A Childhood Memory

The bark felt rough under my hands. Up, up, up I went. The smell of eucalyptus floated through the air. Brown, red and blonde hair flashed between the leaves as the breeze gently stirred the branches. I watched and listened to them playing below. I couldn't help but smile at them. They were happy but I was happier where I was. Up in the tree I felt safe. I felt free.

“It’s time for birthday cake. Come inside everyone.” My stepmother stood at the door. She looked up at me with beady, creepy little eyes. The other kids screamed with delight. They took off running toward the door. I stared at my stepmother. I didn’t feel safe anymore. Down the tree I went, as slow as my body would allow. The sound of the other children laughing and screaming hurt my ears. It sounded like nails being scraped down a blackboard. I wanted to run away, to be home.

I was halfway to the door when my stepmother walked inside. She turned and looked at me. It was the first and last time anyone ever looked at me like that. I’ll never forget it. The look she gave me made me feel so alone. I knew she hated me at that moment. She looked at me like I wasn’t even there. She smiled a weird smile that terrified me. Her face twisted in a way that made her look like a rat.

I ran toward the door. When I reached the steps my stepmother slammed it in my face. I could hear muffled laughter. A knot formed in my throat. Before I could stop my self I began sobbing. I was by myself in a large backyard that was almost totally unfamiliar. Big grey clouds rolled across the sky, blocking out almost all of the sun. In the large backyard and under the enormous sky I felt small.

I could smell my stepmother's perfume. The smell revolted me; it was like grass that had been recently cut. I couldn’t stop crying. My Aunt was in there; I could here her voice over the children’s screaming. I knew my mother’s friends were in there too. I yelled my Aunt’s name. I don’t know if she could hear me or not. But nobody let me in. I flopped on the cold cement steps and cried. It felt like an eternity before I decided to go home.

The sun went behind a cloud, taking away what light was left. I got up and ran toward the side gate. The steel gate was broken. It hung slightly askew. There was a small gap at the bottom. The gap was just big enough for me to squeeze through. The grass was damp on the other side. The sprinkler was on, on the other side of the front yard. The scent of the damp grass smothered my senses, making me feel disorientated.

I reached the lane way. The tall wooden fences of the lane way towered over me. It was long and daunting, but at the end was my house. It was like the light at the end of a tunnel.

My sobs reduced to a mere whimper. I was afraid but kept going. I looked straight ahead, keeping my eyes fixed on my house. Before I reached the end my mother saw me through her bedroom window. I heard the front door slam and then saw my mother. She was running toward me. I called out to her and she grabbed me. I could smell the incense she burns, Arctic Musk. It was a sweet, flowery scent, which calmed me instantly. In my mother’s arms I felt safe again.

She flew into a rage when I told her what had happened. I don't remember ever seeing her so angry. She couldn't believe her own family and friends had let my stepmother get away with this. She ranted and raved, then looked at me. The tears in my eyes stopped her from yelling. She knelt in front of me and a smile spread across her face. She told me she loved me and promised she would never let anything like this happen again.

She kept her word.