Memoritor
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Young Adult (18-35)Accents
North American (General) North American (US New York, New Jersey, Bronx, Brooklyn)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
Chapter One. Leonie, I can still feel the carpet underneath us. My mother's long black curls tickling my cheeks. She always was the first to wake up from nap time, usually with small butterfly kisses from her eyelashes. But I opened my eyes wide. The books with wings on my walls were still the same, but something in the room felt different. My mom's hand wrapped around mine, she worried we might get lost when we fell asleep, our dreams might take us far away and we would forget how to get back home. Daddy slept next to us in our bed most nights, but lately he hadn't been coming home. There was an empty dent on his side of the bed. Mommy tried to encourage me to ignore it, mama, I want three red grapes, four green grapes and a half of PB and J sandwich with one side toasted the same meal I had requested all week but mama didn't move. When I nudged her I could hear my dad's footsteps call up the stairs as he made his way down the hall to my room. I nudged her a little more. Her eyes remain closed, but she rolled to her back and remained stiff. Hey there! Hey, there's my beautiful girls. Daddy missed you guys so much. His heart was about to explode. I opened my arms and he picked me up, swinging me in a circle around the room, Lennox or knocks to everybody else in town, had blond hair that was so bright. Sometimes I swore it shimmered in the sunshine. Daddy. You smell funny. It was the same scent I found out later walking into the abandoned garage to find Dawson and his cousin smoking marijuana became important at different stages to the people in my life. I like to think that mary jane and I walked parallel dimensions giving the men something they needed when they wanted what have you and mommy been doing without me. Little leo. He tickles my belly and I laughed for him. But I hate that he doesn't answer my question. Mommy is still sleeping. I pushed my finger up to his lips to hush him. Is she? His blue eyes looked down and his smile that appeared for me now has disappeared. Sweetie, can you be a big girl and go make your lunch? The thing in daddy's throat shakes guarding me from my mother on the floor. We didn't go to kindergarten today. Mommy wasn't feeling well. I want you to come and eat with me. I've missed you. And mama only tells me folklore stories. I scrunch my nose. Being reminded of why the wolf howls at the moon, Leonie. I'll be down in just a minute. Please listen to daddy. He places me on my feet and turns me towards the door. Okay, Daddy, see you soon. I take my time counting the spots on the walls. When I get to six I hear him shouting. Rebecca, Rebecca. Why would you do this baby Reba? We can't live without you. My little feet make their way back to him. His arms cradled my mother, She's still sleeping. Where did mommy go? I've never seen a grown man cry. Daddy's eyes looked like they were reflecting ocean waves rushing over rocks. Leonie, could you go to grandma and grandpa's house? Tell them to call an ambulance. He held onto her body tighter. I didn't know why we had to call the ambulance. Those are for sick people. Mama wasn't ill. She was sleeping run quick darling. I took off down the stairs and out the front door. Even when the neighbors hollered at me to slow down Dawson and I practiced fast as I could go when our dads were busy talking business inside the house papa papa, my grandpa, my mother's dad was a big man. They called him. Big wayne. What is it child? His bald had reflected the lamp in the kitchen, making it glow. Daddy said to get an ambulance. Mommy isn't waking up. She got lost in her dreams. I point out the front door, my papa looks to my uncles and grandma in the room. Everyone in the house goes quiet. One of my uncles curses terrible words. I repeat the same phrase, but by spelling it instead, leo, that word ain't worth repeating. Grandma comes down the hallway with a handful of laundry. She sets it down on the table. Ain't is not a word, nana. My grandmother's hands go strict to her hips For me correcting her papa is on the phone, calmly giving the address to the house papa. It's 2- four, not 242. He sucks in a breath as he corrects himself from the apparent mistake. Leo stay here with your cousins will be back soon. My uncle shout out more explicit as I go and do what I'm told they have on the show. My mama says, we'll rot my brain. So instead I play with the baby on the floor, muting the sound from the show in my head. Why is your skin so light? One of the older cousins andre flicks me with a glare before pinching my arm. He's in the same grade as Dawson, three years older than me. His skin looks like mommy's associated. It seems like paint it's my genetic makeup mama says. It makes me look pretty. I brush off where he touched me. Looks pretty stupid with your daddy's skinny, your mama's faro all the other cousins nod because they don't match me. They compare to him. I can't help how I look. But you can, excuse me? You look like the stereotypical gangster in the movies we aren't supposed to watch with your baggy jeans and tank tops. I point out the superficial attire, his maturity hasn't aligned with his appearance stupid. And everyone goes back to the movie. They don't like me because I'm smarter than them. But now I think the truth is they don't like me because I'm different for the first time in my life, I disobey I leave my nana's house and run to Dawson's when I get to his lawn. He's tossing a football back and forth with Hudson, his cousin, he sees me and the football smacks his head. Leo what are you doing here girl? Dawson Mommy won't wake up. Daddy told me to get papa to call the ambulance. My hands go to his hand and I hold on tight trying to find gravity. Whoa, calm down darling, let me get my dad. He spins around to head inside screaming for Damien to come outside. What the **** are you yelling for? Boy Leonie? What are you doing here? Where's Knox of Rebecca, sweetheart? Damien is one of daddy's best friends and is more an uncle than mama's blood brothers are mommy left us. Daddy kept asking her why she left but she wouldn't answer. She got lost when we fell asleep. He looks more out of breath than I do. So I walk over to him and pat his back as he clutches his hands to his knees, she won't wake up Uncle Damian, his eyes grow large and he takes off running down the road back to my house, knew that boy would get her killed one day. Dawson's mom is never a nice lady. She always had a scowl on her face. Daddy calls it her resting ***** face. Dawson holds my hand until the moon appears and we watch my dad and his friends come back. His hands are in his pockets and his head is down. Those blond curls that absorb sunlight, don't even catch the moonlight Now. Mommy never came home after the ambulance took her away. Daddy didn't leave me alone again. I never took naps after that day either. I didn't want to get lost like mama did. It would hurt daddy too much if he somehow knew that I went looking for her when I dreamed at night.