I Rize (18 page)

Adny raised her voice to the point where the whole room could hear. “I still can’t say the ‘B’ word!”

Mickey laughed out loud as everyone turned in their direction. “Bangs can’t say the ‘B’ word. Good to have the old you back.”

“You and Junior still call me that?” She playfully punched him in his side. “Mickey, it’s good to have your funny, lame self back, too.” They both laughed and hugged one another.

G
RADUATION MORNING, Junior and Mickey sat in Adny’s room taking random glances at one another from opposite sides of the bed.

“Adny, I know you told me to delete the videos after I watched them, but something told me to wait.”

Adny hit the delete button for each video. “Junior, I’m kind of glad you waited though, because it feels even more freeing for me to delete them for good.

Jace walked into her room, and they shared a quick kiss, before she diverted her attention to Gracie. When Gracie pulled out the large acceptance letter from her purse, everyone exclaimed with joy. Adny hugged her and said, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the new Miss Juilliard. Gracie, we want tickets to all of your shows!”Adny exclaimed.

“Of course I will.”

Adny’s mom called everyone to come down stairs. She asked all of them to stand in front of the door in their caps and gowns. Darla ran up with the camera. “Momma, I want one of those dresses too; they’re pretty.”

“Honey, one day you will wear one, too.”

As Darla snapped everyone’s picture her mother asked everyone to say, “To new beginnings
.
”

Everyone grabbed his or her things to leave for graduation. Adny was the last to leave. As she walked through the living room to grab her purse, she noticed Terri and her boyfriend packing the last of Terri’s belongings. A quick glance was exchanged, but nothing more while Adny shut the door.

She was about to step into the passenger seat when Shandi stopped her. They stared at each other awkwardly. Adny talked first, breaking the silence. “I know it was you who gave Terri the money.
Pathetic.
”

“Everyone needs to feel accepted by someone no matter what the situation is.”

While Adny spoke, Junior stepped outside of the car with crossed arms. “You poor, poor girl. Terri has your mind warped for the worse that you became her little ventriloquist doll. Her boyfriend has twisted her mind to the point where abuse is acceptable,” Adny chuckled while shaking her head. “And I thought I had it bad.”

Shandi looked like she wanted to cry the moment their eyes made contact, and tears fell as Adny continued on. “The need to feel wanted by someone will end up killing both you and Terri. Believe me, I will not be the first one at your funerals.”

Shandi stepped back; lengthening the space between them. When she didn’t directly offer a response, Adny knew she was shaken up.

“Adny, I remember coming to you and feeling so scared. I’m sorry for everything.”

“In regards to your hospital visit, all I will say is God works in mysterious ways. I’ll give you credit for trying, but it’s a little too late for sorry.”

Adny offered no response for Shandi’s look of confusion as she got in the car, allowing Junior to speak. “Adny doesn’t have the heart to say what is really on her mind right now. But I do. Do you believe in Karma?”

“I guess I do. I never really thought much about it.”

Junior paced back and forth in front of her, his eyes never leaving her sight. “Karma has a name and
she
is a cold killer, striking when you least expect it.”

“What is her name? I’m so confused about what you’re talking about.”

“Shandi, you should know by now.” A partial smiled formed on his face. “
She
is the ultimate bitch.”

When Junior got in the car, he tapped Adny’s shoulder and they both smiled at Shandi’s even more confused look about what had just transpired.

W
hile everyone prepared for graduation, Madison visited her mother in the hospital. “Mom, I called the cops on Dad.”

“I know. Your father has a lot of issues of his own to deal with right now.”

“Fuck it. How could you just sit there and take all his shit, Mom?”

“Maddy, watch your language. I cheated on your father long before you were born. Your father is still working out his issues.”

Madison could feel her phone vibrating in her purse. The incoming text was from her former cheerleading mate.
Your new name is psychotic bitch, because you’re crazy. Whose boyfriend will the voices tell you to steal next?

She turned her cell phone off, clenching her teeth. Her mother sensed something was wrong and handed her a tissue. “Maddy, you look like you are about to cry.” Her mother patted the space beside her, motioning for Madison to lay with her as they sat and talked about everything for the remainder of the day.

N
o one could contain their excitement on graduation day as they sat in their designated seats on the football field. Three hundred graduating seniors attended. All of the girls were required to wear silver and all boys were required to wear blue robes. Adny was asked to speak before the valedictorian. She took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling continuously in her seat. She stood, and Junior started to clap. The clapping passed from one hand to another while she began her speech.

“Today is about coming together with peaceful intentions to share in our successes as official high school graduates. Miserable people need to feel a false sense of hope, so they will push you deep into the ground until you are too weak to stand up for yourself. Their self-pleasure becomes your torment. When you are down on the ground, feeling like giving up, you have to learn to pick yourself back up. I learned the hard way. By giving up, I gave them permission to have authority over me.”

She continuously watched as Gracie’s head shook in agreement to every word she said.

“They governed my mind, and I became much too weak to rebel. From this day forward, allow your peaceful intentions to cure the infected souls of hateful people. Allow your peaceful intentions to replace these spaces of hate and expand to create places of love for another. Until then, bullying will continue down a never-ending cycle.”

Junior, Mickey, and Gracie, were the first to stand, as everyone followed.

“I ask you all as we sit here on our last day as high school seniors, when faced with adversity and hardships to come in your bright futures, will you give in or give out?”

