Memories cannot be abandoned

  Edited by Yujie Zai

  The two brothers worked diligently to clean up the one-door garage that was connected to their childhood home. They joked with each other, ribbing on how one brother's military issued haircut left him practically bald and the other about how his foray into puberty had begun with facial hair growing only on the left side of his face.

  They worked fast, filling numerous garbage bags with old speakers, radios, newspapers, rusted garden tools, car parts, toys and various knick-knacks. They were brutal in their attempt to clean up the garage and did not intend on salvaging anything. Rats had settled into the garage over the last winter, and their father was too old and frail to take on the task himself, so they had taken matters into their own hands.

  An old man in his sixties with curly gray hair and a slow painful gait exited the front of the house and made a beeline for the boys. He became increasingly agitated as he saw what the boys were doing and picked up his pace, finally bellowing out, "Now sons, what are you doing here? I need all this stuff." He bent down slowly and started trying to empty out the garbage bags and return the hodgepodge items back into the garage.

  Already anticipating their father's outrage, the eldest son said, "Dad, you don't need any of this crap, we're trying to clean it out, for your health, it's full of junk and so is the house. We are trying to help." The father continued to struggle to empty out the bags. In between breaths, he huffed out," This isn't junk, I'm saving these speakers for your wedding party, these papers here are from the 40's, I can't get rid of them." The youngest son snapped "Dad! You're a hoarder. This is all junk and we can't even walk around in here! Who knows what’s living in here?" The father stuttered in shock at his child's outburst before continuing to make up excuses as to why he needed every single thing in the garage. 

  The two brothers gave up, setting down the items in their hands. They had been through this before, and they knew there was nothing they could do to stop their father. He was too attached to everything in the house, because he had bought it with their mother right before she died. They walked out, leaving their old man to his possessions, and went their separate ways.

Expecting mother receives exciting news

Edited by Emily

As she woke up, she realized this Tuesday was different from every other. It was going to be a life-changing day. Her mom had come from miles away, and her fiance had taken the first few hours off of work just to be there. The three of them jumped into the car and made the short drive to the doctor’s office at the hospital. They were giddy and excited as they walked inside. As they sat in the waiting room, they contemplated and made their guesses.

Soon, the nurse came out, said it was their turn and led them back to their room. Her mom and fiance sat in the chairs as she lay on the bed. The nurse then used the ultrasound to check the baby and make sure all the organs and little fingers and toes were there. After that, the nurse checked the weight and spine. Everything looked good.

Anxious and excited, they watched the screen and waited for the nurse to ask the question they had been anticipating.

“Do you want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?” the nurse asked.

“Yes!” they all said.

The nurse moved the ultrasound up, down and around her stomach to get a good picture. She smiled as the nurse snapped the picture.

The nurse brought the picture up on the screen and told them that it was, in fact, a boy! They all cheered in excitement.

All three of them left the hospital with smiles that would remain on their faces for the rest of the day. 

Garage cleanup causes family fight

The two brothers worked diligently to clean up the one-door garage that was connected to their childhood home. They joked with each other, ribbing on how one brother's military issued haircut left him practically bald and the other about how his foray into puberty had begun with facial hair growing only on the left side of his face.

They worked fast, filling numerous garbage bags with old speakers, radios, newspapers, rusted garden tools, car parts,toys and various knickknacks. They were brutal in their attempt to clean up the garage and did not intend on salvaging anything. Rats had settled into the garage over the last winter and their father was too old and frail to take on the task himself so they had taken matters into their own hands.

An old man in his sixties with curly gray hair and a slow painful gait exited the front of the house and made a beeline for the boys. He became increasingly agitated as he saw what the boys were doing and picked up his pace finally bellowing out "Now sons, what are you doing here? I need all this stuff." He bent down slowly and started trying to empty out the garbage bags and return the hodgepodge items back into the garage.

Already anticipating their father's outrage the eldest son said "Dad, you don't need any of this crap, we're trying to clean it out, for your health, it's full of junk and so is the house, we are trying to help." The father continued to struggle to empty out the bags. In between breaths he huffed out " This isn't junk, I'm saving these speakers for your wedding party, these papers here are from the 40's, I can't get rid of them." The youngest son snapped " Dad! You're a hoarder, this is all junk and we can't even walk around in here, who know's whats living in here!"  The father stuttered in shock at his child's outburst  before continuing to make up excuses as to why he needed every single thing in the garage.

