Thank You: Fyre for writing the Flashback scene!
Mercedes opened her eyes to see complete blackness. She started to panic and got up, feeling pain shoot through her right arm. She tried to move it but she knew the elbow was dislocated. Looking around, she tried to remember where she was. Pulling out her penlight, she turned it on, seeing the mangled train car. She remembered what was going on and looked for her brother.
"Mo? Maurice? Oh god, Mo?" She crawled with her available hand and looked for him.
"Over here." She heard his voice and looked over at him, crawling to him, she saw he had a cut on his cheek and forehead.
"Are you all right?" She moved to his side and sat down.
"Yeah, just a bump on the head, you?" He looked at her; the penlight made almost no light.
"I think my elbow is dislocated, but other than that, I'm fine." She leaned against him and sighed, shuddering.
"God, of all places, it had to be in a tunnel, under the streets of New York."
"Mo, I'm scared."
"So am I." They both hated the dark. A childhood nightmare was becoming reality all over again as the time went by.
"You know it could take days to get us out of here, right?" She looked up at him.
"Don't say that." He didn't want to know he would be trapped in the wreckage for more than 2 hours. He looked around as he heard steel grinding and brakes squealing. The car shifted slightly and Mercedes grabbed a hold of him, thinking it was going to collapse. They heard yelling of people in the 3rd car and shivered.
"You know, I remember the first day you were born. How ironic we are stuck here, looking possible death in the face, and I think of the day you were born." He looked down at her. She looked up and smiled.
"Tell me?" She never really heard any stories about her birth other than him taking credit for her middle name.
"Well, it was Valentine's day, 1978..."
*****Flashback*****
I sat in my kindergarten classroom, staring ahead at my teacher Mrs. Rouke as she told us how to pass on the Valentines Day Cards. I sighed hoping she would just shut up so we could pass the damn things out already.
My eyes slowly go to the window as I see snow begin to fall. I start praying it snows so much that tomorrow is a snow day. I hate school especially this school. It both sucks and blows.
"Maurice!" I hear someone yelling my name and I look up front.
"Maurice you can start passing out your Valentines now. I nod in reply as I gather them from my desk. I make my way around the classroom dropping in each card. Into little white paper bags we drew stupid things on like hearts and I love you crap. I never under stood this holiday much. Other then its some artificial crap made by the greeting card companies to rape us Americans of our hard-earned money. It sucks, I hate it.
Before I knew it, it was finally time to go home. Thank God. I knew I had plenty to do when I got home. Besides the homework my teacher gave me. I had to help Mikey with his preschool assignments, and my Ma with stuff. She's pregnant, with a girl. I'm going to have a little sister and if anyone messes with her. I'm kicking their ass. My Ma has a name picked out too. Mercedes Lynn Boscorelli. She really has a thing for that car, so that's going to be the baby's name.
The snow is falling harder now and I keep thinking about getting a Snow Day. My little brother Mikey catches up to me. He's babbling about how the girl he likes, Jenny, made him a Valentine. Good for him, I still hate this holiday and girls have cooties. If he wants cooties, then he can have cooties.
We finally get home and my old man is sitting in his chair watching TV. He doesn't seem to be drinking yet. Which is good; less for me to worry about. I don't have to worry about him hurting my Ma or Mikey. My Ma was taking a nap when I got in. So I head towards to her room to see how she is.
"Mom?" I ask opening the door.
"Hey Hun." She tells me as she pats on the bed.
"Come here. How was school?"
"Fine." I tell her, moving to her side of the bed.
"It's snowing now." I state matter of factly.
"Maybe you and Mikey can go sledding tomorrow."
"Maybe there will be no school tomorrow."
My Mom laughs, but she doesn't know I'm serious. I really don't want to go to school tomorrow. She makes a face.
"Mom you okay?" I ask her slightly scared.
"Yes Maurice I'm fine, your sister is just kicking that's all."
"Can I feel?" I ask softly.
"Sure." My Mom replies taking my hand and putting it on her belly. I laugh feeling her kick. It's kind of weird.
"I'm going to be the best big brother ever. I won't let anything happen to her. I'm going to teach her everything I know." My Mom smiles.
"I know you'll be one Maurice. You already are to Mikey. To me you're a great son as well."
~*~*~*~*~
It was about 7pm and we were just finishing up dinner when I heard my Mom call for my Dad from the bathroom. All of the sudden he's rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off.
"Dad what's going on?" I ask while doing the dishes.
"Get ya brother together ya mom is having the baby."
I smile. My baby sister is coming. She's coming. I do as my Dad says and get him together and before we know it were at the hospital.
~*~*~*~*~
I sat next to my Mom on her bed as she feed Mercedes. She's so tiny, it's strange, and it's hard to believe I was once that small.
"Mommy." I say softly holding my sisters little, very little hand for a moment.
"What about naming her Love and not Mercedes. Cause she was born on Valentines Day." I tell my Mom. I was proud of the name I came up with and was sure my Mom was going to like it.
"Maurice, I like the name Mercedes, I've already settled on it." She tells me crushing my hopes.
"But I'll tell you what. How about Love as a middle name. Mercedes Love Boscorelli?"
I smile. I just helped name my baby sister. Now I know I have to always protect her. I have to protect Mercedes Love Boscorelli.
