I ain’t too sure who all these people were…I just knew that it was raining and Mama was gone, I was about 11 years old, just a little girl. Cemetery was full of people but was quiet like a library. They brought my momma’s casket out draped in the American flag and I gave a little salute alongside my pappy as they took her and laid her to rest. Just a few months ago she told me she was gon’ be back in time fer my birthday and now she’s gone.
“Shay “Ruffy” Duncan!” called out a soldier during her final roll call, Daddy was beside himself to say the least. “Shay “Ruffy” Duncan!” Each time her name got called he seemed to get more and more, busted up, and I was too… ”First Sergeant Shay Duncan, is not here, she has completed her final mission, and is resting well in the hands of god.” when those words hit I ain’t never felt my pa hold me so close afore.
I ain’t knew my momma long but them few years I had her with me was times I only wish I coulda done had for longer. She went out as a soldier defending herself from enemy fire and was killed in an explosion, still hurts to thank about. After the service was over her commanding officer Mr. Malcom came by and handed me her dog tags, and to this day I still keep em around my neck.
“Be easy Sam…” he said in his big ol boomin voice, to my daddy. Mr. Malcom always sounded that way even when he was calm. He and my pa had some kind of a discussion but I couldn’t focus on it, I just kept looking at Mama’s dog tags. Felt surreal, I could feel my tears streamin down my face as I clutched em in my hands, not like that was gonna bring her back though. My lip quivered and I just couldn’t help myself. “Mommy!” My little dress shoes splashed into a puddle of water and I just bolted for her casket, and clutched it almost tight enough to break it. But before I could I felt my father pull me away.
“I know…I’m gonna miss her too…”
Leaving her was hard but I’m sure she’s smiling down on both of us.
After that it was a long car ride home and an even longer couple a years, Papa was given some leave so he could be with me, seeing as we was grieving n all. He sounded like he really wanted to stick around, but after a couple of conversations with some friends he decided to call it quits. I ain't never told him, but I was really happy he did that.
“You sure, Samuel? Can’t you leave her with her Uncle, if you get sent off?” I member hearing one of em say kinda garbled over the phone.
“No can do…the idiot got himself locked up…and by the time he gets out Sunny’ll be a grown woman.” He was talking about my uncle Rooney on my momma’s side he was a bit of a trouble maker I ain’t ever known him other than his name, Mama and Papa always told me he was bad news. I wonder what he got put away for…?
“She’s all I got left and if I passed on out there where’s she gonna go? She deserves a better life, then the one I had.” I remember hearing him say that and then scurried off to head out into the living room, past a little shrine we had for Momma sitting over the fireplace. It was simple but sweet, just a pretty little picture frame next to Ol Glory and a cross. She was a real pretty lady, long blonde hair nice blue eyes, Pa always said I looked a lot like her cept my hair was shorter. But while I stopped to look at that frame I remembered something.
See, Daddy ain’t have no have no daddy, no mama neither. Grew up in an orphanage, When he turned 18 he joined the military, he ain’t have the grades for college, but he loved his country and wanted to protect people. He Served 14 years and had a chunk o money in his wallet, so when he opted to leave he bought a nice little spot by the beach and that’s where we’ve been living ever since.
He done got stationed out in a U.S. Territory called “El Lugar.” it was a big ole island that was real-real pretty like, but a lot of it wadn’t exactly accommodatin to foreigners like Pa and me. And see the military folks knew that so with permission from the folks on the island and some U.S. government assistance they made a little district called “Eagleview.” A place where all the military folk and their family could live, active duty or not. It wadn’t a lot whole lot but we made due, funny timing too, cause the base done got decommissioned maybe 2 or so years after the fact never found out why though.
Living out on the island wadn’t too different from on base, cept the language barrier o course, But we got past that real quick like. Since the district was new we only really had the one middle school at the time so I was seeing a lot o the same faces as before. My grades wadn’t too good, but me being fast on my feet made up for it! Pappy was even talking about sending me out to college out in the states fer it once I graduated from high school.
