P.S not for those under the age of 15, as contains, bad language and some "brusque" scenes... yes, my dreams are often strange.
Short story – dream
When I was 8 years old I was sent to live with my uncle. I was young, orphaned and alone. He was a widower with two teenage sons – Gerry and John, lots of money and a big cinema to his name.
My parents died in a car accident 2 years earlier. It was my fault they died, I was in the back seat and was talking, I should have stayed quiet maybe they would still be here if I had. I loved them so much. I had gotten away with a black eye and a deep cut on my left arm. They didn't get away at all.
Before I was shipped off to my uncles I had been living with my grandparents, then my grandfather had a stroke. Plus, I reminded them too much of my father. And for that, they hated me. I was a bad luck charm. My parents had died in my presence and if they weren't careful I would get them killed too. My uncle however, disagreed. To him I was just a little girl who had lost her parents and needed some love. My father’s brother took me in. His sons loved me like a sister and he loved me like his own. I belonged.
When I grew up I never saw anyone else in my family, my grandparents never wanted to see me, and my uncles and aunts didn’t like my uncle’s success. So, my uncle and his sons were all I had, and my friends. And Cooper. He was my best friend. Coop and I had first met when I began schooling just outside Dublin. Back when I first moved in with my uncle.
******
I stood at the door clutching John's hand and angling myself behind him. I felt safe there. John, five years older than me, the younger of my two new brothers, knelt down beside me, "Come on Ci' you gotta go in some time." as he said this, he gave me a one armed hug, pressing his face into my dark curly hair, almost as if he didn’t want me to go in as much as I didn’t. I shook my head as I played with my new blue plaid skirt. "Cira!" he raised his eyebrows at me, and his voice rose, as if to tell me to behave. "No!" I complained, swallowing tears. "Don’t make me John, please,” I cried "I'm scared,” I added in a whisper
"Cira, don’t do this to me baby," the back of his index finger stroked my cheek as a warm tear trickled, "You need to go. So do I, I cant be late for school, do you want me to get into trouble with Da'?" I shook my head. And hugged him so tightly, when I was so small, I felt like I might have squeezed the life out of him. He hugged me back, and I heard a warm voice above us.
"Hi. You must be Cira." I looked up, keeping my ear to John’s chest; I could hear his steady strong heart pumping. The sound kept me calm. I nodded. John stood but kept hold of my small hand. "Are you Mr. O'Connor?" She asked in a confused tone. Why I didn’t know at the time, but john seemed to, which was grand.
"One of them." John replied.
"Ah, are you Mr. Patrick O'Connor?"
"Nope. That’s my Pa, but this is Cira, yep."
"Ah, I see, well welcome to our class Cira, my name is Mrs. Yates, I'm your new teacher." She smiled and her honey hair swished to see where a loud bang from across the class came from. "Cooper Hayes, come here." A boy with blonde shaggy hair that flicked around his face dropped his head and dragged his feet.
"Yeah Ma'am?"
"What is that mess over there?"
"I dunno, not mine." he shrugged
"Don't you lie to me. Sorry Cira, this is Cooper, say hi Cooper."
"Hi Miss Cira."
"Say hi back baby" John said squeezing my hand when I just stared,
"Hi." I said. John leaned down to my level again, "I gotta go baby or I’m goin' to be late, see you later, I’ll pick you up at half three, k?"
"K." I said giving him one last hug. Then he left, walking backwards down the nearly empty corridor; I stayed out there alone for a long time after he was out of sight.
"Um, are you going t’ come in today, are thought you were in our class,” the boy asked me. I looked at him, as if, I suppose, he were an alien. "There ain't no need to be shy, I'm human, and I don’t bite... Hard." he added as he winked at me. I frowned.
"What does that mean?" I asked, winking back at him to show him what I meant.
"My daddy said it was a sign of trust." he replied, indicating that we went back into the classroom.
"Why is your voice funny?" I asked as we walked through the door
"Why is your voice funny?"
"No its not everyone else has the same voice as me, ‘cept you?"
He laughed, "Its coz I'm from Dakota, I'm like a cowboy. Well was." He hung his head. He missed his home.
"I miss home too." I said, placing my hand on his arm. It was the first contact I had made, since my parents had died, with someone that wasn't in my family.
"You don't come from around here?"
"Na, well... a little further away, but still Ireland."
"Oh, yeah. Why did you move?"
I shrugged. "I wasn't wanted." He nodded, as though he understood
"My dad moved on business, my ma missed him too much to stay behind, they like the scenery here too. Stupid fields."
"I don't think you should hate them before you know 'em." I commented, he didn't reply.
"How did you get that scar?" he asked pointing to the scar on my underside of my left forearm. I looked at it. But didn't reply. "You don't have to tell me if you don't wanna." when I was ready, I would tell.
The day flew and soon John was back. He got to the door, but I didn't notice. He leaned against the door with his hands in his pockets smiling.
Cooper tapped me on the shoulder and my dark hair bounced as I looked up. "Your cousin is over there." he grinned. I looked and ran into John’s arms. He laughed as he spun me in a circle, "Looks like you had a good day baby,” he said hugging me still. I nodded. "Good, knew you would, say bye then and we'll get home." Coop stood staring at me, sadness in his eyes.
"Bye Miss Cira." he smiled
"Good bye Cooper."
"Will you be in school tomorrow?" he asked just as I turned to leave, I smiled and nodded and he grinned back and his green eyes sparkled.
We were friends from that day forward, only to get closer the next.
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