The two brothers gave up, setting down the items in their hands. They had been through this before and they knew there was nothing they could do to stop their father. He was too attached to everything in the house because he had bought it with their mother right before she died. They walked out leaving their old man to his possessions and went their separate ways.

Blessed by a boy or a girl?

As she woke up, she realized that this Tuesday wasn’t like every other. It was going to be a life changing day. Her mom had come from miles away and her fiancé had taken the first few hours off of work just to be there. The three of them jumped in the car and made the short drive to the hospital. They were all giddy and excited as they walked into the doctor’s office located in the hospital. As they waited in the sitting room they contemplated and made their guesses.

The nurse came out and said she was ready to see them now. The three of them walked back to the room. Her mom and fiancé sat in the chairs as she laid on the bed. The nurse then used the ultra sound to check all aspects of the baby. The nurse made sure all the organs were there and that all the little fingers and toes were there. She then checked the weight and spine. Everything looked good.

They were all watching the screen happy and anxiously, waiting for the nurse to ask the question they all wanted to know.

“Do you want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?” she asked.

“Yes!” they all chimed in agreement.

The nurse then moved the ultrasound up and down and around her stomach so she could get a picture. As the nurse snapped the picture she smiled.

The nurse brought the picture up on the screen and showed them, it was in fact a BOY! They all cheered in excitement.

As they left the hospital, the three of them had smiles they couldn’t wipe off for the rest of the day.

Expecting a special visit

For days she had dreaded going to work. It was the same, mundane tasks over and over again. Occasionally, there were a couple customers that could bring out a sincere smile and laugh. But most days drug on while she continued to get disrespected by frustrated shoppers who didn't understand she didn't have control. She was a cashier, never trained in specific departments on the floor. Retail was not her specialty but being a full-time student didn't leave her with many job options.

When she woke up that morning, excitement filled her with joy. He was finally going to visit. All she had to do was get through her five-hour shift and he would be waiting for her.

Back in high school, they both had different people they were in relationships with. But occasionally, they were able to share a few moments together. They had tried dating but it never seemed to work out. Being "friends" seemed so much easier.

Graduation came and they both went their separate ways, but always stayed in touch. After all, no one could quite understand her the way he did. He knew every deep and dark secret she had. They relied on each other.

After a couple years passed they decided to date, which was a surprise to no one. However, life was so much simpler before. Now, he already had a job back home while she was stuck in college almost three hours away. They both had bills and responsibilities. But today, none of that mattered. He was on his way.

The entire time she was at work her eyes continued to drift towards the clock. Thirty minutes left, then 20, 10, 5... As she clocked out, everyone could tell she was in a hurry. She climbed into her Jeep and raced home, praying she wouldn't get a speeding ticket.

When she arrived at her apartment, she spotted his truck. He slowly opened his car door and they made eye contact. A sly, grin swept across his face as he waved. She jumped out of her Jeep and they embraced in the middle of the parking lot. At first, neither of them wanted to let go. It had been too long since they had last seen each other.

As the moment wore off they began to discuss plans for the next couple of days. Although she knew his visit wouldn't last long, she knew it was going to be one hell of a weekend.

Just Another Day in Paradise

By: Veronica Diaz

Team 3

Laughter rang from outside. The warm summer sun shines over a picture of childhood innocence. The woman smiles at the scene. The youth of the neighborhood has collected on the street in front of her house to enjoy one of the last days of summer.

“Car!” one of the boys yelled. The kids quickly part to the side of the street as the blue Ford Explorer passes by. They anxiously wait for the signal.

“All clear!” another boy yells.

            The offense and defense line back up and the game resumes. The young girls grab their jump ropes and begin another game with their little brothers. On the sidewalk a two little blond girls are drawing with chalk, their hopscotch is almost complete.

            All of the children's faces show no worries through their smiles as they continue to indulge in their activities. The neighborhood supervises them throughout the day in an unspoken agreement. Only sunset will cause bring this scene to end. Everyone returns to their homes, until tomorrow sun brings new adventures.

