Backseat Writer

Gratuity Included

Christina — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:19:39 +0000

“Aunt Lily!” I ran downstairs to see her, my favorite Aunt. Her skin was sun-kissed and filled with wrinkles. Her hair still blown back as if she had stepped off the runway. She was no supermodel she was simply my Aunt. “Oof!” Aunt Lily felt me and my brother impacting against her body as she had barely stepped into our parent’s home. “Are those all your bags?” My father, incredulously pointed at the one rolling bag that was next to her. “No, no, Keith, I got this” she patted the big handbag that was at her side. He rolled his eyes as Aunt Lily corralled us to the couches so she could sit down in the velvet seats. “So where did you go to this time?” I asked her my younger brother moved in closer to her “Yeah, yeah, what did you bring me?” Aunt Lily laughed and reached into her bag to pull out another bag. “Well this time I went to Europe” she pulled out of her bag a large map and showed us on the map the area that was Europe “But, as you can see there is a lot to Europe so this time I went here.” she pointed to a small place on the map labeled Austria, “Here” she pointed to a foot shaped country called Italy “And here” and she finally pointed at a odd looking country called Greece. “I started in Austria to visit some friends,” she pulled out her camera and showed us the pictures of some of the landmarks and her friends. “Then I went to Italy to visit family” My brother was practically treating Aunt Lily like a jungle gym hanging on her arms. “You mean you have family there?” Aunt Lily laughed, she sounded like a bird cooing when it laughed “Not just me, you too!” he poked him in the stomach on the word ‘you’ we both stared wide eyed as she showed us photos of the family. “I was able to draw a few of the landscape..” she pulled out from her large bag a watercolored picture of large trees and the golden fields. “Aunt Lily, how do you draw so well?” I asked while I marveled through the pages “Practice, practice, practice” she winked and continued to show us pictures this time from Greece. “Dinner time!” My mother called from the kitchen, we were reluctant to leave but Aunt Lily dragged us up to the table. “When I was in Rome,” she turned to my Mother “I had the best Pizzelle you could ever ask for, I mean it!” I sat there listening to her recount the places she had eaten, barely touching my own food. “You have to eat…” Aunt Lily said to me as I was staring into space, I nodded and quickly ate up. After dinner it was time to go back and here the story about the acropolis and look at pictures of the white houses and the blue waters. “But, Aunt Lily, what did you get me?” Aunt Lily smiled at my impatient brother and gave him a book about Gladiators. “Wow!” he ran to show our father “Isn’t this amazing?” he nodded and paged through the book with him. “And for you..” she pulled out of her bag two little puppets that were decorated with fine cloth and little pieces of gold “This is traditional clothing for the Greeks” she said as she pulled two more out. Two women two men, two red and two purple. “Obviously they don’t wear it very often except on special occasions, I thought with your interest in clothing you would like them” I did. It wasn’t nearly as interesting as the Sari she had brought back from India or the jewelry she gave me from Egypt. But I loved them, how intricate and exact they were. Even the little patterns on the dresses. “It’s late time for bed” my father growled and My brother and I went to bed.

“You can’t keep gallivanting about the world like this Lily” I could hear my father from the stairs their shadows on the wall as the adults were in the kitchen sipping wine. “Well why not?” she asked, “I’m not going to be young forever, I don’t have kids to worry about and I’m learning things!” I could see the shadow shake his head “Yes, but what about our kids? They’re going to think it’s okay to not take responsibility and just…” I heard a wine glass slam down on the table “I did take responsibility for what happened and no matter what you say. I did what was right” I could hear footsteps as she went back to the guest room. I hid back in the shadows. Aunt Lily visited less frequently after that and traveled abroad less after that. When I was younger I always wanted to travel the world, but once Aunt Lily stopped traveling so much so did my dream stop being a reality. It wasn’t until I got the call while in the office that she had died I decided to leave the states.

“So,” I leaned over to the man sitting across the table as the Aegean Sea sprawled beneath us, hitting the rocky shores “That’s why I’m here, alone with two glasses of wine” I looked out to the sea and saw the fishermen coming in “Because, if I had not let my parents scare me back then, we would be together, traveling the world” He smiled as I continued to look out at the sun setting, and he took the check back that I hadn’t even paid yet.

