LJ Idol Week 5: Bearing False Witness
This is a slightly edited piece from something I wrote a couple years ago...
An overnight bag is packed. Favorite pj.’s, toothbrush, worn teddy bear, cute outfit and other necessities for a night with Dad are shoved into a small purple duffle bag adorned with a unicorn appliqué. In the dormer windowsill high up on the animal print wallpapered wall sits a young girl in uneven, frazzled, golden blonde pigtails. Listening carefully, you can hear her counting under her breath, slowing adding up numbers. Twenty........ Twenty-one... Twenty-two.....................Twenty-three.
Brown cars. That is what she is counting. Brown cars. It's Friday night, Mom is late coming home from work, brother is off with friends, and the little girl with pigtails is supposed to be with her Dad.
....Thirty.... The phone rings.
The agile young girl leaps from the window sill and runs to the phone.
"Hello"
"Oh, I was watching, are you sure?"
"Yeah... I really was right at the window watching"
"Maybe you were out there when I ran to the bathroom"
"Oh, sorry Dad. Maybe next weekend?"
"You do, I love you too. Bye"
After, she runs to the bathroom to finally relieve the bladder she's been holding for over an hour, too afraid to leave her vigil even for that long. She runs back to her bed, buries her face in her teddy bear and cries until she hears her mom open the front door downstairs.
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An overnight bag is packed. Favorite pj.’s, toothbrush, worn teddy bear, cute outfit and other necessities for a night with Dad are shoved into a small purple duffle bag adorned with a unicorn appliqué. In the dormer windowsill high up on the animal print wallpapered wall sits a young girl in uneven, frazzled, golden blonde pigtails. Listening carefully, you can hear her counting under her breath, slowing adding up numbers. Twenty........ Twenty-one... Twenty-two.....................Twenty-three.
Brown cars. That is what she is counting. Brown cars. It's Friday night, Mom is late coming home from work, brother is off with friends, and the little girl with pigtails is supposed to be with her Dad.
....Thirty.... The phone rings.
The agile young girl leaps from the window sill and runs to the phone.
"Hello"
"Oh, I was watching, are you sure?"
"Yeah... I really was right at the window watching"
"Maybe you were out there when I ran to the bathroom"
"Oh, sorry Dad. Maybe next weekend?"
"You do, I love you too. Bye"
After, she runs to the bathroom to finally relieve the bladder she's been holding for over an hour, too afraid to leave her vigil even for that long. She runs back to her bed, buries her face in her teddy bear and cries until she hears her mom open the front door downstairs.
Link to original entry