Everyone clapped after her speech was over. Her mother and stepfather quickly glanced at one another as they hugged her individually. Piper came up behind Adny and tugged on her leg to get her attention. “Adny! Adny! Adny! Did the sandpaper work? They not mean to you anymore?”

Adny picked Piper up. “It worked. It is ice cream time now.”

“Yay! I want ‘nilla. It’s yummy.”

“Piper, say cheese.” Piper grinned wide, exposing a large gap.

“Did the tooth fairy give you money?”

Piper smiled, and pulled out some money from her pocket. “The tooth fairy gave me two big dollars, not the small circle ones.”

Adny tickled her side. “You are richer than me now.”

Piper giggled and pulled the sandpaper from her hands. “Adny, I rise.”

Adny placed her back to the ground and said, “No, we rise all the way to the top together.”

Piper ran off with the sandpaper and a contagious giggle caused Adny to giggle to herself until she was in the comforts of home again.

L
ater during the night, Adny decided to throw a graduation party for anyone to come. The backyard was turned into the main party area. The music blasted. Scents from hotdogs and hamburgers filled the air. Jace came up to Adny and pulled her away from a group of people she was talking to.

“I see you want me all to yourself, don’t you?”

“Adny, I want you to meet someone.”

Jace opened his laptop. On the screen was a group of children he visited while in Cape Town.

“Hey, buddy, you finally get to meet the girl I couldn’t stop talking about.

Mosi spoke through the screen. “Jace, she is very pretty, like flower.”

Adny smiled, joining the conversation. “Jace has told me a lot of great things about you. Is that your school?”

The sound of clattering plates against multiple tables could be heard. “Yes. We eat lunch now. Too much talk from Jace. I say stop. He don’t. I cover my ears. I still hear.”

Adny couldn’t stop the laughter.

“I go now.” All of the children joined in waving goodbye. The computer screen went blank, and Jace’s cheeks turned a bright red.

Adny playfully pinched both of his flushed cheeks. “So, how much did you miss me in Africa?”

“Showing is way more fun than telling,” he said as he grabbed the bottom of Adny’s face for a kiss.

Darla came in between them to hand Adny a piece of mail. “Eww, you guys should get your own house to kiss in.” Jace attacked her with his tickles. Piper became his partner in the tickling attack.

With the letter in hand, she went to the kitchen where it was quiet. The outside of the letter was addressed from her teacher Miss Nora. She opened it and saw the original copy of her poem of rage. Attached to the hand-written letter was Miss Nora’s necklace.

Each year, God places a few students on my heart. I am not surprised that you are one of those students. You should be proud of yourself, not only for what you have done, but for your spirit and determination. I hope this cross, which I’d worn since I was your age, will help along the journey.

I learned that the key to crossing the bridge along your journey of life is to let go and let God. The hardest part of all is letting go of the anger, but you must forgive them.

Adny picked up the necklace and placed it around her neck before leaving. Mickey walked into the kitchen looking for the ketchup and picked up the letter. After he read it, he walked down to the beach and could see her sitting on the edge of Suicide Hill. He climbed up beside her.

“Mickey, Miss Nora was right. I still cannot cross over the bridge away from Madison, Shandi, and Terri until I forgive. How do I forgive?”

He pointed both hands up toward the night sky. “Ask God because all the answers are within his realm of power.”

As they both looked up at clouds forming, Adny asked, “I know you didn’t want to talk about it earlier, but how are you and Junior doing now?”

“I was thinking about transferring to NC State next year to try to make it work.”

Adny placed her hand on his shoulder. “I advise you not to transfer because you both need time to understand what really happened between you. Grams used to tell Junior and I how forced love isn’t love. It is an unwed life sentence.”

When he didn’t immediately respond, Adny pulled out the blue and yellow dice from her pocket. “After I deleted those videos, I realized to move on from all of this, I have to get rid of everything that brings me back to the dark place.”

“You found them? I thought I buried them deep into the sand.”

“Before graduation, I came here by myself and saw them washed up on the shore. I think it would be good to let these dice go forever.”

“Before we do that, I want to play one more game with them.”

“What’s your game?”

“Everyone wanted to save you the last piece of chicken, it’s so delicious. You have been missing out. How about whoever has the highest roll, gets to eat the last piece? We have a deal?”

She nodded. “Wow, you’re still such a clown. But I love every minute of it.”

They each rolled. Adny got the highest number five. Mickey rolled a two.

After they rolled, they placed the yellow and blue dice side by side and watched them drift away at sea, until a large wave engulfed them into the bottom of the dark ocean floor.

As Mickey sprinted back toward the house, she remained seated and read the last lines of the poem she wrote so long ago.

She was able to form

A graceful bridge between them,

In which she carefully crossed,

Not ever thinking of looking back.

Once over this bridge,

It broke with her new mind

And they were sadly stuck on the other side,

stupidly seeking to hurt her again

Her soft silence weakened them.

She thought to herself,
one day I will.
While rubbing the cross necklace, deep in thought, she looked up at the sky again. “God, please teach me how to forgive and lift this weight from my heart.”

Before she knew it, the summer’s night breeze lifted the poem from her hands, landing far on top of the ocean’s surface.

While she laughed, they cried. While she slept, they tossed and turned. While she rejoiced, they suffered. They were the tormentors, but she finally won.