I had always wanted to be a soldier like my Pa but he and I both knew I was too rambunctious for something like that. But yeah…It was almost perfect…almost…if’n only Momma was still here. Holidays and Birthdays was still lonely without her, still are even now. I was never kept in the dark though, I knew momma and pappy were soldiers and they were fighting for our country and all but sometimes I kinda wondered what all woulda done changed if’n they just left a little earlier.
Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, cause ya see around about a year and a half later a whole lot started changin, and growin pains wadn’t even the half of it. I remember it sure nuff, It was during one of our schools track meets, Pappy was there in the crowds cheering me on with all the other families out there. Was a nice sunny day, nothing too outta the ordinary, but I was feeling kinda funny all day ever since I done left the house. Anyway, while we was getting ready I gave him a little wave and got to my startin marks just waiting for that pistol to fire,I was bout to leave these girls in my dust.
And after about a minute, BANG! I took off moving as fast as my little legs could carry me, wadn’t no one in front and no one gaining on me, except for Cindy. She was a persistent little thang and she an I had a bit of a rivalry goin, we was always neck and neck, trading trophies, and sharing ribbons, but I wadn’t gone let her beat me…nah not, this time. I done came second to her too many times I tell ya but not today.
Race was fast n loose up until the very end, just me, her and some hot–hot gravel. She was fast but from where I was looking it was all mine, as soon as we got maybe 10 or 15 feet from the finish line I stretched out my hands and puffed out my chest and was just about to clinch that photo finish.
“C’mon girl you’re almost there…” I was saying to myself, but as I was running that funny little feeling came back it was like I had this little tingle in my tummy that moved on over to my hands it was like that jolt ya get up yer spine cept’ I felt it in my whole body and in a matter of moments BOOM! There was a scream as people covered their ears and Cindy got knocked to the floor, there was this little scent o burnt grass in the air.
Afore I knew it I was blastin myself forward and smashed into a chain link fence and got all mangled up in it, it was like wrapping a rock in aluminum foil. “Daddy!” I cried, there was a big ol gasp, couple people was complaining bout the loud noise, and I thank a couple people got some burns but nothing major.
Couldn’t say the same for myself though. I tell ya I was sliced up something fierce, all sorts o cuts and bruising, I could feel my tears burning my wounds while I was kicking n screaming to get out. But it didn’t last long, cause just as soon as I got hurt my body felt like everything was washing away. Like someone just gave me a big ol hug and all that pain was just gone.
After a minute some fire department folks managed to cut me out but when I got looked over at the clinic the doctors said I was fine, I was even able to walk away from the whole thang like nothing ain’t even happened like it was some kinda miracle. But they wanted to do a blood test just to be sure. And sure nuff that’s when they found it, The hybrid gene.
And according to my pappy the hybrid gene wadn’t something he was allowed to talk about but after I got my diagnosis he sat me down one night and told me the whole thang. It was real-real interestin’ story, me and Pappy was sitting down out on the porch it was warm outside and we was roasting marshmallows over a fire pit.
“Now ya see Sunny…you member learning about the first contact war in school?”
“Sure do Daddy…it was us vs the aliens! Pew pew!” I liked to make sound effects and act the fights outs whenever I was telling the story.
“That’s the one! Now unlike your momma, I joined up right after it was over so my job wadn't fighting off whoever was left but clearing out whatever they done left behind.”
“Mhmm Mhmm!”
“And well cause of that...me and your momma to a greater extent, got exposed to some nasty stuff…”
“What kinda nasty stuff…daddy, like germs?”
“Sure hon let’s go with that…see…certain germs…get in your body and they stay there, and sometimes when you have a baby those germs can pass onto them, and then they get sick.”
“Well getting sick’s posta feel bad yeah…but I’unno daddy…when I use these powers I feel like I’m on top of the world!” I threw my arms out and I let out a little glow, and my daddy couldn’t help but smile.
“Good sweetpea you keep feeling that way, and don’t let nobody tell you otherwise, you ain’t sick you just different.” I held onto that for a good long while kept in the back o my mind. I ain’t never for a second felt bad about having these powers. Way I see it, If god gives a girl named Sunny power related to the sun, well I thank that just means our lord and savior's got a funny sense o humor.
