Part 1

It began as a wonderful day. I had just finished all of my college courses and I was planning on student teaching in the fall. The kids were getting ready for a visit with their dad. I was nearly finished packing their suitcases. Raymond had finished first grade two weeks before, and Amanda had just completed fourth grade. All that I had worked so hard to achieve was finally coming to fruition. Years of being poor and always telling the kids no when they wanted something would come to an end very soon. Soon, everything was going to be good.

I went out on my front porch to sit and enjoy the beautiful weather. Raymond came out to sit with me as he always did. We began to play tickle bugs. A game left over from preschool days. Of course, I wasn't fooling him when I would ask, "Where is the sky? Show me." He would begin to giggle immediately as he began to lift his arm to point to the sky, and then snatch it back down again until finally, he pointed upwards just for half a second. Then I would quickly reach under his arm for a tickle, and he would laugh uncontrollably. I have never met anyone as ticklish as he was. I stretched out my legs to reach the rail of the porch. Raymond climbed upon legs, straddling my shins. I bounced him up and down. He chanted "Hey mom. I'm not going to miss you while I'm gone." And he laughed. We both knew he would be the first of the two of them to become homesick. I pretended to have hurt feelings. Then I grabbed him and kissed his cheek. He went off to play.

Later that evening, around 5:30, I called my mother to tell her I was going to join a weight loss group. I told her it began that night, but I really didn't feel like taking the kids along, as they would be bored and fight with each other. She said I should send them to her house, as she wanted to tell them good-bye before they left for Florida. I told the kids, but they wanted to come with me. I said, "No, it'll be easier if you go visit with Gram awhile." It was close to six o'clock. I was ready to go and I didn't want to miss my bus. I told the kids to hurry up.

Raymond came outside and asked if he could take his bike to Gram's house. I hesitated, then said OK. It was a new bike. He'd received it on his seventh birthday in April. It was 20", not 16" like his last bike. It was black with silver and it had 5 gears. He loved it so much. I figured he wouldn't get to ride it for a whole month, so he should take it for one last ride before he left. He liked to ride at her house, because it was flat, unlike the huge hill we live on. So off he went. Amanda was still getting ready. I told him he could go to the flat place to ride while he waited on his sister. It was the last time I would see him alive.

Continue to Part Two