The Blind Leading the Blind

Christina — Thu, 19 May 2011 20:51:26 +0000

“Real Princesses don’t wear glasses” It hurt, and it didn’t matter she just kept on smiling. This was just another event of the bad day for Gina. First the alarm went off late and she was going to be late for work. The alarm must have been set for the PM and not the AM. Then the light in the bathroom wouldn’t work so it was to grab the make up and head to work trying to put it on there. “Lindsey called in sick, you’re up!” Gina was thrown into the princess costume that she had coveted for so long, she had always been in the footsteps of a much better person and now she was the princess. “Uh-oh” but her contacts were missing…Gina slipped on the dress and forgone the glasses to become the princess for that day…

“Real Princesses don’t wear glasses!” Gina’s heart stopped momentarily, a co-worker making fun of her. She sighed and turned around to see who the joker was. “Stop making fun of me!” a little blonde girl with glasses retorted back to a girl who looked eerily similar. She was about to cry. Or Gina thought she was, everything was a bit blurry from her perspective. “Now what’s going on here?” Gina said her best trying to be regal “Well, ummm” Gina squinted her eyes to get a better look at the two girls. “I know my sisters were not the best” Gina tried to keep her posture “But, be glad you have them” the girls hung their heads, ashamed at being spoken down to by a princess. “Besides, I know several princesses wear glasses” the girl with the glasses looked up “They do?” Gina nodded her head a bit to fast making everything a bit blurry “Of course they do! Even I do, but mainly for when we’re reading a royal decree” both girls nodded their heads, seemed easy enough. “Who wants a picture with the princess?” one of the parents said both girls immediately ran up to her and smiled big. Gina couldn’t tell when it was over until the flash went off a second time, just a big bright blur. “Thank you Princess” Gina smiled and waved at the blurs that were moving away from her. As she began staggering her way through the rest of the park.

Red Riding Hood

Christina — Wed, 11 May 2011 19:27:27 +0000

Being a commuter to school each day sucked. Maria knew this better than anyone, It meant early mornings on a bus ride that never seemed to end. It also meant a late night after a three-hour night class and then a hour club meeting. Now she needed to walk to the one stop in the middle of downtown to get home. She zipped up her hoodie with the sleeves cut off. ‘You look like a boxer, why don’t you get a nice jacket?’ her mother asked her this morning as Maria grabbed her bag and headed out the door ‘Yeah, whatever’ was how she replied and slammed the door.

“Hey Baby…” a guy came out of the side ally holding a bouquet of flowers “How about some flowers?” Maria kept walking past the man, not making eye contact with him. “Come’on baby, just one bouquet for eight bucks” Maria kept walking hearing the man’s voice fade. Another night in downtown, people trying to rip you off.

“Missus, some Girl Scout cookies, for your mother?” Maria looked at the girl blocking her path, who’s head almost matched her height. “No thank you” Maria tried to move past the girl “It’s to help with a scholarship…” Maria rolled her eyes, but she knew she should help all she can. “Fine, give me one with the peanut butter and one with the mint stuff” the girl reached into her bag and pulled out a green and a red box. “Seven bucks…” Maria handed it over the girl marked down on the form “Yeah, can you write your address and name in case they want to make sure this stuff is legit” Maria nodded and wrote it down hurriedly. “Yeah, whatever” The bus is the most boring part of the trip. Not many people were there. There was the skitzo in the back and the asleep drunk in the front. Maria flashed her pass and walked down the winding way home.

“Mom?” Maria prodded the partial door completely open. The house was dark except for the moonlight that were coming through the sheer curtains. “Mom?” Maria looked on the counter and saw a bouquet of flowers.

“If you just bought me a bouquet of flowers, you silly little girl” he stepped out from the bedroom so Maria could see into her mother’s room. She could smell the blood.