But I guess not everybody felt the same way.
See the next day, I was getting ready for school, I had my backpack on my little trading cards that had that new card smell and I was set and ready I tell ya. I raced my way into the hallway all excited for school but when I got there I heard the house phone ring, who could that-a-been?
“I got it babygirl, breakfast is in the kitchen.” Pa came right down the stairway and I headed into the kitchen to grab my hot plate, he done made my favorite, eggs and bacon, with two little pieces o bread. I scarfed down my food but as I slurped up my breakfast Papa came into the room looking like he had something on his mind. I took a nice bite o that crispy bread and looked up at em.
“Principal Wesley was on the phone, says he wants to have meeting with us afore school starts, finish up and meet me in the car.”
A meeting…? Well what for? I had this weird feeling but I carried on nonetheless. Once we got there I got out of the car and guided pappy to Principal Westley’s office, but being that it was so early in the morning the school was like a ghost town. Wadn’t barely no cars in the parking lot, and none of the buses arrived, you could hear your footsteps echoing in the building with every tap. The only people I done saw was the lunch ladies and a couple of janitors.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Outside of them we had to be the first one’s there. As we made our way past the entrance I could see Principal Westley standing right outside his door, just afore getting to the locker hallway. He had on this plaid jacket that had two different shades of brown on it made him look all stuffy against that pale skin o his and his grey combover. Even still though his expression at the time was soft and reassuring.
But funnily enough something about the way that door done closed and echoed in the hallway once we got inside made me uneasy. With the door shut I took my seat but couldn’t help but notice that when I looked over at Daddy and then back to Mr. Westley it looked like both of em ain’t get a lick o sleep the night before, were they all stressed out over me? I still wonder that to this day.
“Sunny, where’re your manners?” I was so caught up with them that I done forgot to say hello.
“Morning Mister Westley.” I was kinda nervous so I started fiddling my feet against the little support beam at the bottom of my wooden chair all fidgety like. I was wanting to get to the bottom o what this meeting was for.
“Good Morning Sunny, and to you as well Mr. Duncan.” Principal Westley had this chummy sounding kinda voice, he always spoke real friendly-like even when he was just saying something as simple as a greetin.
“What’s this about Mr. Westley?”
“Right, I’m sorry to call you both here so early but…I felt this needed to be handled in person.”
“Well go on now."
This seemed like an adult conversation so for the most part I let my Daddy do the talking.
“Well, unfortunately due to the circumstances regarding the “incident.” at the track meet last weekend, Many of the parents of the other students are…understandably weary of Sunny after the revelation of her…abilities.” he pauses to compose himself for a second. “Some of the people involved suffered hearing loss, and sadly her classmate Cindy suffered burn damage to her arm, nothing requiring hospitalization, but it still gave her and many of the other parents quite the scare.”
My heart broke hearing them words, I ain’t mean to hurt her Cindy was my friend. I ain’t even knew what was going on at the time when it happened. I hung my head a bit and Papa resting his hand on my shoulder to just lemme know everythang was alright. “So I take it then…you’re expelling her?”
“Well, not entirely, she still needs to meet the curriculum requirements set forth by the School District. But due to the various complaints and the liability risk she presents, she'll be unable to attend in person and will be shifting to an alternative curriculum.”
Them’s were some words Mr. Westley done said, didn’t understand much of it at the time but I still did what I could to plead my case.
“I’m sorry…I ain’t know that was gonna happen…I ain’t mean it!” I said through my little sniffles. Pappy quietly shushed me, still keeping his arm around me. He knew what I was going through wadn’t easy and really tried his best to ease me through this.
“So homeschooling then…?”
“Yes, sir, Again I apologize for the inconvenience and I didn’t like having to make this decision but, we feel it is within the best interest of the student body.”
