Daddy's Little Girl
August 19, 1995—2:00AM
Everyone thought she was brilliant but yet they still treated her like a child. Her
chronological age was not her mind's age. She couldn't remember a time when she
didn't think a few years ahead of her peers. Normally the little dark haired girl with the
big round eyes and defined lips looking like an old-fashioned corner shop window
displayed porcelain doll would oblige. Now she didn't want to play the game. The game
that grown-ups played when they did not want to tell you the truth because you are just a
child and you couldn't possibly understand the realities of what was going on in your
very own universe. Tonight though she felt like she was on the brunt of a well-meaning
lie. She used to like only tormenting her brother, but now she wanted to hurt everyone.
Yet, she was hollow on the inside where the real person used to be. She sat on the floor
in the dark room in the second biggest bedroom in the house and bounced a miniature
pink ball that came from one of the vending machines at the Zippy Mart on the
hardwood floor. She wanted no one. She wanted everyone. She wanted darkness. She
wanted light. She wanted disruption. She wanted peace. She wanted to scream at the
top of her lungs. She wanted to be rescued.
Drake who was half-asleep sat up and rubbed his eyes to see what this noise was in
the room by grabbing his flashlight that somehow wound up under his pillow.
"M-Megan? Why are you in here?"
Megan let the ball bounce until it stopped and rolled under the dresser which was the
final resting place for her miniature yellow bubble wand, two silver jacks, and pieces of
popcorn.
His little sister said nothing, which normally would have been music to his ears, but he
knew that silence. Drake was going to do the right thing and get out of bed and see
what the matter was but he watched as she walked in an eerie silence towards his bed
and put her cold bare feet on the ladder. She wanted to sleep with her older brother
because he was at that moment the safest alterative in this house. Drake wouldn't
smother her; he'd let her breathe. Tomorrow morning he'd be her 'stupid, ugly older
brother', but at this moment in time he was her life support.
Drake adjusted the beige colored blanket so she would stop her shivering and be
warm.
"Goodnight, Megan." That was all he could bring himself to say as he kissed the top of
her head.
"Daddy's dying." Megan replied in a cold monotone voice five minutes later.
"He's not."
"Lying will not make me feel better."
Why did everyone feel the need to protect her so?
"Sorry. Maybe he'll be all right."
"And you are basing this on?" She sounded like a thirty year old. Drake thought she
might have had the highest IQ score in this house, probably the whole block. He didn't
know what words to say to his sister to make it right.
"Miracles happen everyday."
If his father believed those words he told his wife then Drake had no trouble borrowing
them when talking to his sister.
"Do you really believe that or are you just expecting me to?"
"I want to believe it."
Father and son were going to be at IHOP for their usual eggs and pancakes. Maybe,
Jeffrey Parker was getting better. There was always a story in the newspaper or on TV
about an average family being granted an unexplained "miracle". Why not spare the life
of Jeffrey Parker and take away some bank robber or a serial killer instead?
"That doesn't make it so, Drake." She cupped her hand over her mouth to stop herself
from yawning.
"Maybe if we believe, Dad will be okay."
"Daddy's dying." She accepted the tears and let them fall out of her eyes.
Drake coughed to prevent himself from crying as he held his sister gently wiping the
tears from her eyes. He never saw Megan like this before. She hardly cried when she
was a baby. Except for when she wanted to be fed or an immediate diaper change.
"I know. But we have to be strong for him. You are smarter than me so I know you
understand. We can't cry in front of him or mom and act like we know something."
"I know this, you boob!"
"I'm sorry again."
"Drake, it's all right. Don't worry. You mean well."
"Thanks. Goodnight, Megan."
"Goodnight."
8:07 AM
Jeffrey couldn't resist taking this picture with his brand new Kodak camera with the
Avantix drop in film cartridge technology.
How cute was this?
"Jeff," Audrey walked in carrying a cup of coffee as she saw Drake and Megan sleeping
soundly looking beautiful with their content faces.
"How cute is this?" Jeffrey put the camera in his light blue terrycloth robe pocket and put
his arm around his wife.
"I brought your coffee."
"Thanks, hon. I don't want to wake them up. This is how I want to remember them—
sleeping peacefully without a care in the world."