“What the hell did you do to her?” the man looked back at the room he left behind. “Oh that?” he came closer to Maria “That was just dinner, I’m ready for some dessert” he stretched his hand forward to touch her shoulder. “Don’t you dare touch me” she smacked his hand away from her. He pursed his lips and leaned in, pressing her against the refrigerator. He kissed her neck. “You’re more feisty than your mother” Maria slapped his face. She felt her body being rocked by the floor, her vision got blurry momentarily. “Now if you do not play nice…” he pulled out a knife “We just might have a bit of trouble here” Maria had her heart and mind racing of what to do next, to fight or not. “Now just close your eyes”

“Well, you couldn’t have expected that no one would hear anything” The room was white and flowers started to fill the room as the news had spread. “You’re…” the cop stopped mid-sentence “You’re brave that’s all” Maria was just staring at the room around her. Even though they said she had been conscious the entire time only just now was her eyes clearing up and focusing. She could feel the scars on her arm, a bite on the other. “What about my mother?” the cop looked around nervously “I am sorry for your loss” Maria couldn’t feel anything anymore. “Get those damned flowers out of my room” the cop tried to come closer “I am…” Maria shoved him away “Get those flowers the hell out of here!!” he left as quietly as he had come. Maria grabbed her hoodie and sobbed, her tears making the red turn dark like blood.

Princess and Pauper

Christina — Tue, 10 May 2011 04:00:07 +0000

It was his shelter at night

Her playground at day

Two worlds side by side in the shed

His life a wreck vagrant lost

Her a fairy princess returned to a kingdom

A Princess and a Pauper

Living parallel in the abandoned forest shed

Am Beschde Dochder

Christina — Tue, 10 May 2011 03:54:59 +0000

“It’s been weeks and we’re just heading in circles!” her thick Pennsylvania Dutch accent still played into her speaking even though it had been a few weeks and she had been so exposed to the world since she left. She still dressed modestly and often still wore her old dresses when she ran out of her other clothes. Today though she wore a plain t-shirt and a pair of over-sized jeans. “Lissen the goddamn map is wrong” He had a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Mike, her savior or so she thought. He was traveling cross country and he broke down right outside of the district. Gave him some water and a bit of cheese while he was fixing his car. Vadder gave her another prize for her curiosity for being a good daughter, an am beschde dochder. That was it. “You want to leave?” he said the cigarette about to leave his mouth every time he spoke. “Yes” she said sure, her eye and back still sore. “Let’s go”

“Okay this is it,” Mike cocked a smile at the blond next to him “You ready?” the bright lights nearly blinded her, it was not her first time in a city but it was the first time seeing it at night. They pulled up to the motel six. Mike put his hand on her leg “Now, I know you helped me but you could…” Lisa pulled his hand away and she felt him lunge towards her again “Just a little kiss from you doll” she put her hands up and slapped him, hooking his nose. “Abatz! Abatz!” she felt for the door handle and tumbled out of the car door her feet caught on the ledge she grabbed the bag and started to run away to the manager. “Gottlos both of them”

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Okay some of this has some Pennsylvania Dutch in it, which I do not speak, so I apologize for any mispellings or incorrect usage that I got from the internet.

Class of ’96

Christina — Tue, 10 May 2011 03:15:27 +0000

“Everyone lies at these things right?” Marlene looked at herself in the mirror. Or was it really herself at all? The girl in the mirror certainly looks like her, same facial features. Those lips she got from her grandmother and the nose from her father. But this girl had dark purple eyeshadow on, dark red lipstick, and her hair was curled impeccably. What were these clothes as well? This tight black dress and high heel. This wasn’t Marlene the librarian anymore. It was Marlene the New York drama critic. Yeah, that’s what she would tell them or at least him when she saw him. Derek. And soon there he was on standing by the punch in their old high school, in a suit with a lapel. “Marlene!” she smirked as she saw his jaw drop, those around him too looked at Marlene, the book nerd from school now looked completely “Different, you look completely different!” Derek could not believe it “So what are you up to these days?” Marlene took a cup of punch and smiled “Living in New York, working as a drama critic you know, same old me” Marlene was astounded how easily the lie came, there was some truth, she did live in New York, but not the city, she did review shows but only the High School’s one and the local theatre, which was worse than the high school. “That’s amazing, and here I am working as a independent bookstore owner, I really thought that would be you!” Marlene almost dropped her cup “Yeah, a specialty store for children…” Marlene couldn’t hear him anymore it was just blended in with the music. ‘Dammit why did I lie, why did I lie…if he knew the truth would it be better?’ Derek took her hand “Do you want to dance?” As her feet starting aching ‘Maybe in the morning, I’ll let him know’ She smiled as she watched her Highschool crush finally fall for her.

