by Linda Nelson
Wings from Ashes Trilogy
Wings from Ashes Trilogy
By Linda Nelson
Published by Linda Nelson at Kindle Direct Publishing
Kindle Edition
Copyright 2010 Linda Nelson
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This book is dedicated
To my son Chris and my daughter Megan
Thank you for teaching me to take a step back and to look at my own hopes and dreams.
May this book inspire both of you to follow your own dreams and passions.
In addition, I would like to give a special thank you to my love Mike for putting up with me while I rambled on about publishing this book,
Moreover, thank you to my Mom for believing in me.
***
Acknowledgement
I would like to take the time to thank the Phoenix House Drug Rehab. If it had not been for the past times my son spent in their program, this book would never have been written. Particularly the adolescent program he was in during the year 2005.
The time he spent there not only was life altering for him but for me also.
***
Table of Contents
Friends of Choice
Road Salt
Along Came Neil
Afterword – Drug Substances found in these stories
Friends of Choice
By Linda Nelson
Chapter ~ 1
“We wouldn’t have to do this if you had gone out and gotten a job as I asked you to.”
“I looked for a job. I went out twice a week filling out job applications. Don’t make this out to be about me,” Mrs. Centon argued.
“Well it is about you. Had you spent less money on booze and more on the bills, this would never have happened,” Mr. Centon replied.
If you were a bird sitting on the branch next to the bedroom window, you would have heard the whole argument. However, just like Karla, you did not hear the entire conversation. She only overheard the part about spending less money on booze, and nothing about her mom needing to go out and find a job. As far as she knew, only her dad was the one who needed the new job. He had been out of work for about three months before finding the one in Brantwood.
Looking out the bedroom window, you would have seen the street pocketed with potholes. It passed right in front of the house, giving the home a small front yard. A grove of pine trees clustered the front right side of the ranch style home.
If you wandered around in the yard, you would have smelled the freshly cut grass which covered the ground in the yard, waiting to be raked. More trees led around the boundary of the three quarter-acre lot stopping on the other side of the house where the small driveway began.
Taken a walk up the rural street and you would have seen how it lined with similar homes mirroring each other up and down the street. About ten homes made up the housing development. Each house sat close to each other, all with large back yards.
A for-sale sign slowly swung back and forth in the yard close to the road. The sign beckoned passer-bye's with its sold sign hanging below the real estate name. Time showed its passing on the sign with the dents, chipped paint and rusted sides. It had seen better days.
A strong breeze cut the sticky humid air from the west. It was one last hot day before the end of the summer. Labor Day weekend had begun with school starting on the coming Wednesday, and Karla would be missing the first few days of school. She needed to help her parents with the packing and moving. Her dad had already taken care of transferring her into the new school.
Karla did not understand why all the rushing. Nevertheless, her mom had always been this way. Rush – rush – rush – that was her way of doing things. The only thing Karla could think of to explain why her mom always rushed about everything was so she would have plenty of time left to have that drink.
She hated it when her mom was drinking, which was almost every day. She was sure her dad was not happy with her drinking either. He just never seemed to make a big deal about it, at least not in front of Karla. But then again there were times he seemed never to be home. Before he lost his job, he was always working long hours. He said they needed the money. Karla was sure it was to avoid being home, so he would not have to deal with her mom’s drinking problem.
Karla frowned as she packed another box and began to think about her friends Sarah and Jody.
She had been in the same school with the same classmates ever since first grade. Now that she was in tenth grade she was entering a different school system for the first time in her life.
Karla felt uneasy about moving and attending a new school. She was not terribly popular in this school, and she was afraid she would not fit in the new school, either. “But then again maybe,” she pondered.
Karla downright hated moving away from her friends, Sarah and Jody. The three of them would hang out in her back yard under the old chestnut tree. Her dad had hung a tire swing from the sturdy branch when she was five. That same tire swing was still there with lots of knots in the rope it hung from. She had to add another knot every time she grew another foot.
Sometimes she and her friends would even take off and go hang out down the street at the pond. It had a small sandy beach they sometimes went to to wade in the water along the shore to cool off on a hot summer day. After hearing the pond had bloodsuckers, they did not dare go out any further than their waists.
She was tired of packing and simply needed to talk to her friend Jan.
Karla peered out her bedroom window waiting for her friend to return home. She watched the driveways, which twined each other side by side with a small patch of grass separating them from each other.
A small red Honda pulled into Jan's driveway.
