Seven year old Bernice Tilson struggled as she carried her small VHS TV
out to the car. It was white and had stickers and writing all over it
from Bernice's doodling.
She sat it in the very back, along with a lot of other luggage.
"Bernice, did you get my suitcase in the car?" Leah called from inside.
"Yes." Bernice said, flopping down a large handbag above the TV.
"Yeah, Mama. We should be there in a few days." Leah was in the living room, going through Dale's clothes that were left at the house. The phone was between her shoulder and her ear as Leah talked to her mother over the phone. Leah grabbed a shirt and started ripping it to shreds with a knife. Dale didn't want them anymore.
"Well, if it's not an…inconvenience." Leah said to the phone. She threw down the shirt and picked up another one. She paused when she saw it.
"Oh…" Leah sighed, and put her head on the collar. She breathed in his smell, missing it already.
"All right Mama. Me, too. Bye-bye."
Leah's fifteen year old daughter, Brooklyn, walked down the stairs with a handful of belongings and suitcases.
"Um, do you want me to help you with that Brook?" Leah asked.
"No Mom, I've got it!" Brooklyn said through tears. She pushed open the screen door and stuffed her luggage in the back of their car.
Leah sighed, heart-broken not only for her but for her daughters too. She sat down on one of the chairs for the last time as she smelt Dale's shirt. She threw it on the floor, grabbed her bags, and got in the car.
As the car pulled out of the driveway, Bernice, who was in the very front seat, turned around on her knees and looked back at the house for the last time. Brooklyn, in the back seat, kept looking out the window.
Bernice kept starring at the house as they were driving away.
"Don't look back sweetheart." Leah said, taking her eyes off the road for just one moment, "It's bad luck. Turn around, put on your seatbelt." she said. Bernice turned around and plopped on the chair, buckling her seatbelt.
Leah glanced at the house in her side-door mirror and sighed, holding back tears. She looked over at Bernice who was starring at the dashboard, with a vacant sad expression.
"Take the wheel." Leah said gently. Bernice slowly looked over at the steering-wheel.
"Bernice, don't be a baby, just take the wheel." Leah said, "Come on, come here." she said, grabbing Bernice's hand.
Brooklyn looked up at them as Leah reached back to grab her purse.
"Okay, thank you." Leah whispered, "Here we go." she whispered again, pulling out a piece of paper, looking at it quickly, before handing it to Bernice.
Bernice read it in her mind….
Dear Princess,
I know you're confused now, and I don't blame you. I want you to know none of this is your or Brooklyn's fault. This is between your Mom and me. Not a day will go by when I won't think about you both and wish you were with me. I love you, honey. Be nice to your mom. Kiss Brook for me.
All my heart,
Daddy
Bernice finished the letter and folded it. She set it on the seat, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got on the floor…resting her head on the seat. Leah looked over at her and saw a tear flicker down Bernice's face.
"Brooklyn…" Leah said, looking at her in the mirror.
Brooklyn moved her head down, not looking Leah in the eye.
"Brooklyn…this isn't your fault." Leah said sympathetically.
"I know that Mom." Brooklyn said softly, "But Dad wouldn't do this if he really loved you."
"Us." she corrected.
"He will always love you and Bernice, Brook!" Leah said worriedly, "Nothing will ever take that away from him, no one ever can."
"But he can." Brook said, looking out the window.
Leah put her eyes back on the road as she drove into town, and got on the freeway.
Baby, baby. I'm aware of where you go
Each time you leave my door
I watch you walk down the street
Knowing your other love you're gonna meet
They drove past a sign that said 'Texas State Line: 3 Miles'
This time, before you run to her
Leaving me alone and hurt
Leaving me alone and hurt
Think it over
Leah looked out the window and saw cattle eating the greenest grass she had ever seen. It started jumping up and down like a bucking bronco. Leah didn't have the heart to laugh.
Haven't I been good to you?
Think it over
'You Are Now Entering Smithville' another sign read.
Bernice smelled the air, "What's that funny smell?" she asked.
A small smile crept across Leah's face, "Cows." she said, leaning over to Bernice like it was a secret.
"Is this where you were…Cream of Corn?" Bernice said giggling, looking over at Leah.
"Queen of Corn, honey, and three years running." Leah said in her southern accent, squinting in the sunlight, "A feat unsurpassed in the history of Smithville."
"Oh." Bernice smiled.
Leah glanced at her, "Okay so maybe that was a long time ago, but, believe me honey. Once upon a time, your Mama knew what it meant to shine."
