A Family No More

It was the middle of August and it was another year of school. Sami was going to be a senior this year and she couldn't shake the feeling of how this year may end up the worst year of her life.

“Sami! It’s time to get up and get ready for school! You’re going to be late!” Mom yelled up the stairs.

Sami rolled over to look at the clock and grunted. Today was the first day of senior year. Sami climbed out of bed and threw on her favorite pair of holey blue jeans and her favorite Lady Gaga t-shirt. She stumbled down the squeaky stairs to find Mom and Dad sitting at the wide, wooded, breakfast nook. “Are you excited for senior year? Not the baby anymore, eh? Graduation will be here before you know it,” Mom said to Sami as she ate her breakfast.

“Yeah, honey. I remember my senior year, played varsity football. Isn’t that what you kids call 'G-Status' because I had some swag,” Dad said.

“Dad, remember you’re forty-five, not fifteen. Mom, it’s senior year, not my wedding. Why are you getting so worked up about it?” Sami said.

“We want to give you and you brother the best,” Mom said.

“What are you talking about?” Sami questioned.

“Your Dad and I have something to tell you,”

Sami’s heart dropped. Sami was silent and one single tear rolled down her tan face as Mom said the words, “Your father and I are getting a divorce,” Sami was speechless. Before Mom could say anything else, Sami sprinted out the door to her car. Was it something my brother and I did to ruin their relationship? Are we the blame for everything? Why would this happen? Why? Sami got into her tiny, white Honda Civic. She sat alone in the car, sobbing her eyes out. She calmed down and drove off without saying a word. As she was driving, the radio was playing, "The Rest of Our Life" by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. She arrived at school earlier than usual, so she decided to go to the back of the school to see what her friend, Chase was up too. “Wanna smoke, Sam? You looked a little bummed out. What’s wrong?” Chase asked.

“Yes please. My parents just told me that they are getting a divorce. Like was it something I did?” Sami said starting to cry.

“Sami, listen to me. Parents get divorced for many reasons, but you and your brother are not one of the reasons. My parents got divorced because of a reason not meant to be said. They want you to live a strong and healthy life, but they can’t live on a lie anymore. Don’t worry about anything. It’s not your fault,” Chase said as he hugged Sami.

By this time, Sami’s boyfriend, Chad, showed up in the back lot to see what was wrong. “Aye babygirl, you weren’t texting me back? Everything alright?” Chad asked while catching his breath. Sami didn’t say a word. Her clear, green eyes started to turn red. She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She went to Chad’s chest and started crying. “Shhh, baby. I’m right here. Don’t worry. I’ll be here anytime you need me,” Chad said stroking her hair.

As they sat there in the back lot, the bell rang for first bell. They hurried to class and started their first day of senior year. After the school day, Chad was waiting on Sami at her locker to make sure she was alright. “Hey babygirl. How you doing?” Chad asked opening her locker.

“I could be better, but I’m fine. Want to come over after school and do some homework?” Sami asked.

“Sure,” Chad said.

Sami looked into Chad’s eyes passionately. They closed their eyes and they locked lips. Sami got into her car, waved to Chad and drove off. When she pulled into the driveway, she noticed that Mom’s Ford Fusion was gone. “Dad, where’s Mom?” Sami asked.

“Mom said she was afraid to go back to jail and that she was afraid of me, she just had to leave. I drove her completely out of the house just because of that one night. She left and I don’t know if she will come back,” Dad explained.

“And she left without saying goodbye?!” Sami screamed.

“Yes but…” Dad started to say.

Sami couldn’t hear anymore and she ran to her room and started to cry. Why did Mom have to go to jail? Why? Stupid Dad. An hour later, Chad shows up at Sami’s bedroom door. Sami looked up to see her handsome boyfriend. “I heard what happened. Babe, I’m here for you,” Chad went to the bed and sat beside Sami. “We are going to get through this together. I’m not leaving your side. Not through this hard time. I love you,” Chad said holding Sami as the colorless tears ran down her face.

Sami was so used to having Mom around to help her with the chores and cooking. Now, Sami has to do everything now that Mom is gone. Her brother grew larger and lazier. Dad grew sicker every day that Mom was away. Life was not going to get any better. Sami spent sleepless nights sobbing and weeping about Mom’s departure. She prayed every night that Mom would come back. Sami would wake up in the middle of the night screaming from terrifying nightmares.

In the month of September, Sami was getting ready for school as usual. Dad was asleep on the floor and her brother was downstairs playing on his Xbox. Sami wasn’t feeling too well, but still went to school anyway.

During first bell, Sami texted Dad saying that she wasn’t feeling good and she would want to come home. She forgot that her grandma took Dad’s phone away from him. During fourth bell, Aunt Steph texted Sami saying that her grandma was picking her and her friend, Anne up from school. After school, Sami met Anne at her locker and they walked out to go meet Sami’s grandma. “How was school?” Her grandma asked.

