The Writer's Voice
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On Ghostly Grounds
by
Eric Rodriguez
I brushed back my ebony hair with a shaking hand as the plane began to
land. Cody, my older brother, placed a comforting hand on mine.
"Keep cool, Diana," he said. "We'll manage all right."
I shook his hand off mine. "I'm okay. I'm just nervous, that's all."
Who wouldn't be? Put yourself in my shoes. Just a couple of weeks ago everything was normal. My life was perfect in almost every way. I had a
beautiful home, tons of friends, and a great family.
'Had' is the key word.
Suddenly visions began popping up in my mind. Visions of me at school, visions of the policeman in the principal's office, visions of the funeral and
the two coffins lying side by side. As far as I had known my life had ended on
that one day when almost everything I had come to love and care for had vanished.
I felt tears swell up in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away. I would not cry. I would not. I had finished crying long ago. I had more important things
to do, like worrying about meeting my Uncle Steve.
We had only stayed in the town's orphan house for a week-which was more than enough-when the people in charge contacted our Uncle Steve, my Dad's
brother. But why all the tension? I had never known Uncle Steve had ever existed! Of course if I were the type of girl that loved searching in family
albums and asking questions about other family members, I would have probably found out about him. But I'm not that type of girl, so sue me. But
now Cody and I are being sent out to live with him - to live with a total stranger.
"Diana!"
I jerked up. Cody was standing beside me holding out our luggage, which were two duffel bags. What was inside them was all we had left from the
accident.
"Are you coming or not?" he inquired.
I looked around the plane. People were already leaving. I had not even known the plane had fully landed! Still, I was not surprised. I have not been
myself lately these past weeks.
"Sorry," I apologized.
I followed Cody out of the plane and onto the air ramp. From there we followed everyone else into the concourse. I watched families embrace each
other and others eagerly watching for other passengers to exit from the air
ramp. I do not know why, but my eyes darted around searching for my parents. I scolded myself. This was not the first time I have done that.
"Do you see him?" Cody asked.
I grasped a yellow folded paper in my jean pocket and unfolded it. A small photograph came flying out. I caught it before it hit the ground, then studied
it. The photograph was a picture of a very handsome middle-aged man with light brown hair and brown eyes. Since the man was deeply tanned the
picture must have been taken during the summer, or he was one of the lucky
people who owned or rented a tanning bed. Anyway, this man was my Uncle Steve.
I was so steamed the first time I saw the picture. How could a gorgeous hunk like him be related to me!? Cody was not even close to looking like Uncle
Steve. He was still having trouble getting rid of acne! I could not believe it
then. How come Mom and Dad have never told us about him before?
Remembering what I was supposed to do, I looked up from the picture and scanned the area. There were millions of people walking around, a lot of
them men. But, as I could see, none of them were even close to being my uncle.
"Nope," I finally replied.
Cody sighed. "Okay. Now what? He was supposed to be here!"
"Don't go thermal on me!" I cried. I spotted some empty seats near us. "Let's go sit over there and wait, okay?"
Cody gazed over at the seats while brushing his dark, wavy hair away from his eyes. "Fine. He should come soon, I hope."
So we sat and began to wait.
Can someone hand me a gun? Please!
I shifted into another position in my seat for the millionth time. WHERE WAS MY UNCLE!? HOW MUCH TIME HAS PASSED SINCE WE SAT
OUR BUTTS DOWN ON THESE ACHING SEATS TO WAIT FOR HIM!? I was getting savage, ferocious, and bitter (the list goes on!) as I sat there. But
then, waiting for my uncle was not the only thing that was bothering me. There was also the annoying voice over the intercom, the irritating glances
of people passing by, etc. etc. etc.! Was I going insane? I think so.
I glanced over at my brother. He was sleeping soundly with his head
supported by the back of the bench. Well, I am just so thrilled that he is
doing all right.
I switched positions again. I needed someone to save me right now, but who? A knight perhaps. A knight in shining silver armour with a handsome face
that I would gaze into with wonder. The knight would have strong, soft hands
that would caress my face and hair and protect me from evil. I could picture
it in my mind. He would come bounding into the airport on a white steed, his
sword in air, and proclaiming out loud to all the confused, frightened people
in the airport-especially my brother-his undying love to me, and then swipe
me off my feet and carry me off into the sunset. Of course he would have to
fight off all the airport security guards first, but how romantic it would be!