Edited: The visit of a lifetime

Edited by: Megan Dortch

The scene outside of her high school looked far different than normal. A line of news vans and police cars were where her school’s faculty would normally park. Police and their canine officers stood by every entrance. Across the street, a group of protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church shouted at the people in line.

After two hours of waiting, the doors to the gym lobby finally opened; the crowd began to applaud. A man in a suit stepped outside with a megaphone in his hand. He asked the crowd to have their tickets and identification out and ready for security to check upon entrance.

The line began to slowly file into the building one by one. When it was her turn, she handed both her ticket and driver’s license to an officer. After he examined them, he handed them back and directed her to a metal detector on the left side of the room. She breezed through security without an issue and headed into the gym. As she walked through the doors, she was amazed that the gym was filled with so many people. The basketball court was covered in chairs and both sets of bleachers were packed. On the west side of the gym, there was a sea of reporters and television cameras poised and ready to capture the event. The east wall was covered with long, royal blue curtains, and in front of them was a large stage with a podium in the center. She found an empty spot in the bleachers next to one of her classmates and sat down.

As she continued to look around, she noticed men in suits standing stoically by every exit and one standing by the stairs to the stage. She watched this particular man closely and after a while, he pressed his hand to his ear. Then, he lifted his wrist to his mouth and spoke. She was wondering what he had said when the doors to the lobby closed loudly, making her jump in her seat. The crowd fell silent and waited in anticipation.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” said a voice over the loudspeakers. “The President of the United States of America.”

The crowd jumped to their feet and cheered as President Obama took the stage. The people from her small town that were in attendance seemed to cheer louder than everyone else. Her heart was racing as goosebumps crept up her arms. She raised her camera and took picture after picture. She knew that she would always want to remember this moment. After all, how many chances would she get to see the President of the United States speak in her high school gymnasium.

Bigger than prom: high school hosts huge event

By Monica McDougal

The scene outside of her high school looked far different than normal. A line of news vans and police cars were where her school’s faculty would normally park. Police and their canine officers stood by every entrance. Across the street, a group of protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church shouted at the people in line.

After two hours of waiting, the doors to the gym lobby finally opened; the crowd began to applaud. A man in a suit stepped outside with a megaphone in his hand. He asked the crowd to have their tickets and identification out and ready for security.

The line began to file into the building. When it was her turn, she handed her ticket and driver’s license to an officer. After he examined them, he handed them back and directed her to a metal detector on the left side of the room. She breezed through security without any issues and headed into the gym. As she walked through the doors, she was amazed by what she saw. The gym was filled with people. The basketball court was covered in chairs and both sets of bleachers were packed. On the west side of the gym, there was a sea of reporters and television cameras poised and ready to capture the event. The east wall was covered with long, royal blue curtains, and in front of them was a large stage with a podium in the center. She found an empty spot in the bleachers next to one of her classmates and sat down.

As she continued to look around, she noticed men in suits standing stoically by every exit and one standing by the stairs to the stage. She watched this particular man closely. After a while, he pressed his hand to his ear. Then, he lifted his wrist to his mouth and spoke. She was wondering what he had said when the doors to the lobby closed loudly, making her jump in her seat. The crowd fell silent. It was the moment they had all been waiting for.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” said a voice over the loudspeakers. “The President of the United States of America.”

The crowd jumped to their feet and cheered as President Obama took the stage. The citizens of her small town that were in attendance seemed to cheer louder than anyone else. Her heart was racing and she had goosebumps on her arms. She raised her camera and took picture after picture. She knew that she would always want to remember this moment. After all, how many chances does a girl get to see the President of the United States speak in her high school gymnasium.

The journey home from preschool (Edited)

The little boy ran down the hall of his preschool toward his mother who was there early to pick him up. He giggled as he swerved left and right through the hallway, pin-balling from one wall to the other.

"Try and catch me, Mom!" he said as he curled around her legs just out of her reach.

He grabbed her leg and gripped on tightly to hitch a ride. She pulled a bundle of papers that were taped to the back of his shirt as she tried to pry the youngster from her legs.

"Stop tickling me, Mom!" he said before giving up with a shrug. He reached for his mother's hand.

