She offered a simple smile to her friends as her parents proudly exhaled with beads of sweat dripping off their big noses. The house wasn't the biggest but it was their first and packing it all into the borrowed pick-up wasn't easy. Marie's mom had always been the family planner so she saw to it the entire unit (there were only three of them, mom, dad, and Marie) was up before dawn and dug in to their respective tasks immediately. Marie was tired enough after saying a long goodbye to her fifth-grade class and teacher. She was also annoyed because the family had to move. Dad had gotten a promotion at the mill he worked for and found a new house in a different neighborhood. The idea that people had to leave the place they loved and try to make new friends bothered her a lot.
"Why do we have to go away?" She'd asked her mom with tears running down her brown cheeks. "I love it here and the kids in the new place are mean!"
"Oh come on," Mom wrapped her arms around the child, "you don't know that for sure. They could be the greatest kids in the world. For all we know the new school could have girls like you who love teddy bears and playing Bingo." Mom was always trying to cheer everyone around her up and had the most beauriful big, dark eyes.
Marie gave it some thought. Mom wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone, and she sure as heck would never lie. The calm embrace and kind words had their desired affect despite Marie's best effort. She drew back and kissed her mom's cheek. "I don't know, maybe."
That was yesterday though and after Dad had explained to her the whole idea was a new adventure. There was happiness to be found," he smiled broadly as he spoke and an orchestra filled Marie's ears. The room was flooded with light and she watched as Dad described the wonders that awaited them in the effort to find the elusive ball of happiness that was stolen by an evil wizard and must be retrieved. She found herself thrilled by the prospect of slaying the evil wizard's fierce dragon named Loopy. She slept with the images of her parantes and her soaring across a red sky and into the arms of a tickle monster named Fannie.
It was Saturday afternoon now and Marie's two best friends had managed to come and bid farewell. Marie was excited because the idea that Mom had given her about playing Bingo and with teddy bears, and Dad's imagery of the battle between them, the wizard and Loopy. Then a sadness drifted down and dragged her heart to her feet. This was really happening, she told herself in the far recess of her mind, I'm really going to go away. The pick-up was started and Dad hung his head out the window. "All righty then, I think we have everything. Hop aboard family and prepare for the adventure of a life time."
Mom swooped Marie up and into the back seat. Marie was mesmerized by the whole thing. She followed the procedure of belting herself into the seat without comment or thought. Dad revved the engine and they were gone. Marie felt a bee's nest inside her belly about to burst. Dad had told her there was more money in store so she could get new stuff. Mom could hang around with peopleshe liked more thanthe ones from the old neighborhood and Marie would have the third floor all to herself.
She tried to console herself and repeated over and over again, "It's all for the best, you'll see," Despite this: She really didn't want to change her whole life.
-Finis-
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