The Life Of Jacie

     I am on my way to the library, that's the only place I can go to now because I cannot go back to my house because of what I've done today. I didn't do or said anything wrong but I eventually got kicked out by my parents. As I head in the library I sit down on an empty dusty table by the window. I grab my pen and remove my journal and I begin to write my 275th letter to my imaginary friend, Anna.

Dear Anna,

     Today it happened again. But today I got kicked out of the house, because I asked them to stop fighting and hurting each other and told them we could live a normal life and be a happy family. But they kicked me out saying that, I was a big mistake and also a disappointment. It didn't broke my heart because I already knew what they thought about me.

    Yesterday my father came in drunk and my step-mother was in the kitchen. I don't know what happened but they got into a huge fight. I was in my room when I heard it all. I could hear the screams of my step-mother and the whips, also I heard the shattering of glass. About half an hour later, everything was silent. I went downstairs to look what had happened. All I could see was small blood stains, broken pieces of glass and the meal that my mother prepared for my father destroyed on the floor. I went down and moped the floor, collected the shattered glass and I ate the meal that my mother made for my father but refused to let me even taste it. 

    Today when I woke up and went downstairs I saw both of them sitting on the sofa as if nothing happened last night. I went and sat beside them and said they should stop fighting and understand each other and that's how we all could live a happy life and be a happy family, but when I said it both of them were staring at me as if I said something wrong. My father got up and held me by the collar of my shirt and pushed me down. I somehow got up and was about to apologize but then my mother hurled a screwdriver at me. It was so sudden and unexpected because I didn't even say anything. It hit me right above my right eyebrow, as if harry potter had. When I rubbed my fingers across the cut, my fingers came away covered with blood. A tear rolled down my face and then another, and suddenly I burst into tears and ran away and locked myself in my room. Not even 5 minutes passed by when I heard a knock on the door. I knew it was my step-mother because she always knocks once. When I opened it my mother pushed me and broke into my room. She went towards my wardrobe and threw my clothes on the mattress I sleep on and that was when I noticed she had a backpack in her other hand. She then threw the bag on my clothes and said me to pack my stuff. I stood stunned as she said those words to me. She said 'you're moving out', I don't know why I considered that you as we. I denied saying that we don't have a plan. She said ' figure it out all, and that we is only you, you have been kicked out.' Those piercing words just went through my broken heart.

    I never wanted to leave this cycle not because I loved my parents but because I don't have the resources or I have friends or other family members to support me. Any kid who has ever left their abusive parents and somehow survived in this world deserves a medal or a statue or a superhero movie. 

    Just like an author said, it takes less strength to pick up a building than to leave an abusive situation-

  

  I flip my diary close when I feel the presence of someone behind me. I see the Ms.Linda leaning behind me. She is standing as if she read all that. My heart starts beating fast. 

"Ummm....hello. ", I say because I don't want her to ask me the questions that are written all over her face.

"Hello.", she says as she sits right opposite to me.

   She makes an eye contact. She looks down at my journal and then looks back at me. "I'm Ms. Linda, the librarian." I know her but I pretend I don't. "I'm Jacie.", I say. "Yeah, I know you. Didn't you win the reader of the month on the 29th ? But you didn't attend the event and also didn't came to receive your prize.", instead of being upset about the prize I'm happy that she isn't asking about what I wrote earlier. 

"Jacie ?! Are you listening ?", she asks. "Yeah, why not....ummm I mean y-yeah I'm listening." I say. "How is your step mother ?", as she asks about my step mother I shoot my glare at her and I can say that my face would be turning red slowly. "Yeah, she's cool and good, but how did you...?" I take pause because I don't want to complete the sentence ask how she knew my mother died. "Your biological mother and I were good friends. You know why this library is called as L&J ?", she asks. "Isn't it 'Library of Jackson' ? I say as I wonder what it has to do with my mom. " It actually means Linda and Jenny." , Jenny is my mom's actual name. " We decided to build a library since we were teenagers. When we both built this library, our parents were unaware, and at 20 Jenny was forced to married your father, James. He often used to get drunk and hit her. Jenny told me about it but we could do nothing. She used to refuse me when I said we should call the police saying that if they took James away, Jenny would have nothing and no source of earning. I guess after the accident she doesn't have to go through that.", she says. My mother always talked about Ms. Linda and how she was brave enough to let go off her husband who abused her. To be honest, if someone asks me who I want to become like in the future, I know other children would say either their parents or superheroes. But I will always say Ms. Linda's name. She went through so much, left her husband and then had miscarriage. I would never imagine to be able to be her. I know Ms. Linda since I was 6. My mother used to say about their adventures and how they spent their teenage years. The day my mom had an accident was the day I was supposed to Ms. Linda and then we could give her a surprise. But it all went wrong. My mother lost her life in the accident when I was 7. I was just injured. Since then I often come to this library to see Ms. Linda. 

  

  She looks at my luggage and looks back at me. I sigh and look down at my journal. I slide the journal to her. She looks down at it and then opens it. She passes me 10$, " Go to the supermarket ahead and buy yourself something to eat.", and then opens the journal. I grab the bill and head out for the supermarket.

----------------------------------------------------------    As I sit down on the chair and look up at her, she is sobbing while she reads it. I place my burger aside and wave at her because she looks like she is zoning out. She gets up and takes a few step closer to me and hugs me. She hugs me tight. Like really tight. "I'm adopting you.", I push myself a little bit so I can look at her face. She looks at me and holds my shoulder. I look at her and say," I'm a big troublemaker. You will have to kick me out within a week.", she looks at me and shakes her head and says," I won't. I find my little Jenny in you. As soon I saw you I felt something and now I know what is that. We will go to do some paperwork tomorrow, till then you can stay at my apartment and then that apartment will become ours." She is exactly how my mother described her. 

Many people in this world go through abusive situations but there are only a few that have the courage to speak up. Society judges those who speak up and labels them different names every now and then. We have to make sure that if we are not able to speak something good about them, then we better be shut.