My Bright Umbrella
Something was different that morning. I could sense it the way you know it's the weekend rather than a weekday because the salty aroma of bacon wakes you instead of a routine yell from the bottom of the stairs. It wasn't a smell or sound, but rather the lack of both. I rubbed my eyes open to a beam of sunshine penetrating my bedroom window. What day is it? I wondered. Spring was in full swing and the light-filled hours were beginning to lengthen. However, it was unusual for my room to be that lit up before I made my descent from bed. It’s Wednesday and most definitely a school day, I recalled, kicking the covers aside. That degree of silence was not normal for my household. Being the second oldest of my three siblings, sleeping late was almost impossible. Yet, I had done just that. Where was the sound of feet running up and down the hallway or the customary cries over someone drinking the last of the milk? I slowly crept down the stairs and toward the kitchen. At last, I heard my parent's barely audible voices. They whispered emphatically and their hand gestures confirmed a disagreement was occurring between the two. Upon seeing the puzzled look on my nine-year-old face, their demeanors quickly shifted. Immediately, my mom walked over and told me that I would not be going to school. She said that my dad was taking us kids to the farm and that he had something to discuss. I knew not to be overly excited by this news. Missing school or a trip to my birthplace would usually be a treat, but the atmosphere remained tense. My baby brother wandered in ready for breakfast. His bright blue eyes were shining out from underneath shaggy blonde bangs, despite having his usual bedhead. He was too young for school and would be staying home with my mom today just the same as always. I quickly dressed and met my older brother and younger sister in the back seat of our maroon Chevy Impala. We started down our quiet street and turned onto highway 34 by Pioneer Orchard. The town where we lived was the kind that everyone knew what their neighbor had for dinner the night before. It's what I loved and hated about it. Not much exciting happened on a day-to-day basis so everyone looked for things to talk about. Little did I know, my family would soon be the latest scandal and serve as the topic of gossip.
