Page 8 - Spring By Any Other Name 2019

Page 7 By Any Other Name

My Ember Rose before. My gut was twisting and churning like two fighting
snakes, and something in my brain kept telling me to keep
By Ian McPherson, Grade 10
going. All of my body’s oddities were leaving me anxious, but
Her red skin...that slim body and double wide at the same time I couldn’t stop myself from gradually getting
waist...my baby...Lucille. I walk in ta greet ‘er and she’s closer and closer to this mystery magnet that was calling my
already dressed and waitin’ for me. “Hey baby.” Her blank name.
stare mocks me; she knows I’m late for our date tonight... It’s almost night time. Momma said I ain’t supposed
our guests arrived 45 minutes ago. “I’m sorry baby; can we to wander this long… maybe I should head back… Well, I
just get through one more honey?” I asked. She don’t speak would’ve if I could’ve. My feet were guiding me closer and
none, but I know she forgives me...she always does. closer to the city Kirkham, which was about 12 miles from
Thousands of people came to see ‘ol king play his where I usually wander. Momma always warned me of the
final song. Just like the good ‘ol days… The whole crowd city, but my head was always in the clouds, and I never lis-
was mumblin’ my name. Them folks is waitin’ for us, and tened.
they sure don’t like to wait. Lucille doesn’t mind making them My feet began to pick up the pace, and now I was
wait; a woman needs to take her time. She always need- almost at a gallop. I was on a street called “Destiny Blvd.”
ed to warm up, without question. And her hair, she always My heart was bursting out of my chest; I knew I was close.
needed her hair to be straight and perfect. This time it don’t Afraid of what I would see, I only looked down for the last few
really matter to me much. If my ‘ol lady wants a little bit of blocks. After watching my legs work like machines for a few
time, she’ll get it. blocks, I watched as their motion completely stopped on a
With Lucille and I holding each other one last time, dime, like they had been planning this for quite some time.
step by step we danced the entire night away. She wouldn’t As soon as they stopped, I felt my head begin to raise itself
speak to me like the way she did before; she couldn’t even slowly and independently. Even with my resistance, I was no
look at me. Come on baby, not tonight. You knew this day match for whatever was drawing me in. My whole body was
was comin’… with a painted on smile, she finished the show trembling with fear and excitement; I had no idea what to
just like we had a thousand times before. expect.
I can still remember the day I met my baby. I was And then it happened. Some say love cannot sprout
just a juvenile roamin’ the streets, out and about like every on first sight, but in that moment my love felt as tall as a
boy was those days. With the wind usually deciding where tree. Lucille stood there smiling back at me mellifluously,
I went, I wandered my way through our city, just taking ev- with so much love and warmth all I could do was stand there
erything step by step. But that day felt so much different. On and blush. She had just taken my heart without a fight. After
the back of my neck I felt tingles and shivers, while my feet the warmth of her smile began to fade, I noticed her hefty
seemed to be pulling me towards a place I had never been necklace weighing her down. Upon closer inspection, I had
realized that her necklace was carrying
a $700 tag. All of my insides crumbled
when I saw that. At this point, it was
dusk, and all of the shops had closed,
and this one was one in the same. I
could still hear her calling me; I need-
ed to have her. How can I be so close
at one time, but be so far away too?
Please Lord give me a sign…
With a bustle of wind, A rock slow-
ly rolled itself right in front of me. The
smell of its allure was so putrid it hurt my
eyes. What kind of a sign was this? Lu-
cille didn’t make it easy on me. As I con-
templated what I should do, she began
to cry louder and louder, just screaming
for me to let her free. I couldn’t resist her
call, but how could I get her out of her
cage? With another suggestive whisper
from the wind, the rock rolled onto my
foot and stared blankly into my fantasy.

My Ember Rose,
Continued on Page 8...
(Above) Concrete Jungle, Isabella Perritt, Grade 11, Photography.