They held hands and walked through the double doors of the small preschool center. The boy discussed his day, describing which friends he had played with and what they had played. He reminded his mother that his teacher had red hair. 

Letting go of his mother’s hand, the boy began to stumble and skip through the parking lot toward the car. He found a puddle but was pulled away from his mother before he could venture in. Finding something else to focus on, he looked up at the sky and noticed gray clouds.

"It rained mom, look!" he said.

"Yes, and it's going to rain more, so we better hurry!" said his mother.

They both raced toward the car. The boy hopped up and down waiting for his mother to open the car door for him. As she did, he jumped in and buckled his seat belt. He pulled his "Letter I" book from the seat next to him. He leaned back and stared at the pictures in the book, focusing on the different "I" words. Igloo... Ice-cream...

Rain drops began trickling on the hood of the car. Both the mother and her son could hear thunder in the distance. The boy looked out his window and watched the rain quickly slide down his window, creating a mesmerizing maze. His eyes fluttered as he stared at the trickling rain. He finally allowed them to close. His long lashes rested on his chubby cheeks.

School day's end

A little boy ran down the hall of his preschool toward his mother who was there early to pick him up. He giggled as he swerved left and right through the hallway. He dodged back and forth, pin-balling from one wall to the next.

"Try and catch me mom!" he said, as he curled around her legs just out of her reach.

He grabbed her leg and gripped on tightly, trying to hitch a ride. She pulled a bundle of papers that were taped to the back of his shirt as she tried to pry the youngster from her legs.

"Stop tickling me Mom!" he said.

He gave up and shrugged, reaching for his mother's hand.

They held hands and walked through the double doors of the small preschool center. The boy talked about who he played with, what he played with and then reminded his mother that his teacher had red hair. The boy stumbled and skipped through the parking lot towards his mom's car. He found a puddle but just before jumping in, his mother pulled him away. He looked up at the sky and questioned the gray clouds.

"It rained mom, look!" he said.

"Yes, and it's going to rain more, so we better hurry!" his mother said.

They both raced toward the car. The boy hopped up and down waiting for his mother to open the car door for him. As she did, he jumped in and buckled his seat belt. He pulled his "Letter I" book from the seat next to him and leaned back. He stared at the pictures, focusing on the different "I" words. Igloo... Ice-cream...

Raindrops began trickling on the hood of the car. They could hear thunder in the distance. The boy looked out his window and watched the rain quickly slide down his window, creating a mesmerizing maze. The boy's eyes fluttered as he stared at the trickling rain. He finally allowed his eyes to close and his long lashes rested on his chubby cheeks. 

Temporarily Star Struck (Edited)

“That can’t be him,” she thought as she squinted her eyes to get a better look. “Why would he be walking out in public alone?”

She continued walking along the sidewalk.  Soon they were closer together. Although she wasn't positive if it was him, she debated turning around or quickly running across the street. He was wearing sunglasses and kept his head down to look at his phone, which made it impossible to tell from so far away. What if it was him? What would she do? What would she say? She wasn't sure if she should say anything, because he appeared to be avoiding making eye contact with others.

Her internal battle didn't last much longer, because she soon realized they were just several feet apart. It was him! Her walking pace began to slow down. Butterflies began to flutter deep in the pit of her stomach. She was too stunned and star struck to know what to say. As they passed each other, he looked up from his phone, smiled at her and said “hey.” She returned his greeting, and the moment was gone before she knew it.

 She was slightly disappointed that she hadn't made the effort to have an actual conversation with him. How could she let that opportunity pass her by? As she made her way to the theater, she decided to be content with the chance meeting that did occur even though it only lasted for about a second. He obviously hadn't wanted to draw attention to himself. Stopping him in the middle of the sidewalk might have triggered a reaction from others.

“It’s okay,” she thought to herself. “He probably wouldn't have wanted you to stop him anyway.” 

She reclaimed her spot near the front of the line and waited for the doors of the Granada Theater to open. She would be seeing him again in about an hour. This time, however, he would be the one on stage preforming.

A chance meeting

“That can’t be him,” she thought as she squinted her eyes to get a better look. “Why would he be walking out in public alone?”