“Why isn’t Dad coming to get us? Where is he?” Sami asked.

“Your dad had to go down to the hospital. We don’t know why, but he went down there at one o’clock,” Her grandma explained.

They dropped Anne off and Sami went home to find Dad’s car still there in the driveway and that Aunt Steph was there also. Sami walked in the door and didn't say anything. She walked straight to her room. They are big liars. Dad’s car is still here. He wouldn’t have just gone down to the hospital. There had to be a reason. The phone rings shortly after she walked in her room. “Sami, it's Dad. I’m down at the hospital because some lady showed up at our house and they took me away in the back of a cop car. The people that Grandma called on Monday came to get me because I kept telling myself that I was going to kill myself, which I wasn’t going to do anyway,” Dad explained.

“So, basically Grandma sent you to the mental hospital?” Sami asked.

“Basically. I should be home sometime soon. Just, try to deal with them while I’m gone,” Dad said as he hung up the phone.

I am not about to deal with them. Aunt Steph and Grandma wouldn’t let Sami or her brother leave, they wouldn’t tell them anything, and they asked her and her brother the dumbest questions. “Alright this is ridiculous, I’m leaving,” Sami said as she ran out the door.

“Sami! Come back!” Aunt Steph yelled.

Sami ran out of the house and away from her street. She eventually ended up in the town of Aspin. The little town of Aspin was quiet and had a lake down the street. It was a cold, crisp night and Sami walked down a long road to take a peaceful walk.

While Sami was gone, Anne, Chase, and Chad had been looking for her. “Where could she have gone? She had so much to live for. Chad, didn’t she tell you where she was going?” Anne asked.

“She didn’t tell me anything. I hope she is alright,” Chad said.

Dad sent out policemen and everyone in the family because he was scared his little girl was gone.

Sami was creeping around in the dark, narrow woods, when two, skinny men and fat, short woman appeared to the sight. “This one looks like fresh meat. Let’s take her home with us,” The woman said.

The two men grabbed Sami by her long, brown hair and drug her into the large, black Jeep. Sami was kicking and screaming to get away, but the woman covered Sami’s mouth with a black bandana. They drove off.

After four miles of yelling and screaming, the four stopped the car and they all got out. The one man vigorously threw Sami to the cold, muddy ground and screamed at her. The spit from each person got onto Sami’s face. Sami defensively spit back and ran away. She didn’t want to face the troubles. As if only life could get worse! As Sami ran away from the kidnappers, a thunderstorm was rolling on by. Rain poured down on Sami and the kidnappers as they ran to go take the life of an innocent 16 year old girl. The taller man of the two ran after her with a shot gun. Sami fell straight to the ground as the piercing of the bullet went through the fragile skin and through the bones of her knee cap. Sami was unable to walk or get away. The man was running to Sami when a lightning bolt struck the trunk of an oak tree and it began to fall. As the man was running, the tree fell faster. The tree landed tight on the kidnapper and onto Sami’s shot leg. Guts and organs from the man’s body were scattered everywhere on the forest floor. Sami’s leg was pierced underneath the tree. Sami screamed as she had to break her leg free. The nerves from her leg were flying everywhere and blood was gushing out. She finally broke her leg from the knee down free and crawled to the edge of a cliff. Sami saw the lake and forced herself to fall off the cliff.

Mom had come to the house and tried to talk to Dad about Sami. “Did you find her yet?” Mom asked. Dad shook his head.

Everyone was frightened. No one knew where the whereabouts of Sami and the police couldn't do anything until she was missing for more than 24 hours, then they could conduct a investigation. Outside in the dark of the night, a big bang on the deck was heard. Mom and Dad turned to the back window. The banging got louder and louder as Dad moved closer. Dad cautiously walked out the back door to find the rocking chair moving back and forth. They moved closer to find Sami on the ground, wet and bloody from swimming all the way to her house. “OH MY GOD! SAMI! CALL 911!” Mom was in tears holding her little girl, wrapping her leg in her shirt as Dad ran into the house to call the police. Sami sobbed as her mind drifted off into blackness. Am I dead?

As Sami laid there helplessly in the hospital bed, the doctors had put on a fake leg for Sami to be able to at least walk again. Mom and Dad screamed as they saw the light of the eyes of their little girl opened up. “Mom…. Dad,” Sami said.

“What is it Sami?” Dad asked.

“I realized while I was nearly dead, that you can’t run away from your problems. You just have to face them and be the bigger person. I'm sorry about what I did and how I ended up here. But, after everything that happened these past couple months, I couldn't take it anymore. I was lost. I lost my family. It feels normal with you both here in the same room,” Sami said.

“You’re absolutely right Sami, you are absolutely right. We're sorry too. We should have not put so much pressure on you from the start. But know this, blood is thicker than water. No matter where we are, we will always be here. Whether it be in spirit, or face-to-face.”