Blown Away

Christina — Tue, 10 May 2011 02:50:57 +0000

“You know this bus is never this late, always on time, always on time” It was Gerri again talking to some college girls that were waiting at this stop, her stop. Gerri seemed older than time to me. I had to use this stop to come home from my work. I often had been harassed by Gerri, I honestly did not mind her, do a bit of small talk and she’ll respond and move onto someone else. “Nope, nope, in all of my years this stop here has been reliable more reliable than anyone else I knew” The college girls looked nervously at one another not responding. I hid behind my newspaper, I did not feel like talking to Gerri today, the customers today were girls like these. This is a sweet revenge to watch these northface wearing Vera Bradley toting girls get uncomfortable. “My husband, my husband not like this bus, unreliable lying scumbag and that’s why I’m out here…but my son, Lordy he just like this bus…” Goddammit it is cold out here. I hate these crisp fall days the leaves beneath my feet the wind against my neck. Snuggle in my Peacoat and scarf. “My son gave me this here scarf” she showed the girls the silk scarf that hid beneath her other ratty clothing “It was a present for my birthday fifteen years ago” Gerri started untying it “My son may not of been perfect,” she held the scarf in her hands examining it “But he was sure good at picking out” as the college girls looked at it, their eyes feasted on designer clothes such as this a bus rolled past taking a gust of wind and the scarf with it “scarves” Gerri’s voice broke as she helplessly watched the scarf float away the wind of the city blowing it farther away. I could see a tear starting to break up her sun damaged face. The two college girls didn’t know what to do and simply hopped on the bus. I was about to do the same. I took off my scarf and placed it in Gerri’s bag. I don’t want to be painted as some saint. I just simply left my scarf behind there. It has been two months since then, I haven’t seen Gerri since. I know it’s common that people like that roam. But this was her stop, Gerri’s stop. I hope she found the scarf and that she used it. But the look of hopelessness when that scarf blew away, her favorite moment of her son gone forever. I don’t know how one is supposed to recover from that.

No Boys Please

Christina — Tue, 10 May 2011 02:17:48 +0000

And so I wait here on this hill a tree blowing in the wind.

My head tilting and bowing its leafy brow

Damned boys

Quite seriously all I wanted to do is be left alone and here they come to bother me

Again and again and again they come here and do their foot races

Using me as a touching point

I shrink beneath this bark at their touch

The bark still feels new and strange

Damn you Blessed Boy Apollo

I just want boys to leave me alone

Anticipation

Christina — Sat, 07 May 2011 18:32:49 +0000

And I knew this was it

THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT OF MY LIFE

Let me tell you how long I have been waiting for this

MY WHOLE LIFE

I am shaking all over and I really cannot believe that this is what I have been waiting for

It only took, forever

So here I am

My lips quivering waiting for this pubescent boy to make a move

I prepared to come to the movies for the same amount of time as this movie has taken

God, his hand’s sweaty

Oh god, this is it this is

“WHERE THE HELL IS HE!”

“Shhhh” the row of people behind leaned forward and went back to watching the movie, their eyes glazed over

Miranda leaned over the empty seat “He had to use the bathroom, didn’t he tell you that?”

“When he put his arm around me and was whispering?” she nodded her head reminding me what a total idiot I am

Shit there goes my first kiss

Well, at least the movie’s good

It would have been perfect

Cleaning up the Mess

Christina — Fri, 06 May 2011 06:13:17 +0000

It wasn’t exactly a Blackhole

It was more like a tornado had hit and everything was left about

Clothing in the same corner as the books and somewhere beneath the pile was a laptop

Her notes inside the covers of her bed

A stray sock hanging off of the dirt window sill

And her homework was all there, in their right places

So she said

She also said there was an order to everything in there

How there could be order when the guitar was under the bed and the shoes were on her desk was beyond them

But since she disappeared nobody’s made an attempt to clean the place

As pristine as when she left it