy ponytail and there were mud stains covering her hands, probably from climbing trees. Her tomboy days. Miguel had to chuckle as he remembered that, Kay was so different now.
Or she was, the last he had seen of her. That was over a year ago. But he didn't want to think about that now, college was supposed to be a fresh start. And it was going to be, he told himself firmly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was 4AM in the morning and Kay still couldn't get to sleep. Or rather, Anna wouldn't let her. A few hours ago Kay had been awakened to almost animal-like howls that were coming from the cradle next to her. Anna had woken up in a fit, and Kay had tried her best to calm her down but to no avail.
And here it was, over three hours later and Kay still had her baby clutched tightly in her arms, trying to soothe that sobs that escaped Anna's lips.
"Hush little baby, don't say a word," Kay croaked out, her voice a harsh whisper. She gulped when Anna let out another piercing scream. "Momma's gonna buy you-buy you..." her voice trailed off, not able to remember the rest of the song. So she gently rocked Anna in her arms, and prayed that she would fall asleep.
However Anna's screams only worsened, and by now Kay was really starting to get worried. Something must be wrong other than gas pains. Babies didn't normally scream like this, did they?
Kay looked at Anna's troubled face and let out a sudden gasp, followed by panic filled cries for help. "Oh god, OH GOD. Somebody help me. Oh my GOD my baby isn't breathing!"
The smell of dust filled the room as the door to the shabby old apartment creaked open. Kay coughed at the intake of the foul smell.
Balancing her baby in both arms carefully, she made her way down the hall to the tiny bedroom. She knocked open the door with her left elbow, kicking a pile of dirty clothes aside as she entered the room.
Kay laid her baby down into the wooden cradle; careful not to disturb her from her slumber. Beside the cradle resided a cheap green matress, the only thing Kay could afford to sleep on at the moment. She picked it up at a yard sale, actully.
"I wish I could afford a better place than this for you, Anna," Kay mumbled to herself, sitting down on the matress and staring at the palms of her hands. They were stained with grease and ketchup; her nails broken and uneven. She reflected back to the days when she used to paint her nails a different shade everyday. That couldn't be further from where she was today.
Anna stirred suddenly, making a gurgling sound. Kay bolted upright and went over to check her, finding her kicking her legs up in the air and wriggling her arms around like crazy. Kay smiled at the image, savoring the feeling. She didn't have too much to smile about these days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miguel's shoes thundered on the hardwood floors of the dorm room. He threw his luggage on the floor, and gazed around at his surroundings. He couldn't believe he was finally here. At college, out on his own, without the ties of Harmony dragging him behind.
"Wow, huh?" Luis said as a broad smile spread across his face. "I remember what it was like the first time I stepped into my dorm room too. There's no feelings like it. Pure freedom, man!"
Miguel looked around at the bare white walls of the room, not a poster or a photograph in sight. The room didn't exactly look homey, he knew, but it would do, and in time he would make it his own. "Yeah, you got that right."
"Just don't forget the little people you left behind, alright?" Luis laughed. "Seriously though, I hope you know we'll always be there if you need anything. Now, I better get going before I start to sound TOO sappy."
After Luis left Miguel was left in complete silence, wondering what to do next. He finally picked up his navy blue suitcase, tossing shirts, jeans and underwear into random drawers. At the very bottom of the suitcase rested an old pictureframe; dust clotting up the picture which rested inside.
"Now how did this get in here," Miguel wondering to himself, picking up the pictureframe. He shook the dust off of it and it took a moment for his vison to adjust to what he was seeing.
The picture was of two seven year olds, hand in hand, smiling like there was no care in the world. They were outside in the Lopez Fitzgerald yard, with the sun reflecting off their rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes. It almost looked like a picture from a storybook; if Miguel hadn't been there himself he would have believed it was.
Kay was clothed in big-fitting overalls and a blue plaid shirt. Her hair was bunched into a messy ponytail and there were mud stains covering her hands, probably from climbing trees. Her tomboy days. Miguel had to chuckle as he remembered that, Kay was so different now.
Or she was, the last he had seen of her. That was over a year ago. But he didn't want to think about that now, college was supposed to be a fresh start. And it was going to be, he told himself firmly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was 4AM in the morning and Kay still couldn't get to sleep. Or rather, Anna wouldn't let her. A few hours ago Kay had been awakened to almost animal-like howls that were coming from the cradle next to her. Anna had woken up in a fit, and Kay had tried her best to calm her down but to no avail.
And here it was, over three hours later and Kay still had her baby clutched tightly in her arms, trying to soothe that sobs that escaped Anna's lips.
"Hush little baby, don't say a word," Kay croaked out, her voice a harsh whisper. She gulped when Anna let out another piercing scream. "Momma's gonna buy you-buy you..." her voice trailed off, not able to remember the rest of the song. So she gently rocked Anna in her arms, and prayed that she would fall asleep.
However Anna's screams only worsened, and by now Kay was really starting to get worried. Something must be wrong other than gas pains. Babies didn't normally scream like this, did they?
Kay looked at Anna's troubled face and let out a sudden gasp, followed by panic filled cries for help. "Oh god, OH GOD. Somebody help me. Oh my GOD my baby isn't breathing!"