She continued walking along sidewalk as they got closer together. Although she wasn’t positive if it was him, she debated turning around or quickly running across the street. He was wearing sunglasses and was keeping his head down to look at his phone, which made it impossible to tell from so far away. What if it was him? What would she do? What would she say? She wasn’t sure if she should say anything because he appeared as if he was trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone.

Her internal battle didn’t last much longer. Soon, they were just several feet apart. It was him! Her walking pace began to slow down. Butterflies began to flutter deep in the pit of her stomach. She was too stunned to know what to say. As they passed each other, he looked up at her, smiled and said “hey.” She returned his greeting, and the moment was gone before she knew it.

 She was slightly disappointed that she hadn’t made the effort to have an actual conversation with him. How could she let an opportunity like that pass her by? As she made her way to the theater, she decided to be content with the chance meeting that did occur even though it only lasted for about a second. He obviously hadn’t wanted to draw attention to himself. Stopping him in the middle of the sidewalk might have triggered a reaction from other passersby.

“It’s okay,” she thought to herself. “He wouldn’t have wanted you to stop him anyway.” 

She returned to her spot near the front of the line and waited for the doors of the Granada Theater to open. She would be seeing him again in approximately one hour. This time, however, he would be on the stage. 

One Great Dog

He was loading up the truck on a bright and sunny day. He could hardly manage to control his excitement, after all it was his birthday, and he was going to the Royals game. As they began to back out of the driveway, they felt a bump and heard a load yelp. He hurried out of the truck only to realize that his biggest fear was true. His dog had been hit.

He could tell by the way his dog looked that at the very least the leg was broken. The leg was limp as the dog attempted to walk across the ground. They hurried and lifted the dog into the backseat of the truck, trying not to cause the dog anymore pain. Then they headed for the vet. The whole way there he held his dog. He was hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

They finally arrived at the vet. They hauled their dog inside to a little room where they sat their dog on the table. The vet began to examine their dog, as him, his fiancé and parents waited patiently. Once the vet finished, she said there was a dislocated hip and possibly some internal bleeding. The sound of those words made tears build up in his eyes. As they began discussing options, it grew even more difficult. Because their dog was 13-years-old there was no chance for surgery. If they took him home, there was no chance of him recovering. It was a hard decision, but they had to put their dog to sleep.

The vet left the room, allowing the family to say their final goodbyes. Everyone began sobbing as their faithful dog lay on the table, breathing heavily. He leaned down and put his head by his dogs and laid there with him, not wanting to leave. He knew he was losing much more than just a dog. He was also losing a brother and a best friend.

The vet came back and began to put the dog to sleep. He stayed in the room with his dog. He wasn’t going to leave until the very last breath. As the vet injected the needle, the dog’s breathing slowed, and the eyes slowly shut. Then his beautiful dog breathed its last breath.

They went home sad, knowing they had lost a large part of their lives. However, they knew their dog had lived a long and happy life they would never forget. Once they arrived home he went into the garage and hung up the dog’s collar. He grabbed a black marker and below the collar wrote:

“Angus 2001-2014”

“One Great Dog”

Leaving the Nest

Edited

At 6 A.M.  in front of security check at Wuhan International airport,  a girl stood in a long queue waiting for a security check. Her parents were standing behind her. She looked very tired and her head was down.  She held her passport and ticket in her left hand and carried a backpack on her her shoulder that was so heavy she couldn't keep her back straight. Her father hauled her boarding bag, staring at her face and his eyes were full of worry. Her mother was holding her right arm and helping her to fix her loose hair.

After her mother finished fixing her hair, she touched the girl's forehead, and said: “You must take good care of yourself after arrival there. Living alone, you must be careful. The weather always changes, don’t get sick and eat on time. Anyway, take care.”

The girl raised her head, tears in her eyes.

“Don’t cry! Don’t go if you want to cry! If you cry alone overseas, we can’t help you,” her father said with a stern look.

“Don’t say that!” her mother raised voice to her father and said, “I believe my daughter is the best. She can take good care of herself and don’t let us worry about her.”

Her father stayed silent while her mother still held the girl’s arm.

Unconsciously, it was the  girl’s turn to go through security. Her father gave the boarding baggage to her, and said, “If it is too heavy that you can’t put it on the baggage rack, ask a man to help you, also with your check-in luggage, when you arrive, ask someone for help. I don’t believe you can carry it all on your own.”

