The streets were made of music that summers evening in July. The sun beamed glowingly spotlighting Mr. Meyer's ice cream truck. Kids lined up for miles just to buy one of his famous chocolate-covered vanilla ice creams pops with just a drizzle of caramel. Today was the kind of day where the sun could melt the ice cream before anyone had a chance to eat it making the faces of kids who ate it sticky with sugar and cream.
The days-old cake cone became soggy as cream dripped down to the sides, it would be left in the middle of the street engraving itself into the road. I sat silently observing the whole ordeal on the front porch watching as mom drove into the driveway smashing one of the cones to pieces. Trailing cream all the way up the driveway and engraved once again into the creases and crevices of the tires of mom's car. I wanted to tell her about the mess, so she could drive back to the city to get her car washed. I wanted a few more moments alone before things get, NORMAL.
Mom walked up the driveway with her high tippy-toe heels noticing the mushy stain on the wheel making her tippy-toe heels move faster towards me on the porch "Get a towel and wipe that up." she told me before entering the house. I walked towards the kitchen grudgingly to dampen a towel before going back outside.
As I scrubbed the tires tirelessly dad had driven up just that same as mom with a smashed ice cream cone engraved within the wheel. "Could you get that for me, Mildred?" Dad said
before entering the house. I shook my head in agreement before hopping over to the other car. Both are identical with similar license plates.
I could hear mom and dad as well as see them through the front window discussing how much time we have before the rating is over. The house must be swept with every window washed and clear. Upon entering the house dad turned on the tv as we watched the rating of neighborhoods holding hands tightly sitting on the couch that our rating would be high enough to stay afloat. Moments of silence filled the room as we gazed at the screen as the numbers flipped up and down. The neighborhood we lived in was #87 we had a low rating of fifty-seven out of one hundred neighborhood #89 was up against us as the number was soon to be announced. As the numbers began to roll down my heart began to beat faster. "Fifty-six" the man announced before tearing up on television as that was his neighborhood. "Oh my! Praise the Lord my dear." mom said with a sigh loosening her grip on our hands.
"Let's get cleaned up." dad said before rising from the couch. I gazed promptly at the screen as the man was taken away by three hefty guards dressed in dark uniforms and badges with stars on them. "Mildred!" mom screamed, "turn that blasted tv off!" I pressed the off button before heading towards the kitchen table so mom wouldn't shout another command. "Father, what do you think happens to the people who get low ratings?" He sits down next to me performing a smile with his made-up story "they are taken to towns I suppose, where they are fed to the dogs as they munch on their flesh bit by bit knowing off At their bones." "Oh! Stop filling her head with nonsense Harold, you know good and well they are taken to mediocre neighborhoods." "But why haven't we ever seen these neighborhoods?" "Let's not discuss this at the dinner table shall we.?" Mom says before pressing her hands together in prayer,
"Dear Lord, we shall give our thanks to this lovely food." "And not being chewed up by rabid dogs" dad interrupts. I begin to chuckle before mom shushes me "dear lord sorry for my foolish husband may he get better soon, in Jesus' name" "amen!" We all announce in unison before consuming any food. "Mother?" "Yes, dear?" "When is the neighborhood meeting?" "Tomorrow night at seven just like every other year." "Of course," I mutter after taking a large gulp of water.
The next morning sent fear down my spine, a slight chill ruining the day of its sunny happiness. The morning was perfectly timed as mom and dad were sat at the table by six-thirty to begin breakfast. I had only acquired my clothes by that time while mom yelled my name from the kitchen "Mildred! we must be on time, hurry please!" She chanted as I finished combing my curls. "Sorry, mom!" I ran rapidly down the steps to stand next to father so dapper in his black suit. "Are you two clean?" She checked to see with her magnifying glass. I sat stagnant as she dusted off the dust gathered from our newly pressed jackets.
The sun beamed brighter as the morning progressed, father's pupils tightened in the sun which reminded me of how human we are although we may not act like it. After the check was finished. Mother gave us each a different task to better ourselves. "Wash your hands, Mildred" "straighten your tie, Harold." We don't need any more problems this morning. The first morning of normalcy.
A bright yellow bus pulled up to the front porch with a fresh coat of paint. I walked swiftly towards the entrance of the bus glancing at my father's reflection on the shiny new coat. Upon entering the bus everyone was sat neatly in their designated seats based on neighborhood. I sat in section #7, As I began my way towards my seat I spotted a girl I had never seen before. Her hair was nicely curled into
two pigtails blonde with natural brown highlights. And two bright blue bows to finish it off. She was looking out the window when I sat down in a row parallel to hers. "This is where you will be sitting for the next few months of school, don't step out of line!" the bus driver announced before shutting the doors of the bus with a loud screech leaving the final neighborhood.
I couldn't help but stare at the girl as she was quite intrigued with her skirt and knee-high socks. My eyes grew wide as she began to turn her head. Her face wasn't symmetrical or perfect but she had dozens of freckles spotted along with her nose and cheeks. they bounced up to her eyes when she smiled. As her eyes faced me solemnly she grinned before I jerked my head towards my window. Gazing at the clouds wondering what her name might be. Rose, Lilly, Elliana? My mind scrabbled to find the perfect name for this mysterious girl. Slowly my mind deepened then came to a sudden halt as the bus was jerked to a stop.
"Off the bus!" he screamed before opening the laud screechy doors. We rose from our seats in a neat line rallying outside of the bus towards the large dim gray doors of the school building. The mysterious girl stood behind me humming a song. It's an unfamiliar song but sweet just the same. Upon leaving the bus I walk next to her inquiring about the song she was humming "I made it up." she said before opening the door for me. "It's very pretty," I said foolishly with my cheeks a rosy color. "Thank you, I best get to class." she skipped towards her way into the crowd of people as I stood silent not knowing her name.