Liz: The Strange Day

The Strange Day

Liz got up at her regular time of 7:50 today. As she sat up from her bed and placed her feet on the cold carpet a familiar feeling filled her. Liz just shook it off as she got ready for her boxing class.  She always matched her socks to her t-shirt when she was going to workout because it put a smile on her face, but today she could’ve cared less. After she threw on a jacket she ran out to her car to avoid being soaked by the rain.

When she started the car a familiar tune played on the radio. She wasn’t sure where she heard it before but the line, “once my cup was overflowing” was so familiar. She could hear a man’s voice humming a song, only singing that line occasionally. Liz shook it off and went to class. Class was good but she just couldn’t get rid of this somber feeling she had. Honestly things had been great lately. She was exercising again, trying to get ready for her two upcoming trips. She also was working on an old hobby again, hoping to start a new chapter. And had reconnected with some close friends. So why was she feeling so weird today?

As she got ready to shower away the sweat of her workout she got hungry so she grabbed a banana. The banana was ok but it definitely didn’t hit the spot. She had a craving for something she couldn’t put her finger on. As she showered she sang to her hearts content. Pop songs turned into rap songs, rap songs turned into alternative rock, and alternative turned into commercial jingles. She began singing this jingle out of the blue, “Whenever you’re feeling good and hungry it’s Skyline time. (Humming words she couldn’t remember). And the taste is so divine. Together at last it’s Skyline time! Skyyy Line.” When she finished singing she laughed for the first time today, and realizes her craving was for Skyline chili. It wasn’t her favorite, and she never really had a craving for it, but it was something she hadn’t had in a while.

Later that day she had dinner plans with her mom. When she told her mom what she was craving her mom laughed and said, “You really want Skyline Lizzy? That is so random, but ok.” When she got to the restaurant a group of little girls were leaving with their dad, they each had these bright red balloons that their little hands could barely control that kept hitting patrons in the face as they walked to the exit. Liz found herself laughing at the dad’s frustration towards the balloons as he was trying to get them out of the way. Liz and her mom shared a large four way and each had two coneys a piece. As they ate her mom shared her stories about all the craziness going on at her job this week, and about the safety award she was supposed to receive next month. As Liz listened she also started to wipe her fingers of the chili and cheese that hadn’t made it to her mouth. As she was wiping she noticed her ring wasn’t on her finger, and that’s when it hit her. Today was April 12^th.

April was never Liz’s, or her mothers, favorite month. This month always brought great sorrow. She had lost two great uncles a week apart in this month. Her mother’s cousin had taken a turn for the worst and shortly thereafter past during this month. Also during this month was an anniversary of finishing something, which she recently had been questioning why she even started or finished. But more than anything the greatest tragedy of her life thus far happened that month, her father died.

On April 12, 2001 Martin L. Dale died from his fight with cancer and diabetes. She remembered that day as if it were only a few hours ago. It was a Thursday morning; she was out of school for a two week break because at her year around school if you did well every once in a while you would get two weeks out as a reward. She was so hype because that night on WWE Smackdown Jeff Hardy was having a huge match against Triple H. That morning she woke up around 10:30 so she would have enough time to grab some cereal before The View came on. As she was dancing around acting silly, she thought life couldn’t get any better. The house phone rang and Liz ran downstairs to grab it. When she answered it was her dad’s sister, “Hey Liz is your mom home?” Liz was happy to hear her aunt call; they had only met since her dad got real sick. “No she and my step dad went out to pick up some stuff for the house.” After she said that her aunt sighed and said, “Liz I’m sorry I have something to tell you…Your Dad passed away this morning. I was time for him to move onto a better place, somewhere with no pain. Have your mom call me when she gets back.” After she hung up her face felt flushed as tears rolled down her cheeks onto blue and yellow pajamas. She tried calling her mom and step dad over and over, but didn’t get an answer. Liz fell to the floor sobbing into the comforter that hung from her bed. Repeatedly she screamed out why, daddy why did you leave me. She cried so hard that she choked on her tears, she felt like her heart had just been ripped out of her chest as she gasped to breath. As she looked at her trembling hands she gazed at the ring her father had given her one of the last time she was at his house, right before he took a turn for the worst, it was the last piece she had of him now. Completely broken down and alone she realized her best friend had just died and she would never be the same.

Her mom called back 15 minutes later explaining that they had both left their phones in the car, and asked what was up. When Liz told her the news she said they would be back as soon as possible. When they got to the house they ran up to Liz’s room and held her as she continued to sob, until she had cried herself to sleep. When she woke up it was around 6:30 that evening, it had been hours since she had drifted off. The room felt cool from the breeze that drifted through her window and she could smell the moist grass from the rain. As she sat up her step dad knocked and came in, asking her was she ok. Liz was numb and drained as her step dad hugged her. When he asked was she hungry she nodded yes. He named a few places he could grab food from, she shrugged not really caring. So he said he would just go get something, and he did, Skyline Chili. A four way and a coney, they sat on her bed and ate in silence as Smackdown played on the TV. By the time Smackdown ended her mother had come home from work and switched spots with her step dad. Liz drifted to sleep again as her mom rubbed her back.

That night she dreamed about the time her dad had taken her and her two nieces to a fashion show at a local college that her step sister was producing. After the show they gave away the red balloons that decorated the room to the kids to eliminate some of the cleanup. Her nieces were having a ball with these balloons in the backseat of the car. As her dad was pulling into the parking lot of Dominos Pizza the girls had started hitting each other with the balloons, which was blocking the rear view window. Liz’s dad told the girls to stop and to lower the balloons, they did at least until he left to inside and get the pizza. When he came back Liz was laughing as the two girls in the backseat had started up again with the balloons. As he tried to backup with all the balloon action going on he stopped the car abruptly. The stop cause them all to jerk and look at him, which is when he said with his accent strong out of frustration, “Stop with the balloons mon. Me can’t see what me doing. I can’t see!” After a brief pause of silence the three girls looked at each other and died laughing. Her father never got upset or yelled, he was this quiet man that usually sat back and let kids be kids. So when he said this to them they couldn’t help but laugh, being mad just didn’t fit his personality. Needless to say the backseat balloon battle stopped, but for the rest of the evening they laughed and laughed at his brief moment of anger. He just sat enjoying the moment with a smile, occasionally shaking his head at the girl’s silliness, humming his usual tune, “once my cup was overflowing…”

“Liz are you ok, what’s wrong?” asked her mom. Liz had drifted into a deep flashback remembering the day her daddy died. She explained it to her mom, and shared how weird her day had been. From her craving for Skyline and the little girls with the red balloons, to the song on the radio that morning. Her mother grabbed her hand and kissed her forehead gently, feeling the pain her daughter was experiencing. Then said, “Liz he would be so proud of you if he were here. He loved you so much.” When she got home she found her ring sitting on the dresser, in between a half empty glass of water and a half full bottle perfume. As she picked it up she smiled as a single tear fell down her face. She kissed it and placed it back on her hand where it belonged.  She finally felt ok again, and went to bed feeling happy, not alone, and at peace.

Dedicated to Martin L. Dale, my father who I miss dearly <3