Before you break my heart
Think it over
She sat it in the very back, along with a lot of other luggage.
"Bernice, did you get my suitcase in the car?" Leah called from inside.
"Yes." Bernice said, flopping down a large handbag above the TV.
"Yeah, Mama. We should be there in a few days." Leah was in the living room, going through Dale's clothes that were left at the house. The phone was between her shoulder and her ear as Leah talked to her mother over the phone. Leah grabbed a shirt and started ripping it to shreds with a knife. Dale didn't want them anymore.
"Well, if it's not an…inconvenience." Leah said to the phone. She threw down the shirt and picked up another one. She paused when she saw it.
"Oh…" Leah sighed, and put her head on the collar. She breathed in his smell, missing it already.
"All right Mama. Me, too. Bye-bye."
Leah's fifteen year old daughter, Brooklyn, walked down the stairs with a handful of belongings and suitcases.
"Um, do you want me to help you with that Brook?" Leah asked.
"No Mom, I've got it!" Brooklyn said through tears. She pushed open the screen door and stuffed her luggage in the back of their car.
Leah sighed, heart-broken not only for her but for her daughters too. She sat down on one of the chairs for the last time as she smelt Dale's shirt. She threw it on the floor, grabbed her bags, and got in the car.
As the car pulled out of the driveway, Bernice, who was in the very front seat, turned around on her knees and looked back at the house for the last time. Brooklyn, in the back seat, kept looking out the window.
Bernice kept starring at the house as they were driving away.
"Don't look back sweetheart." Leah said, taking her eyes off the road for just one moment, "It's bad luck. Turn around, put on your seatbelt." she said. Bernice turned around and plopped on the chair, buckling her seatbelt.
Leah glanced at the house in her side-door mirror and sighed, holding back tears. She looked over at Bernice who was starring at the dashboard, with a vacant sad expression.
"Take the wheel." Leah said gently. Bernice slowly looked over at the steering-wheel.
"Bernice, don't be a baby, just take the wheel." Leah said, "Come on, come here." she said, grabbing Bernice's hand.
Brooklyn looked up at them as Leah reached back to grab her purse.
"Okay, thank you." Leah whispered, "Here we go." she whispered again, pulling out a piece of paper, looking at it quickly, before handing it to Bernice.
Bernice read it in her mind….
Dear Princess,
I know you're confused now, and I don't blame you. I want you to know none of this is your or Brooklyn's fault. This is between your Mom and me. Not a day will go by when I won't think about you both and wish you were with me. I love you, honey. Be nice to your mom. Kiss Brook for me.
All my heart,
Daddy
Bernice finished the letter and folded it. She set it on the seat, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got on the floor…resting her head on the seat. Leah looked over at her and saw a tear flicker down Bernice's face.
"Brooklyn…" Leah said, looking at her in the mirror.
Brooklyn moved her head down, not looking Leah in the eye.
"Brooklyn…this isn't your fault." Leah said sympathetically.
"I know that Mom." Brooklyn said softly, "But Dad wouldn't do this if he really loved you."
"Us." she corrected.
"He will always love you and Bernice, Brook!" Leah said worriedly, "Nothing will ever take that away from him, no one ever can."
"But he can." Brook said, looking out the window.
Leah put her eyes back on the road as she drove into town, and got on the freeway.
Baby, baby. I'm aware of where you go
Each time you leave my door
I watch you walk down the street
Knowing your other love you're gonna meet
They drove past a sign that said 'Texas State Line: 3 Miles'
This time, before you run to her
Leaving me alone and hurt
Leaving me alone and hurt
Think it over
Leah looked out the window and saw cattle eating the greenest grass she had ever seen. It started jumping up and down like a bucking bronco. Leah didn't have the heart to laugh.
Haven't I been good to you?
Think it over
'You Are Now Entering Smithville' another sign read.
Bernice smelled the air, "What's that funny smell?" she asked.
A small smile crept across Leah's face, "Cows." she said, leaning over to Bernice like it was a secret.
"Is this where you were…Cream of Corn?" Bernice said giggling, looking over at Leah.
"Queen of Corn, honey, and three years running." Leah said in her southern accent, squinting in the sunlight, "A feat unsurpassed in the history of Smithville."
"Oh." Bernice smiled.
Leah glanced at her, "Okay so maybe that was a long time ago, but, believe me honey. Once upon a time, your Mama knew what it meant to shine."
Before you break my heart
Think it over