Forgotten Moment

Part 3... The encounter

Five years earlier

I sat on the grass in the park with my best friend Kaya. We had just finished our part time job at the local burger shack and were soaking up the early summer sunshine.

"Are you packed?" Kaya asked her blue eyes hidden by large sunglasses.

"Almost, I don't have much any way." I was excited to be leaving this town and moving to New York.

"I will miss you; my parents wanted me to go to State to be near them." Kaya announced wistfully.

"You should be happy to have family that care." I told her. "My aunt was overjoyed when I told her I was leaving to go to college."

"At least you will be in another state with new friends and hot New York men!" Kaya was smiling.

"I am not going to New York for men but to study. I can't afford to lose my scholarship. I am going to study my head off because I am not coming back to this town or to my aunt and uncle. I have burdened them for too long."

I stretched out my feet and took off my flats. The shift had been busy and we did not even have a break.

"Lucky you, make sure you don't go to New York and become all fancy and forget about me!" Kaya warned me removing her sunglasses and giving me a hard glare.

I looked at her seriously then said, "I'll think about it."

 She pushed me to the ground and we burst out laughing. I would miss our interactions. She was one of the few friends I had in Glendale. My aunt and uncle did not want me to bring friends over to their place and also restricted my visits to person's houses. So my interactions were limited to school and the few school trips I had been allowed to attend.

"So after tomorrow we may never meet again?" Kaya asked wistfully.

"Oh no, you can come to New York to see me when I get settled because I do not think I will be making it back for Thanksgiving or Christmas." I thought about the lonely and barren holidays I had spent with my aunt and uncle. They had ignored me. I had never received a Christmas gift from them although I struggled to buy them something every year.

"I am so jealous, you are going to New York!" Kaya stood up stretching her arms and legs.

"Let's stay out late tonight! Let's do something wild before you leave!"

I was horrified at her suggestion.

"Wild and me do not go to together!" I remained seated but pulled up my legs to my chin and wrapped my hands around my knees.

"Let's have a sleepover at my place tonight." She prodded. I dropped my head. I had never slept outside my aunt and uncle's place since I had step foot there ten years ago.

"Come on Vera, one night pleaseeeeeeeeeeee!" she begged stooping down and pouting at me.

"Fine but they will be angry!" I said in doubt that I could pull it off.

"They will not even know that you are not there." She countered. Realistically she was right they were never bothered.

I stood up and dusted off my jeans while I put on my shoes. "Great my first sleepover!" I screamed and we laughed as we made our way out of the park.

There was no one in the small two bedroom cottage my aunt and uncle lived in. The place was clean mainly due to my cleaning as my aunt hated to damage her nails. The furniture was old and worn but still looked presentable. My uncle was factory worker in a building near the mill. I had no idea what he did but he came home smelling of perspiration and his uniform was always dirty with oil stains and whatever else. He made enough money with a few overtime days each week and my money from the burger shack and my social services payment meant my aunt could afford her weekly salon sessions.