Leaving Serenity by Alle Wells

keys to your car.”
    I felt the blood drain from my face and my mouth fly o pen. “A car, for me? For real?”
    Daddy looked at me and grinned. I ran to look out the living room window. A Ford Mustang sat in the driveway. Even Beth doesn’t have her own car . I guessed she didn’t need one since she was always riding with Jeff in his truck. Adam had a brand new Charger, but then, he was Adam. The shock was sinking into my head when Daddy walked up behind me.
    I turned and threw my arms around him. “Oh, Dad dy, I love it! Is it all mine?”
    Daddy held on for just a second and then let go. “Yes, it’s all yours. You’ve had a hard patch lately. I’m proud of you for getting a job.”
    He pulled an envelope from his back pocket. “Here’s the title in your name, the registration, and insurance information. You buy the gas and pay the insurance. It will last you a long time if you take care of it.”
    My face beamed through the tears in my eyes. “It’s beautiful! That’s the nicest surprise I’ve ever had! Thank you, thank you! I’m going to thank Mama.”
                  I ran back to the kitchen, but Mama was outside feeding the cat. She didn’t turn around when I came out the back door. I approached her quietly, uncertain of her mood.
                  “Thanks for the car, Mama. It’s really great.”
                  She gave me a sour look. “No doing of mine. It was your daddy’s idea. You better be getting off to work now.”
                  I backed away from her. Sometimes Mama’s looks could sting like a bee. Sometimes I felt like those looks are intended especially for me.
    “Okay, I’ll see ya later.”
    I could tell that Mama was mad because Daddy gave me the car. She didn’t turn as I opened the gate to the chain link fence that led to the front yard. Underneath my excitement, I wondered why he did it. I felt his body stiffen when I threw my arms around him, but I could tell that he was happy for me.
    The sun bounced off the windshield of my new car and wiped away my worries. My fingertips tingled when I ran them over the shiny, gold surface of the hood. I named her Goldie. Inside, the interior was gold like the outside. A faint whiff of cigarette smoke lingered inside, and there was a small cigarette burn in the back seat. I turned the key, and Goldie came to life. I was in love with her. I’d never loved anything as much as I loved her. S he was beautiful , and she wa s mine!
    The clock on the dashboard said seven-thirty. I drove real slow to work, not only because I was early, but so that nothing would happen to Goldie. The streets I’d known my whole life looked brighter than usual as I tasted the sweetness of freedom. Along with freedom, I got a taste of my summer vacation as the smell of coffee and country ham greeted me inside the café.
    Rosie attended to the line of people standing at the cash register. Andy was running from table to table like a chicken with its head chopped off. I walked to the other end of the counter and tried to blend into the wall. I didn’t know what to do, and the others were too busy to direct me. Andy flew by me.
    “You’re not due until nine. Why are you here now?”
    I shrugged.
    Andy leaned closer and whispered in my ear, “Go back outside until the crowd clears out.”
    I squeezed between the customers standing in line at the cash register. Rosie cut her eyes at me as I walked out the door. I sat in Goldie and waited. To pass the time, I turned on the radio and listened to Paul Harvey because that’s what was on. Just like Andy said, cars pulled out of the parking lot, and the crowd thinned out. Only a couple of cars remained in front of the café when I stuck my head in the door an hour later.
    Rosie broke open a r oll of pennies as I walked in.
    Giving her a weak smile, I said, “Sorry, I was too early.”
    “It’s al l right , better than being late, I reckon. We can’t train you when