The Sun Lit my Bowl of Cereal on Fire

  I was ten years old when I lost my mom.  We lived in a small house where no one knew our real names.  There were huge trees blooming with pink and red leaves.  Children would play outside, riding their bikes up and down the quiet street and I would watch them from my window.  I wasn’t ready to make friends.  Even in school, I showed up, did my work and ran back home to look after my baby sister.  She was the only person I recognized, the only person, besides Mom that I cared about.  I wanted to watch her for the rest of my life just to make sure nobody bothered her.  Even though, the kids outside sounded happy, I was sure they didn’t know how dangerous outside could be and I was finally getting comfortable with inside being safe. 

“Kay, I’m going to take the garbage to the curb, lock the door until I get back.”

I jumped up from the table to do what she asked.  I walked back accustomed to our routine.  Everything had to be locked until a password was given and passwords were changed every day. It was tiring to remember but deadly to forget.    As I sat back down ready to eat my breakfast until Mom returned from what should have been a 45 second trip, I saw the sky light up in a flash.  The boom rattled the neighborhood. My legs were shaking under the table and my heart was beating out of my chest.  I closed my eyes and waited for her knock, waited for the password.  Instead, I heard a car speed off and more cars pull up.  The lights from the sirens flashed through the kitchen window as the sun lit my bowl of cereal on fire.  I jumped up and ran to my bedroom to cradle Elle in my arms.  I knew that whatever knock we would soon hear would not be my mother’s.  There was only one other phrase besides the password of the day that would allow me to open the door.  I had only heard it in my mother’s voice so far but today, from behind the closet door where we were hiding, I heard it loud and clear in a voice I never heard before.

“It’s the police.”  Mommy always said they would find us if anything happened, what she didn’t say is that daddy would find her first.