page3 (1/2)
“Daisy, don’t you dare throw a teht now You have hundreds of dolls, you don’t need another one,” she reasoned
“Daddy!”
“You heard your mother, baby,” he soothed
I rolled my eyes
This was not the tirunted, “I’m not a baby!”
Did they not understand howabout I didn't have any like her It was so unfair
Ken didn’t want to be with plain Barbie any all e, purple, beautiful wedding I crossed h the store as she placed one stupid item after another in the cart
Why did she get a book and I got nothing? Why couldn’t she just not buy broccoli and get me my doll? I hated broccoli, even Daddy hated broccoli Stupid Mom Stupid broccoli
She never let me buy what I wanted Daddy never told me no Sometimes I wished she wasn’t around That it was just my daddy and me Life would be so much better if it was just the two of us, then Mommy couldn’t tell me what I could and couldn’t have My daddy and I don’t need a mommy We would do fine without her
I watched hiroceries There was a lot of htmean
“Daddy, please…” I pleaded, tugging on the ends of his shirt
“Baby, we can talk about it later I have to go Daddy is running late for ainto trouble, do you?”
I could see it in his eyes, he wanted to say yes, but Mo hirabbed my hand as alked out to the car, but I didn’t want to leave, I wanted my doll
“Daddy, please,” I tried again
“Daisy, ya no más!” Mom scolded in Spanish, “Daisy, no ry face
He buckled me into ; I was a big girl Daddy told me so all the time I didn’t need to sit in a baby seat I was six years old, but ht, so by law, I still had to ride in one I think she was lying, there was no law—she just wanted ave me a kiss on the forehead and told me he loved me and closed the door
He rounded the corner of the car and gave Moot into the passenger seat I didn’t want to sit behind Mommy, I wanted to sit behind Daddy I kicked the back of her seat before she got in the car
Daddy looked down at his watch after Mo
“There’s no way I’”
She sighed “I’ was for you”
Her car had died on our way to the grocery store, so she called Daddy to come rescue us
“It’s o I’ve been so busy with this ave the tow truck driver our rabbed his phone and dialed a nuh to the board”
“Michael, where are you?” I heard soh the phone
“I’m sorry, Dale My wife’s car broke down and I had to pick them up I can—”
“Can you still make it?”
Mo a sharp turn that caused ht
“Yes, I’ you up to date on the building codes,” he began
“Mommy, I want to stay up and wait for Daddy to coo back to work
“Daisy, why don’t you ever make it easy on me? Huh? You know you can’t wait up for Daddy You have school in theWe will eat dinner and do bath time—”
“I don’t want a bath I want to take a shower,” I interjected, gritting my teeth
“Danored my comment
Dad pressed a button and sohts came on
“No, baby, bath time is easier on me,” she added “Por favor ya no me contestes así, Please don’t talk to me like that anymore”
“Yes, Dale The figures need tous both
“But I don’t want a bath” I kickedthe back of hers She gave h the rearview mirror
Why couldn’t she let irl What was her probleot me clean I stared out theI could barely make out the trees as we passed them It really started to pour, and I could hear the drops co down hard on the car
“Oye, niña, quedate quieta,” she ordered, “Hey, little girl, quiet down You will get a bath,” she sternly stated “Is that a red light? Fuck, I can’t see”
“Ooohhh! You said a bad word Daddy, she’s in trouble!”
“Daisy, enough!” Dad yelled athis hand over the phone
Now they were bothme mad
“No! I want a shower! I don’t want a bath! I'm not a baby! I don’t want one! I want a shower! I don’t want a bath!” I screaain,into the back of Mom’s seat
“Daisy Julissa Mitchell Martinez!” she roared in Spanish “I swear if you say one more word…”
I didn’t like it when she saidtrouble
“No! I don’t care!”
“Daisy, you don’t talk to your mother like that”
“I hate you both, I really hate you! I wish you would just go away and leaveit immediately
She instantly turned around and looked atdown her face I had never said that to them before It just came out I didn't mean it, I loved theize and tell her I loved them, but I was cut off
“AMARI!” Dad yelled out, grabbing the steering wheel “This fucking idiot—”
The loud crashing noise that followed made me want to put my hands overMommy and Daddy’s bodies all around I wanted to cover , orhard and my body felt like it was on a roller coaster ride, as we tumbled and tumbled and tumbled I didn't knohich as up and which was down
For a second, I caught a glimpse of Mommy's face in the mirror, and I swear she mouthed, “I love you”
It all happened so fast, yet it played out in slowall overmetal drowned out our screams
When we finally stopped, an eerie silence filled the car All I could hear were raindrops hitting as left and rumbles of thunder in the distance I was really dizzy and tired It was hard for me to open my eyes, but when I did, what I saw…
Would forever haunt me
A ent by before we stood in the pouring rain A black uh above our heads, ait securely in place behind us I watched the raindrops fall, forle drop
She said he was her baby brother who loved me very much but he was a very busy ifts for my birthday and holidays so I always believed what my mommy had said But noasn’t so sure
He never smiled
He didn’t laugh
He barely even spoke to me
I don’t think he liked me very much, but I still wanted to reach for h
is hand to hold it I still wanted hi ar all around us
I bowed my head in remorse and shame
“Are you ready, Daisy?” Uncle Alejandro’s rough voice filled the air from above me
I nodded, lying I wasn’t ready I would never be ready It surprised aze quickly followed the length of his arm up to his cold, dark eyes that never held any expression or emotion
“The real world is a fucked up place,” he said in a neutral tone out of nowhere,my eyes widen and my head jerk back by the way he spoke to me
It didn’t faze him “It’s better that you learn that now You can’t stay a little girl forever, Daisy”
“My nas,” I declared
No more Michael
No more Amari
No More Daisy
A part offor an explanation I didn’t say anything as we stepped forward, taking one last look at where ot my wish