I wanted to say something, but all I could do was look to my daddy. Surely he had a way to fix this couldn’t he, why was he just letting him get away with this? But judging by the way he ran his hand across his face, and that shaky look in his eye, seems like that wadn’t gonna be the case.
“Then I thank we’ll be taking our leave, C’mon Sunny…let’s go…”
My eyes done welled up with tears and I felt a little betrayed hearing my daddy talk like that, wadn’t he gonna do something or say something er fight for me!? But when I looked at his body language on the way out the building, the way he balled his fist by his sides, how hunched over he was and the lack of really any kinda expression on his face. I realized that it wadn’t that he wouldn’t fight for me, but he just couldn’t, don't thank I'd seen him that beat up in a long while.
After that we left the office and made our way back over to Daddy’s truck. We both sat back down and there was just a silence for a second. Pa kept a grip on his steering wheel and just looked outta focus, “So I guess I ain’t going to school, huh Daddy?” I hung my head and just stared at the floor, all them tears I held back in the office finally coming out. Pappy let out a big ole sigh himself and looked over at me for a moment, noticing that I was crying and handed me a little tissue afore squeezing down on my shoulder.
“Nah, not today Sunshine…” I could tell his heart was feeling all achey having to tell me that, and so was mine if’n I’m being honest.
“But that ain’t fair…” I whined, stamping my little sandals on the floor of his truck.
“I know darling, I know…but don’t you worry okay, you’re still gone get your education and you still gone go to college, pappy’s gonna make sure o that!” He’d wipe the tears from my eyes and I looked back up at him.
“You promise…?”
“I sure do, c’mon!” He’d place the keys in the ignition and I felt the car shake as the engine rumbled. “Best part about not going to school means you get to have lunch early c’mon I’ll take ya wherever ya wanna go!” He backed out of the parking lot, turned up the radio to my favorite station and off we went.
I don’t know how, but Daddy always knew just what to do to put a smile on my face, even if what he said wadn’t the answer I wanted to hear, it still made me feel like everythang was gonna be alright. O course some comfort food ain’t never hurt, neither.
After that for the rest of the time I was in school I’d do my studying on my own and he’d help wherever he could. And Shee-yoo lemme tell ya if’n I thought school was hard afore it was even harder when I ain’t really have no one to show me how it was done, was just stuck with my head in a book. Pappy couldn’t even get me no tutor neither since ain’t no one wanna be around a little girl that had powers that coulda gone off any second they felt like. Honestly, It was lonely. But whenever Pappy was home he was my everything, he wadn’t too book smart so he couldn’t always help me with my homework but he sure did know a thang or two about physical fitness.
See, after I discovered my powers whenever Pappy was home he did his best to help me learn how to use em. We figured everythang out together, like how I needed to be in contact with sunlight cause when I was it’d make my skin glow, er how whenever I got hurt it was the sunlight I took in that was helping me heal. We always took it one day at a time…baby steps. A know a lot more about myself now but them lessons was where it all started. They were some good memories.
Eventually after learning the basics we moved on up to other stuff, Like how to be patient and concentrate my energy so eventually I could start moving in all sorts a directions, instead o just one. He even showed me how to turn my little explosions into little bullets, he went out and bought a little skeet shooter and I’d do target practice. Heh sometimes when he wadn’t around I used to stand out by the beach behind our house and practice my shooting, and watch the pretty little laser’s make waves on the water.
“Look Daddy I’m Moses!” I’d always say afore shooting out this big ol beam and watching the ocean rise up, the beam always left a sizzle on the end o my hand and hearing the crash of the water as the waves rise was so satisfying.
“Stop that now girl, dontcha be making jokes like that.” He’d say giving a little light tap on the butt, he never did like it when I said that, he look out at the water as the ocean calmed down.
“You’re getting real good at that, them waves are getting wider n wider!” I looked back up at him.
“You think so?” I'd say with a smile.
He’d come right around to where I was standing.
“Mhmm! But just remember now, don’t go using these out in public, gotta be careful.”
“I know…” I kinda frowned when he said that, I looked like a sad ole puppy, but he tucked his hand under my chin and brought it up to his level.
