My brother and I
Spent a great deal of our youth
At Eric’s and Ashley’s house

Eric
Being my best friend at the time and
Ashley
His tattle tail younger sister

Oh the fun we would have!

Playing games with our imagination
With fake rifles with orange tips
Booby traps made of string in the basement
Trap doors leading to hidden treasure

One day Ashley brought a friend home with her
To share in our adventures
Walking from our elementary school
Discussing what the day might look like

The nameless girl froze dead
In her tracks

Being so aware of what she was looking at
She even noticed it from behind

Staring at the garrison style house
That was tan with blue shudders

“What’s the matter?” we asked
She said, “A crazy woman lived in that house”
“The woman just went insane one day
And killed herself”

I was shocked!
It was a story that I had never heard before because

I lived in the house next door

It was the story of my mother