“Dad, don’t look down on me! You worry too much about me! Please don’t!” the girl said with a curl of her lip. Then, she gave her parents a hug and kissed them. She saw tears in her mother’s eyes, and she turned around.

“Next,” the security check inspector said.

The girl gave her passport and ticket to the inspector. After the inspection, she looked back at her parents, and waved good-bye.

The girl choked back tears said, “Mom, don’t cry, I will miss you, and Dad, take good care of yourself and mom, I will miss you too. Love you.”

Then, the girl turned around, walked through the gate and didn't look back again even as tears fell down her face. 

Nothing is as touching as parents’ love

6 o’clock in the morning, in front of security check at Wuhan International airport. A girl was standing in a long queue wait for security check. Her parents were standing behind her. She looks like very tired and her head down. Her left hand held her passport and ticket. A big heavy backpack was carrying on her shoulder in order that she can’t keep her back straight. Her father hauled her boarding bag, staring at her face, and his eyes were full of worry. Her mother was holding her right arm and helping her to fix her loose hair.

After finished fix her hair, her mother touched her forehead, and said: “You must take good care of yourself after arrival there. Living alone, you must be careful. Weather is always change, don’t get sick. And eat on time. Anyway, take care.”

The girl raised her head, tears in her eyes.

“Don’t cry! Don’t go if you want to cry! If you cry alone overseas, we can’t help you,” her father said with a stern look.

“Don’t say that!” her mother raised voice to her father and said, “I believe my daughter is the best. She can take good care of herself and don’t let us worry about her.”

The father kept silence. The mother still held the girl’s arm.

Unconsciously, it’s the girl’s turn to go through the security. Her father gave the boarding baggage to her, and said, “If it too heavy that you can’t put it on the baggage rack, ask a man to help you. And also your check-in luggages, after you arrival there, you ask somebody’s help. Two 50lbs, I don’t believe you can.”

“Dad, don’t look down on me! You just too worry about me! Please don’t!” the girl said with a curl of her lip. Then, she gave her parents a hug and kissed them. Tears in the mother’s eyes, and she turn around.

“Next,” the security check inspector said.

The girl gave her passport and ticket to the inspector. After passed, she look back at her parents, and waved good-byes to her parents.

The girl choked back tears said, “Mom, don’t cry, I will miss you. And dad, take good care of yourself and mom, miss you too. Love you.”

Then, the girl turned around, into the security, and she never look back again. But she wiped away tears frequently.

Frazzled mother navigates airport

Edited by Monica McDougal

Everyone could tell that she was exhausted just by looking at her. She slowly pushed her baby twin boys in a double stroller. One of the boys was sound asleep, and the other was whining. A toddler stumbled around beside them in an attempt to gain the attention of his mom and brothers. The woman's husband walked behind another stroller with a young boy who could not speak, move or respond to actions or words.

Their flight had been delayed for five hours, and their nerves were wearing thin. The toddler was standing in front of the gate to their plane. He was curious and eager to talk to anyone who would give him attention.

The agent at the gate told the toddler to move away from the gate until their plane was ready to board. A few minutes later, the toddler moved through the door, and a stewardess had to escort him back to his family.  The mother sighed and scolded the toddler. Then, the twins began to cry out; the mother could not figure out why her sons were crying. A woman sitting nearby, in an attempt to comfort the frazzled mother, said, "I remember when my twins were that young. What one wanted, the other didn't and I felt like I never had grip on them." The  mother smiled slightly and said, "Yes, especially with four."

The agent then announced that families would be boarding the airplane, and the woman took a deep breath and stood up. She gathered her children and belongings, and then she and her family boarded the plane for a short, 57-minute flight to Providence, Rhode Island. 

The mother barely had a chance to sit down during the flight. The twin boys cried when the change in cabin pressure disturbed them; the mother tried her best to console them. The toddler yelled to try to get attention from his parents and the stewardesses. The mother had to move from one section of seats to the other to make sure that her children were occupied.

When the plane landed, the family waited patiently for the other passengers to exit. Then, they gathered their things and slowly left toward the next leg of their travels.