The Truth About Virginia May Thomas. (Prologue)
01:00 Dec 04 2006
Times Read: 682
L.A. isn't exactly the little slice of paradise that people label it. The crime rate is extremly high. Be care walking those streets at night, or you may end up getting mugged. I learned at a young age what parts of the city to avoid, and where it was safest.
My parents were murdered when I was five. My Aunt Martha never talked about my parent's death, or how it happened. Took alot to get the truth out of her too. I remember riding in her old sixty-six Dodge Manaco, It was raining on the way to school, the wind sheild wipers flying back and forth just as fast as they could go. Rain was the equavalent to snow here in California.
"How did my parents die?" I would ask her cautiously. She was always a very edgy woman.
"Hunny could you hand me that black bag there at your feet?" she replied evenly, as if I'd never even asked her a question.
I reach down, picking up that ugly black wool bag of hers. She removes one hand from the wheel, pulling a pack of cigarettes from her purse. "Baby doll?" she asked questioningly, and I knew exactly what she wanted. I reached over, removing one of those slender paper sticks from the pack and then picked up the lighter in her purse. She put the pack away as I lite the cigarette up and handed it to her.
I set her purse down and watched her smoke. I hate smoking, it's a filthy disgusting habit. I've told her countless times to stop smoking too.
"So how did they die?" I repeated again, hoping to get an answer.
"Hun, I don't have time for this right now."
'I want to know."
"Your to young." she replied just as calm as ever. If steam could erupt from a person's ears, most likely some would have came from mine.
"I'm sixteen years old. I'm in high school, and all I ever hear are rumors about them, how they died, what happened to them. Your hiding them as if there a huge secret."
"They ARE a secret darling." she sighed, rubbing her temples. She pulled over, the old Manaco stopping just across the street from my high school. It was silent now, only the heavy pounding rain on the roof top, breaking through our barrier.
"Hunny....this....I dont know how to tell you this."
"I deserve to know." I replied quietly.
"You do." my Aunt answered thoughtfully. My gaze met hers and she closed her own eyes, letting out a breath I only now realized she was holding.
"Your family....darlin....I know I've told you rumors of there death....but there all lies baby."
"Lies?" I said a little to quietly, confused at the statement.
"There not dead."
It was like a bucket of cold water had just been dumped on me. I could barely comprehend what she had just said.
"They live out in North Carolina. They own a little house in the countryside.....Your Dad is a mechanic and your mother works as a sternographer for a local law firm."
"There not dead..."I muttered, staring off into the distance. "Not dead." I repeated again. All my life I believed they were dead. All my life, I felt like an orphan and suddenly there back again.
"I'm sorry baby..." she whispered.
"Why arn't I with them?" I said, whipping my head around to look at my aunt.
"They......they didn't want you hunny." she sighed. "They couldn't handle a child then....and I....I didn't want you to stay with them. They were no good." she said bitterly, tears glittering in her eyes. "I want you to know, I love you Virginia May. Your like a daughter to me and I raised you that way. Your mother gave me to you because she couldn't handle being a mother herself."
"I was an accident then." I said numbly.
"No....of course not." she shot back quickly.
"They didn't want me." I said coldly.
"I want you." she replied.
"Your not my mother." I snapped. "Your my Aunt." I could feel hot tears in my eyes and I hated it. I hate crying, I think it is the biggest weakness.
My Aunt Martha went silent and I felt guilt creeping through my veins like poison in my blood. "I'm sorry....I didn't mean it..." I whispered. She said nothing for the longest time before breaking the silence with a erriely calm tone in her voice. "Go on now....school will start soon. Best take the bus home today, I can't pick you up. See you tonight Virginia."
I stared at her, and sighed. "See you tonight." I said and got out of the car. I stood in the rain and watched her drive off.
The rest of the day was a blur. I missed the bus home and ended up walking home. Home wasn't that far, only about seven or eight blocks from the school.
It was dark that night, and I remember how the cold had begun to settle in, making me shiver as I hurried down that wet sidewalk. I was in the wrong part of town and I knew it. I could hear people in the alleyway, homeless men and women looking for food. I heard sirens in the background, speeding cars going up and down the road, water treading from there tires. I was about three blocks from home when someone came up from behind and jerked my bag from my hand. I let out a yell of rage and watched the man take off. I felt like crying again, and I angerily pushed it back down. I hate crying, and I will not, unless maybe under pain of death, cry.
It was around eight o'clock at night when I got home. I was drenched and bagless. My Aunt heard me come in and spent the next thirty minutes lecturing me and drying me off.
"I'm sorry for what I said." I muttered quietly over dinner.
"I know you are." My Aunt replied. "I understand how you feel."
It was then that I realized something very different about my Aunt. She really was my mother. Maybe not biologically, but emotionally, mentally, she was my mother. She raised me, and she loved me. I remember smiling at her, and finishing dinner. It was a better night after that. Despite being robbed, rained on and lectured, everything still turned out for the better.
To Be Continued.....
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