Mercedes opened her eyes to see complete blackness. She started to panic and got up, feeling pain shoot through her right arm. She tried to move it but she knew the elbow was dislocated. Looking around, she tried to remember where she was. Pulling out her penlight, she turned it on, seeing the mangled train car. She remembered what was going on and looked for her brother.
"Mo? Maurice? Oh god, Mo?" She crawled with her available hand and looked for him.
"Over here." She heard his voice and looked over at him, crawling to him, she saw he had a cut on his cheek and forehead.
"Are you all right?" She moved to his side and sat down.
"Yeah, just a bump on the head, you?" He looked at her; the penlight made almost no light.
"I think my elbow is dislocated, but other than that, I'm fine." She leaned against him and sighed, shuddering.
"God, of all places, it had to be in a tunnel, under the streets of New York."
"Mo, I'm scared."
"So am I." They both hated the dark. A childhood nightmare was becoming reality all over again as the time went by.
"You know it could take days to get us out of here, right?" She looked up at him.
"Don't say that." He didn't want to know he would be trapped in the wreckage for more than 2 hours. He looked around as he heard steel grinding and brakes squealing. The car shifted slightly and Mercedes grabbed a hold of him, thinking it was going to collapse. They heard yelling of people in the 3rd car and shivered.
"You know, I remember the first day you were born. How ironic we are stuck here, looking possible death in the face, and I think of the day you were born." He looked down at her. She looked up and smiled.
"Tell me?" She never really heard any stories about her birth other than him taking credit for her middle name.
"Well, it was Valentine's day, 1978..."
*****Flashback*****
I sat in my kindergarten classroom, staring ahead at my teacher Mrs. Rouke as she told us how to pass on the Valentines Day Cards. I sighed hoping she would just shut up so we could pass the damn things out already.
My eyes slowly go to the window as I see snow begin to fall. I start praying it snows so much that tomorrow is a snow day. I hate school especially this school. It both sucks and blows.
"Maurice!" I hear someone yelling my name and I look up front.
"Maurice you can start passing out your Valentines now. I nod in reply as I gather them from my desk. I make my way around the classroom dropping in each card. Into little white paper bags we drew stupid things on like hearts and I love you crap. I never under stood this holiday much. Other then its some artificial crap made by the greeting card companies to rape us Americans of our hard-earned money. It sucks, I hate it.
Before I knew it, it was finally time to go home. Thank God. I knew I had plenty to do when I got home. Besides the homework my teacher gave me. I had to help Mikey with his preschool assignments, and my Ma with stuff. She's pregnant, with a girl. I'm going to have a little sister and if anyone messes with her. I'm kicking their ass. My Ma has a name picked out too. Mercedes Lynn Boscorelli. She really has a thing for that car, so that's going to be the baby's name.
The snow is falling harder now and I keep thinking about getting a Snow Day. My little brother Mikey catches up to me. He's babbling about how the girl he likes, Jenny, made him a Valentine. Good for him, I still hate this holiday and girls have cooties. If he wants cooties, then he can have cooties.
We finally get home and my old man is sitting in his chair watching TV. He doesn't seem to be drinking yet. Which is good; less for me to worry about. I don't have to worry about him hurting my Ma or Mikey. My Ma was taking a nap when I got in. So I head towards to her room to see how she is.
"Mom?" I ask opening the door.
"Hey Hun." She tells me as she pats on the bed.
"Come here. How was school?"
"Fine." I tell her, moving to her side of the bed.
"It's snowing now." I state matter of factly.
"Maybe you and Mikey can go sledding tomorrow."
"Maybe there will be no school tomorrow."
My Mom laughs, but she doesn't know I'm serious. I really don't want to go to school tomorrow. She makes a face.
"Mom you okay?" I ask her slightly scared.
"Yes Maurice I'm fine, your sister is just kicking that's all."
"Can I feel?" I ask softly.
"Sure." My Mom replies taking my hand and putting it on her belly. I laugh feeling her kick. It's kind of weird.
"I'm going to be the best big brother ever. I won't let anything happen to her. I'm going to teach her everything I know." My Mom smiles.
"I know you'll be one Maurice. You already are to Mikey. To me you're a great son as well."
~*~*~*~*~
It was about 7pm and we were just finishing up dinner when I heard my Mom call for my Dad from the bathroom. All of the sudden he's rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off.
"Dad what's going on?" I ask while doing the dishes.
"Get ya brother together ya mom is having the baby."
I smile. My baby sister is coming. She's coming. I do as my Dad says and get him together and before we know it were at the hospital.
~*~*~*~*~
I sat next to my Mom on her bed as she feed Mercedes. She's so tiny, it's strange, and it's hard to believe I was once that small.
"Mommy." I say softly holding my sisters little, very little hand for a moment.
"What about naming her Love and not Mercedes. Cause she was born on Valentines Day." I tell my Mom. I was proud of the name I came up with and was sure my Mom was going to like it.
"Maurice, I like the name Mercedes, I've already settled on it." She tells me crushing my hopes.
"But I'll tell you what. How about Love as a middle name. Mercedes Love Boscorelli?"
I smile. I just helped name my baby sister. Now I know I have to always protect her. I have to protect Mercedes Love Boscorelli.