Suddenly the intercom blared again, announcing the opening of a new restaurant in the airport and bringing me back to reality. I have to stop
fantasizing like that, but it does prevent me from thinking of memories.
Then I saw him.
He stood right out of the crowd like a sore thumb, but he was not sore at all. Oh, words can not describe my feelings. He has blond hair, fair skin, a
HANDSOME face with that charm thing that made me want to scream, and his clothes were of the latest fashion. In other words, he was perfect in every
way, shape, and form.
He was my knight in shining armour, the exact knight from my fantasy.
I watched my knight walk slowly, but in a romantic way, into the airport concourse. He was dodging people as he was looking around, like he was
searching for something, but what? I prayed silently that it would be me.
Then my heart skipped a beat as our eyes met. I had thought his eyes would turn away and he would walk out of the concourse and out of my life, but he
did not. Out eyes remained connected. He eyes were dark brown, like mine, but they had the deep aura like they were calling out for me.
I almost gasped when he began to walk towards me. My heat was beating so loud I thought it would wake Cody, who was still fast asleep beside me. My
knight walked closer, and closer. Then he held out his hand. I slowly took it
with a shaking hand and looked up into his face. I watched him open his mouth.
"Hello."
I fainted.
"Diana! Diana, wake up!"
I felt cold water splash on my face. My eyes jerked open and I sat up quickly, almost connecting heads with Cody. I gazed around. People were all around
me, including two security guards, Cody. . . and my knight.
"All right, everybody can move on," one of the guards announced. "The girl's okay."
'Girl'? Did he just call me a 'girl'? How dare he! I am a woman! Well, a teenager, but no less. But right then it did not matter. My knight, oh, my
handsome knight, was kneeling right beside me, his eyes staring into mine.
"Diana!" Cody exclaimed, interrupting our romantic moment. "Why in the heck did you faint like that? It not only scared and humiliated me, but it also
shocked our Uncle Steve!"
My shoulders, jaw, hand, and especially my heart seemed to drop all at once when everything Cody had said sunk into my brain. Did he just say 'Uncle
Steve'?
"W-w-w-what?" I stammered.
"This is our Uncle Steve," Cody repeated, "and you almost gave him a heart attack! He said he was about to ask if you were his niece when you fainted
on him."
Cody had more to say, but I did not listen. My knight in shining armour was my uncle? NO!!!! IT CAN NOT BE!!!! WHY!? WHY, CRUEL WORLD!?
WHY ME!? WHY ME!?
"Yes, I'm Uncle Steve," my uncle said, "and I am very glad to meet you two."
He must have noticed my face, which was filled with embarrassment and humiliation, when he asked me the next question.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I replied. "How come I didn't recognize you when you came to me? I thought you were . . . someone else."
He laughed out loud. "It's the picture, isn't it? That picture was taken last summer. I've changed a lot since then. I don't have a tan anymore, and I've
changed my hair-style."
Ha! He is really telling me. I still could not recognize him from the picture. But I didn't have much time to compare and contrast. After Cody and Uncle
Steve did their chitchat with each other, we were off to his car. And what a
car it was! I mean, the car is like something people who live in Beverly Hills
would own! It was a red convertible that sparkled in the sunlight as if Uncle
Steve had just bought it before he came to pick us up. But the inside was totally awesome. There were tan leather seats, a CD and tape player,
surround sound, and tons of switches and buttons that I could not count them
all! Well, I could, but I did not. You know, just for the excitement.
As I jumped into the front seat while Cody loaded our duffel bags into the back, my body sunk into the plump leather. I was overjoyed. I had never
ridden in a convertible before. Uncle Steve started the ignition once Cody
had gotten inside. Right away rock n' roll music blared through the speakers
and the top slowly came down. I could tell I was going to love the trip home.
I felt a warm feeling run up my spine when I thought of the word. Home. I have not had a home for so long, and now I would. We were going home, a
place I wanted to call for some time.
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