The Suitcase

Standing there barefoot wearing a ragged Nolan Ryan t-shirt, 8-year old LeAnn McElroy glared at her Mother. Mother was washing dishes when LeAnn came inside and said she was hungry.

"I hate you! You're a big meanie! I wished I had a different mom!" LeAnn stomped her foot to emphasize each word.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, LeAnn, but I won't change my mind. No one needs to eat a whole batch of cookie dough for lunch," replied Mother as she turned from the sink and started drying her hands on her apron.

"Fine. I'll just run away. Then you can't tell me what to do, because you won't be there!" LeAnn stormed out of the room.

When LeAnn came back downstairs dragging her suitcase, her Mother was waiting for her. She stopped LeAnn at the front door.

"If you're running away, LeAnn, I have a few things here you'll need. Open your suitcase so we can put them in there."

"Here are a few cans of your favorite ravioli and soup, so you won't go hungry. I'm adding a can opener and some utensils to eat with, so you won't have to use your fingers," her Mother continued as she added items to the case. "You'll need your winter coat and an extra pair of shoes. Go get them while I add a couple of books to take with you so you can have something to do on those nights you don't have anything better to do."

LeAnn ran upstairs to get the items and when she got back Mother was waiting for her. Handing the shoes and coat to her mother, LeAnn patiently watched as her Mother closed the case.

Mother walked LeAnn to the front door. Opening the door, she told LeAnn, "Here's $20 to help you get started. I'll miss you. Don't be a stranger, dear. Goodbye."

LeAnn could not believe her ears! Mother was just going to let her go! Well, that was just fine! She'd just go and never ever come back. LeAnn McElroy did not stay anywhere she wasn't wanted. Putting her Walkman's headphones on, she pushed play and grabbed her suitcase. She headed down the dirt driveway with Twisted Sister blaring in her ears, dragging more than carrying her case. The entire time she grumbled about how unfair it was that her Mother wouldn't let her eat what she wanted to, but that Julie's Mom allowed her to eat whatever she wanted.

By the time LeAnn made it to the end of their driveway, she was tuckered out. So she sat down on her suitcase by the mailbox. She picked at the flaking McElroy on the side of the box. "Granddad put this box up when Daddy was little," she thought. She picked some wildflowers growing around the box and made a chain to wear out of them. Grumbled some more about how her Mother didn't love her. Wished that she had a different Mother several times.

Switching cassettes, LeAnn once again prepared to leave. Madonna this time kept her company as she headed down the County Road. Grumbling the entire way.

Sniffling, LeAnn wiped her eyes and nose. It just wasn't fair. She loved cookie dough. Her Mother would have let Jedfrey eat whatever he wanted for lunch. Of course, Jed always wanted cheeseburgers and chips. But still...

LeAnn had to stop at the neighbor's driveway. Cid and Marnalee Geiss were the nearest neighbors to the McElroy family. LeAnn sat and daydreamed about the last cookout they attended with the Geiss family. She blushed when she remembered the kiss that Toby Geiss had given her. Of course, it was only on the cheek, but still, it was her first kiss.

Thinking about kissing reminded her that Mother and Daddy both kissed her good night before Mother would tuck her into bed. Of course, they kissed her brother and sister, Jed and Ellen, before they went to bed. BUT she was the one who got tucked in every night and a story read to her by Mother. Who would tuck her in now that she left home?

This got LeAnn to remembering how Daddy always made Mickey Mouse pancakes every Saturday, and they'd let Mother sleep in. How Jed would oil her bicycle chain and check her tires before she'd ride to Julie's house. Ellen always braided LeAnn's hair for school and church. Now she'd never have another one of Daddy's pancakes, Jed wouldn't be able to teach her how to change the bicycle chain, and no one would teach her how to fix her hair or put on lipstick.

LeAnn got up to continue on her way. Her suitcase felt like it weighed a ton. There was no way she'd make it to town, let alone the main road going into town.

LeAnn rubbed her eyes and started sobbing. She sat by the side of the road and had herself a mighty good old pity party.

Soon LeAnn was crying so hard she was hiccuping. She had also gotten so snuffed up that she couldn't breathe. Unfortunately, this reminded her that she forgot to bring a handkerchief to blow her nose, bringing even bigger sobs from her small frame.

LeAnn sat with her head on her knees, crying until she had no more tears. She sat until the hiccups stopped and her nose dried up. Then she sat a little more. And she sat a little longer still.

When she was done sitting there, she nodded her head as if she decided on her next course of action. She grabbed her suitcase and preceded to drag it again. She was worn out from walking as far as she already had and the long cry she'd just had, but she determinedly trudged on, she made only two stops in the next 40 minutes, at the Geiss and McElroy's mailboxes. The suitcase was heavier and heavier with each rest. She almost left the case in the middle of their driveway, but she was determined to get back home and unpack it.

She dragged her case up the porch steps. Thump. Thump. Across the porch. Thump. Thump. Thump. She dragged it inside, letting the screen door slam shut. Thump. Thump. Bump. Up the stairs. Bumpa. Thump. Bump. Bump. To her room. Thump. Thump. Thump. Beside her bed. Thump. Thump. Thud.

LeAnn was panting really hard by then. She threw herself across her bed to rest. She never thought she would be so glad as to see her room as she was right then. She grabbed her floppy bunny to cuddle.

She lay there a good 15 minutes before she decided to get back up. With her suitcase laid on the bed, LeAnn opened it up to put away her stuff. She figured she would get that out of the way before she went downstairs to see the dinner Mother planned tonight.

She went to put her jacket and extra shoes up, first. Underneath her jacket, she found the 3 books Mother had put in: Encyclopedia of North American Fauna, Surviving 101 Nights of Camping, and the New and Improved English Language Dictionary Editors Edition XXIV.  One pocket on the jacket was full of steel bearings, about the size of the lucky marble she won in the Great McElroy Marble Match when she took down the All-time Marbles Champion, Uncle Sully. Her shoes felt heavier than they had ever felt before, so she looked inside them and found the solid brass bookends from the bookshelf in the study, matching kittens in left and right baby booties.

Dumbfounded, LeAnn stared at the items she had found. She quickly dumped the suitcase over, wondering what other crazy thing Mother had added. 8 cans of ravioli and 6 cans of chicken noodle soup (LeAnn remembered when those had been added) rolled across the bed, with 3 of those going right off the bed, and across the floor. A can opener and a spoon clinked against the cast iron bell Daddy was going to install in the backyard one day. The most baffling of all was the 3 flat stones Mother wanted to be used in a walkway for her garden.

So many heavy useless things Mother had added to the case. Why would she do that? What was Mother up to? Did Mother hate her that much? But if Mother hated her why would she make it so impossible for LeAnn to leave? Unless Mother loved her after all and really didn't want LeAnn to leave.....

LeAnn took off running.

Down the stairs.

Looking for her Mother.

She needed to tell her Mother something mighty important.

She needed to say I love you.