Lee-Ann Meredith​​​​​

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    The Run Away

     

    Illustrations by Betsy Caldwell Meredith

    “NO!”  Grrr!  That was not how a mom was supposed to react.  She was supposed to come and say how sorry she was. Not my mom. She offered to help me pack.  I was even madder now.

     

    I went into the bedroom.  I got a bag from my closet.  I shoved my pajamas into it.  I put in my favorite book.  I put in my best shirt and some underwear.  Did I pack my toothbrush? Don’t be silly! Of course not! 

     

    I took my bag and marched out the back door.  I shouted, “Good bye!”  I gave the screen door a good hard push so it slammed nice and loud. 

    I hadn’t even bothered to put on my shoes.

     

    I was going to move to my neighbor’s, the Dickinsons.  They lived a little way down the road.  I wasn’t allowed to walk on the road by myself so I started stomping across the field.  Nothing but weeds was growing that summer around last summer’s corn stubs.  It was lumpy and bumpy on my bare feet but I didn’t care.

    Suddenly, I stepped on a stick that felt strange.  I mean really strange.  It was a moving stick.

    I was thinking, “I’ll show them! They’ll miss me when I’m gone!  The Dickinsons will appreciate me!”

    I jumped and I’m pretty sure it jumped, too.  It was gone in a flash of black and green.   

     

    It was right then that I forgot why I was mad at my mom.  I forgot why I ran away. 

     

    I turned around and ran home screaming, “MOMMY!”

     

    There she was at the back door waiting for me.  She just held the door open and said, “Welcome home, Lee-Ann.”

    Yikes! It wasn’t a stick! It was a snake! 

    ​When I Was Seven

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    It was a hot sticky summer day when I decided to run away.  I was seven years old.  I forget what I had done or what made me decide to run away.  I will tell you what made me forget.

     

     

    I was so mad at my mom.  I don’t know why.  Maybe it was the heat.  Maybe my mom needed more coffee.  Maybe she was grouchy because my baby sister Ellen kept her awake at night.

     

     

    Possibly, I was just being ornery.

     

     

    I was mad!  I was done!  It was over!  I wasn’t going to put up with all that bossiness from my mom any more. 

     

     

    “I’m running away!” I yelled.

     

     

    “Would you like me to help you pack?” my mom calmly replied.

     

    ​​

    © 2013 by Lee-Ann Meredith

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    Contact Lee-Ann Meredith @: 

    msmeredith203@gmail.com