window Gotta love when nature adds its own special effects Mom lights a few candles and clicks the dimmer on the light remote Dad clears his throat and lets out one long-winded breath If I didn’t know any better I would think they were about to summon a ghost And cue camera zoom Mom starts talking Annabelle we wanted to tell you the real reason we’ve moved to Linden The camera is zoomed in so close to my face I’m sure the viewing audience can see every freckle The skin under my eyes sinks lower and lower as seconds turn to minutes and Mom draws out her speech The audio fades in and out and all I hear are words like leave and assignment and alone The sounds and their words mix together I try to shake the scene out of my head Tell myself to quit making a movie out of every moment in my life and get back to focus But then it hits me What did you say Mom You’re getting what My throat tightens TDY TDY TDY Temporary duty yonder Fancy Air Force words for Mom’s leaving this time without us The letters repeat over and over until the final image closes out Wait there’s more Mom says Ladies and gentlemen we have a sequel Dad adds in his piece Since this will be Mom’s last assignment before retiring next year we’re going to stay in Linden and live civilian life She’ll commute to Fort Dix for work until it’s time for her TDY And with the transfer I landed a new Cisco client based in New York which means I have to travel into the city a few times a week so Slow down I say What about homeschooling Dad Mom and Dad lock hands and look at each other then back at me I know what’s coming I am going to middle school Real school with teachers and seventh graders and eyeballs and gym
You guys tricked me I’m standing now The camera angles upward to make me appear larger than I am I should’ve known something was up Just a week ago we were living happily ever after in Germany where Mom was Master Sergeant in the Air Force and Dad worked from home for Cisco all while homeschooling me Life was perfectly fine Then Mom comes home one day and announces we’re headed to the city she once lived in Linden New Jersey land of Targets Starbucks and an oil refinery that occasionally makes the whole city smell like a gigantic fart Her words not mine She’s been acting funny ever since Extra clingy with me Extra lovey-dovey kissy-face with Dad UGH Mom and Dad spring to their feet too The camera pans up and then zooms out The next scene plays out like a game of verbal Ping-Pong with me asking questions and Mom firing back answers How long will you be gone Six months not much longer A ghost whizzes by and punches ME right in the throat Why can’t Dad and I go with you like we always do ME MOM ME MOM this time I’m sorry Annabelle This is not like it was before in the UK Spain and Germany I cannot bring you to Afghanistan You understand schätzchen MOM calls ME sweetie in German to soften the blow It usually works Not
When do you leave ME MOM After Christmas blocking out his warmth ME Insert massive thought bubble above my head That’s four months from now DAD grabs ME by the shoulders and pulls ME in for a hug I transform into ice I won’t go to school with a bunch of people I don’t know It’s bad enough you guys moved me away from the one friend I have in the UK Now you expect me to start all over again My eyes are stinging now I will not cry I will not cry This will be a big change for everyone Annabelle but together we’ll get through DAD refuses to let ME go Zoom in on MOM wrapping her arms around us The warmth of MOM and DAD melts my ice block even though I don’t want it to Outside the rain stops falling The tree branch no longer smacks against the window And that imaginary ghost has faded into oblivion Everything will be fine Annabelle My Air Force buddy Pete Fingerlin is the counselor at McManus Middle School I called him yesterday to explain the situation He set you up with a buddy to give you a tour bright and early Monday Buddy Sounds like a code word for babysitter Call me psychic but I have a feeling this whole middle school thing will go horribly wrong DAD it MOM morning ME thinking End scene
2 Texting Across the Pond Mae Belle How’s life in the US Missing you here in the UK Me New country New house New school New problems Over it Mae SCHOOL Like with other humans Me Apparently Mom and Dad forgot that I’m allergic to formal education Mae That’s awful When do you start Me T minus 4 hrs 38 mins Run away with me Mae Oy I forgot about the time difference Get some sleep Me About to start a new novel with Dad Enchanted Air Margarita Engle strikes again I’m missing our father-daughter homeschool sessions Mae You’ll survive maybe FaceTime ya before you leave Sweet dreams