The tall driver slowly stepped out of the car and walked to the rear, opening the hatchback to remove several items from the car. She left the hatch open and made her way to her steps leading to the side door into her home.
Karla looked away from the window feeling glum about her task. She had a mess in her room.
Empty boxes littered the floor of Karla's bedroom. She pushed them aside with a kick of her foot, sending a bunch of boxes sliding across the wooden floorboards. She opened her bedroom door, stepped out into the short hallway, and closed the door behind her. She passed a stack of unmade boxes, stacked against the wall.
Her parents’ bedroom was at the very end of the hallway. The bathroom was across from her bedroom. In the other direction, the hallway led into the kitchen with the small dining room off to the right. Light flooded into the dining room and kitchen from the sliding glass patio door leading out to the small back porch.
Karla quickly passed through the kitchen with its piles of packed boxes. The living room looked bare. The pictures that had hung on the w
alls all packed, leaving shadows where the pictures once hung.
She burst out the screen door letting it slam shut behind her with a bang. Grabbing the short railing, she made her way down the concrete steps and ran to greet the older woman, Jan.
Mrs. Centon yelled at Karla from the open screen door. “Karla, get back in here. I know you're not done packing, and we have to be done by Monday, and Sunday is the cookout. This all needs to get done… now.”
“Yeah... Mom,” Karla yelled back over her shoulder. “I'll be just a few minutes. I have to talk to Jan for a bit. I'll be right back.”
She glared back at her mom. She did not understand why her mom would not let her have a break she was tired of packing.
“Make it quick then,” Mrs. Centon shouted and retreated into the house.
Karla had planned to ignore her anyway.
The thirty-year-old woman had lived next to the Centons’ for quite some time. She had been Karla's babysitter when she was a toddler. Later on, she grew into a close family friend.
Whenever Karla needed to talk to someone about things, things that kids don't want to talk to their parents about, she would always go to Jan.
Like that first boy in elementary school, she had liked. She was afraid her mother would pick on her about having a crush on a boy in her class. Therefore, she went to Jan about it. Karla always trusted Jan's opinions without fear of any negative criticism.
The blonde haired woman walked down her steps with empty hands to retrieve the last batch of parcels from the hatch of her car. A smile formed on her face as soon as she saw Karla.
“Hi Jan…”
She found Jan's smile infectious and felt herself smile for the first time that day.
“Are you ready for the big move?”
“No.”
Karla's smile quickly turned back into a frown. She had been going around pouting ever since her parents had broken the news of the move to her about a month ago. At first, she thought they had been playing some sort of joke on her by saying it. Then when the for-sale sign appeared on their front lawn, she knew it was for real.
Karla angrily kicked the ground with her foot, sending a stone skidding across the lawn.
“Jan, I can't take it. Why do my folks have to move? Don't they even care about me? Why don't they ask me what I want? Couldn’t they just buy a house here in town?”
Karla looked up saw a strange look in Jan's hazel eyes.
She did not want to leave her friends behind, and it seemed like no one truly understood or cared about her feelings. Karla wondered why things could not continue the way they were. She was beginning to hate the world she lived in and felt pissed off all the time.
“Your dad has a new job, and your folks found this great house,” Jan said, concern resounding in her voice. “You will be able to take part in classes or clubs that aren't even offered here at Medham High. Your dad's career change and this move are in your best interest.”
Turning away to shield from view the tears forming in her eyes, Karla bitterly kicked another rock. She watched it bounce across the lawn and thought about how she was never going to see her friends ever again. She knew she was going to hate her folks for the rest of their lives for making her move away from her friends.
“But I don't want to move. What about my friends?”
Karla wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand. She knew Jan could see her crying like a big baby. Moreover, she felt like one too. She just could not help it. Her eyes just kept watering up every time she thought about all her memories of her and her friends.
Karla flinched when Jan reached out to comfort her. She felt herself pulled into Jan's comforting arms, gave in, and began sobbing. She wished, so much that Jan was her mother. If she had been her mom, then, she would not have had to move away from her friends. Jan understood her better than her folks.
Finally, she found her composure and pulled away to stand on her own. She put her focus on the house, watching her bedroom curtain waving from the breeze. Karla could detect a hint of barbecue chicken and fresh cut grass drifting from the neighborhood. Those were two of her favorite smells of summer.
“You're only moving a few towns away, I'm sure they will keep in touch.”
Karla heard the frustration growing in Jan's voice.