“Now look here hon, your powers remind people a lot of something they all wanna forget, takes a long time for bad memories to go away, and some people ain’t got no sense.”
“But ain’t you tell me to not let nobody tell me how to be?” I pouted back
“I did, but what you gotta realize… is that when people see your powers…they don’t see you, they see them aliens, who done ripped this planet apart all that time ago.”
My chest felt heavy and then I let out a sigh, even when I was small I learned that lesson loud and clear after getting kicked outta school. But he was right, Hybrids like me weren't none to common round this time, at least not on the island. Heck even now, it's still kinda the same.
“That’s why, I thank its time I taught you how to defend yourself.”
I looked over at him, and you shoulda seen my little eyes that looked like fireworks was going off.
"Defend myself? Like fighting!?" Ever since I was tiny I’d always been a fan o them boxer movies Daddy used to have me watch. When I was in the bathroom getting ready I used to practice my punches in the mirror, bobbin n weavin. I’d always wanted to learn how to fight like them, but there wadn’t any programs for that on base at the time so to little ol me this was excitin.
“Ya mean it!” I say my little legs bobbing up and down.
“Mhmm, but you gotta understand this ain’t no game you ain’t learning to fight fer sport, but to protect yerself, now get your hands up.” He then shifted his body and stood like he was about to throw a mean left hook.
“But hey daddy what about…other folks…?”
“Ya mean like other people…what about em?”
“Well I ain’t the only one who’s gonna get in trouble? And can’t everybody fight like me, so why can’t I learn to defend myself and other folks too, like you Daddy!”
He’d pat me on the head and smile.
“Well…a’fore you can take care of others…you gotta take care o yourself first ya hear?”
I gave him a little salute. “Sir, Yes sir!”
For the next couple o months Pa taught me everythang he knew about self defense and taking care o myself and lemme tell ya I learned quick! My technique wadn’t as good as his was and I struggled with a few thangs but I had a handle on the basics. But everytime we went at it, I never got tired of it. The feeling of throwing a punch and sparring was excitin and I couldn’t wait for each session! It was like a challenge and I always wanted to get over the next hurdle, guess it filled that void in my heart now that I couldn't run track no more.
But the thang Is, even though I knew how to take care o myself, he still had two rules. “No leaving the neighborhood and always come home a’fore dark.” I ain’t know it at the time but he was trying to protect me. And now that I’m a bit older I kinda get it, but back then well…it was just how thangs were and I ain't like feeling like I couldn't go nowhere...
“Alright Sunny girl, I’m heading off to work…do your homework now ya hear…?”
I let out a little sigh and I opened up that dang math packet, “Ooookaaaay…” lord I hated that thang, I’d a had more fun at the dentist, getting teeth pulled. Fer the next hour or so I turned the pages twiddlin’ the pencil against my desk, while the TV ran in the background. It was like this all the time, day in and day out and everyday round the same time bout 12 P.M. I’d hear the same old commercial. It came on so often like clockwork. I done seen it so many times, I could practically recite the words.
“Want to spice up your life? Come to El Lugar, where the waters are blue, and the people are just as beautiful. Want a slice of Paradise? Come to El Lugar, we’re waiting for you.” Course it was all in spanish cause o where we lived.
Now normally I’d just recite it and pay it no mind but today something was different, I’d been cooped up in this house for a while now and felt like that commercial was always tryna tell me something. I ain't been out there since a'fore I got my powers and seeing it now just got me thanking "Man the city sure looks like fun!" the part of city they showed on TV was a place called Westwood Central and it was chock full o stuff, and I just had to go back and see it again.
"I could sneak out yeah, just this once...right?" I figured as long as I could get back inside a'fore Daddy done found out it'd be fine, Just needed to be back a'fore dark. I ain't really like breaking the rules and felt real guilty and even still do today. But I just had to see it, god forgive me.
So against my Daddies wishes I shut my books, I slapped on my favorite yella jacket, grabbed my little jar o silver dollars and made my way to the train station and just like that was on the road to adventure, Westwood Central here I come!