“You can call each other, and write. There is also the Internet, and your folks most likely will allow you have sleepovers with them.”
Her mom was always letting her know how her friends were not perfect enough for her to hang out with.
“That I doubt. Mom never lets me have friends sleep over. She never lets me do anything,” Karla replied.
She thought about how her mom tended to be mean to her friends. They seemed to annoy her, but even Karla annoyed her at times. Thinking about it only made her feel worse.
“That can't be true. What about that time you told me she allowed Mindy to sleep over?”
There was disbelief in Jan's voice.
“Yeah… That was way back when I was seven. She hasn't let me have anyone over since then,” Karla muttered.
“Why not,” Jan asked.
“Mindy got scared that night and woke up screaming. Then come morning, Mom was so mad when she found out Mindy had wet the bed during the night.”
She leaned with Jan against her car and watched Little Amy ride her bike by, waving at her. She could not believe that it was her first time without training wheels. She was going to miss babysitting that kid.
“Have you ever asked her if you could have anyone else over since then?”
“No. I never dared to. She was so angry that night. I have been reluctant to ask her ever since.”
“If you want, I can talk to her for you, maybe suggest you having a sleepover or two, just to help you with your transition into your new school,” Jan said confidently.
“Would you do that for me? I'm afraid to ask her.”
Karla perked up after feeling a glimmer of hope. Maybe just maybe her folks would listen to Jan.
Karla caught a glimpse of a blue jay flying into the tree in front of the house. She watched the bird walk along the branch toward the bird feeder. Bobbing its head up and down, it hopped off the branch to land on the feeder. After a brief moment, it flew away.
“I will talk to her on Sunday, during the cookout.” Jan said, she attempted to change the subject just a little bit. “I hear the new house you are moving into has an in-ground pool.”
Karla still could not believe this about the house they were moving to.
“That is what my folks say. I got to see it to believe it.”
Her parents seemed so excited about the new house. Karla felt so frustrated by the fact they would not let her in on where they were moving to, or what the place was like. They kept saying to her, “you're really going to like it.”
“I got to get going; I have some errands I need to get done.” Jan leaned forward, moving away from the car. “I will talk to her tomorrow.”
She swatted at a mosquito as it buzzed around her head.
“'Kay… and thanks…I'm going to miss you.”
She gave Jan a goodbye hug.
“Karla, I will still be by for visits.”
She hugged Karla back.
“Just because my favorite neighbor is moving away, it doesn’t mean I won't still be close friends with you and your family. I have known you since you were just a little squirt just out of diapers. I will miss you too, but I will be by for visits. I promise.”
“I have to go and finish packing anyway before Mom yells at me again, see-you tomorrow.”
Karla waved goodbye.
She turned to face her house and made her way along the driveway. Then she crossed the lawn connecting the two driveways together.
“Bye.” Jan called after Karla, causing her to stop and turn around.
Karla waved one last time and made her way back to her house. She felt a small glimmer of hope. Maybe, Karla told herself, ju
st maybe Jan would be able to convince her folks into letting her have her friends over for a sleepover.
She stopped at the screen door and surveyed the front yard one last time. She let her eyes come to rest on the sold sign. The sight of it reminded her of what was to come, and it made her upset once again. Karla returned to her bedroom and began solemnly packing up all her things.
Chapter ~ 2
Karla finished packing another box. She lifted it up and stacked it on top of the pile that lined her bedroom wall. This pile of boxes now threatened to block her door to her closet. She left the closet door open for this very reason.
Empty hangers hung across the bar inside it. Stacks of ratty magazines still piled on its floor. A blanket rolled into a ball on the floor next to the magazines.
Karla reached for another box and began packing the magazines. She then heard her mother call her from the kitchen.
“Karla. Can you come help me?”
“Coming,” she answered as she stood up from her kneeling position.
Her mother was in the kitchen preparing the cold-cuts, veggie and sandwich platters for their cook out today. They were expecting some of the neighbors and other families from around town. People they had known for years. This was to be a good-bye cook out. Her parents had been planning it for several weeks. The event planned for Sunday, the day after signing the papers on their new home.
Her dad had griped about the money her mom was spending on this cookout. He said it was needless, and most of these people never truly spoke to them. He could not understand why she felt she needed to hold a farewell party. This was beside the fact that they just downright could not afford to have a cookout anyway.
They had argued well into the night, and of course, her mom had won out, only because her mom had already sent out the invitations with her dad’s approval.
