A Million Wishes (2 page)

The next day

"Mikayla? Mikayla are you awake?"

My eye lids fluttered and I winced when I tried to lift my head at the sound of my brother Callum's voice. He was the oldest, and Momma’s favorite by far. Secretly I'd always been jealous of that. In her eyes he could do no wrong even when he was doing wrong, where I was actually the good kid and I got into trouble for breathing it seemed like. But I loved him. Loved him like crazy and spent most of my time wishing he'd be my hero and take me away from my mother and stepfather.

"Callum…where am I? It hurts so bad Callum..."

I was ashamed of the tears that dripped down my cheeks when I tried to move. I felt weak and so very alone when the memories of what Momma did to me flashed through my head.

"You're in the hospital sweet pea. Momma sent Lucas out looking for you when she got up yesterday morning and they couldn't find you. We figure you must have fallen asleep in that silly old oak tree you're so fond of, and you fell off, busted your ribs, and knocked one heck of a goose egg on your jaw. You look like a prize fighter sweet pea."

His smile was so genuine and soothing, not to mention blissfully unaware of what had actually happened. Momma and Lucas lied about what happened. I had never made it up in that oak tree. Anger and hurt boiled up in me, and I squeezed Callum's hand as I choked out a soft cry and told him the truth.

"Callum I didn't fall out of the oak tree. I never got up in it. I couldn't. Momma hurt me again Callum. She got mad at me and I smarted off to her and she hit me and knocked me down and started kicking me in the stomach. She…she kicked me out. Said awful things to me and told me to leave. Please Callum don't let them take me back home. Please let me come live with you. I swear I won't be in the way. I'll…I'll clean your apartment and cook for you. You won't even know I'm there, I swear Callum! Please..."

By that time I was sobbing and the shocked look on his face said that he was torn between believing me and not believing Momma could be so hateful.

"Calm down darlin’. Shush, you'll make yourself sick crying like that baby girl."

His tender hug and big hand curled in my hair soothed my broken heart some. His familiar scent wrapped around me and I clung to him fiercely, wanting to beg and plead for him to believe me. My sobs subsided and he pulled back a little and kissed my nose.

"Tell me why Momma would do this to you sweet pea. Tell me everything ok?"

I nodded and recounted everything. The cassette tape she found, my smart remark, the beating and all the awful things she said about wishing I'd died when I was born or that I'd have died in that car wreck 6 years ago when Daddy had been taking me to the hospital for yet another asthma attack. I went on to tell him about our stepfather Lucas, about how he'd been doing things to me, and that I'd told Momma but she didn't believe me. I confessed all the things that had burdened my young heart for the last few years that I'd been the only child still living at home.

Callum's face went ghostly pale. Suddenly my handsome older brother looked like he'd aged before my very eyes when it set in that what I'd felt for most all of my life was true. Momma resented me, hated me even. She'd hated me since my Daddy died driving me to the ER when I'd gotten sick with pneumonia and had an asthma attack. He'd been speeding, rushing to get me there, when we hit a patch of black ice and the car spun out of control into a tree. He died on impact…I lived. She blamed me. I blamed me. I couldn't hold it against her for resenting me for it. I resented me for it too.

Chapter 2

The next day

Pulling down that long bumpy driveway my heart was racing in my chest, and I was so afraid I’d lose the breakfast Callum had bought me at the diner after checking me out of the hospital. I didn’t want to see her again, but he was insisting I needed my clothes and school books. Each bump jarred my body, and had me wincing, fighting back tears. Callum must have seen it because he slowed the truck down to a crawl and reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze.

“
Sorry Miki. Guess I was in a hurry to get this over with. Didn’t think how the rough road would jar your ribs.”

“
S’ok Callum. I’m tough, I can handle it. Long as you don’t make me stay here, I can handle anything.”

He nodded and pulled to a stop, turning off the engine. “If you want to go for a walk out to the old oak, I’ll go in and get your stuff. You don’t always have to be tough baby girl.” She nearly lost it then, tears threatened and burned her eyes, but she just nodded her thanks to him and eased out of the truck, walking towards the only thing she’d miss about this place.

Briefly I heard Momma yell at me to get in the house, but Callum shushed her, and I just kept walking, right out of her life and into my new one where she had no hold over me. I stepped on the lowest branch that was nearly touching the ground, and walked up the gnarled oak, climbing higher and higher until I got to my favorite spot. I could see the edge of town from here when I looked to the east, and looking to the west I could see the Sugar Ridge Plantation. It was a place that many only dreamed of. Mikayla herself certainly had her entire life. It was a place where “fine folk” lived and had ladies garden parties during the day sometimes and other fancy parties at night where everyone dressed up and drank from crystal glasses with their pinkies extended. Apparently that was what “fine folks” did. Reaching into the knot hole in the branch closest to her, she pulled out a cloth wrapped item and gently unfolded it to reveal her prized possession. Her Daddy’s old pair of binoculars that she had used since she was little and watched her neighbors live a life she couldn’t even imagine.

Sugar Ridge Plantation had been owned by the Cane family for generations. It had shaped her young girl dreams of a fairy tale life. Places like that didn’t have kids that were hungry all the time, and sick from it being too cold and drafty in a house with poor heating. The three kids that lived there had nice clothes to wear, not worn out hand me downs and the two older boys even had their own cars to drive that their parents bought them. Mikayla’s own siblings worked to save money to buy what they had. Momma sure never had a dime for anyone, anything extra she had went on booze and cigarettes. How would it feel to be secure, wanted, loved and cared for like the Cane kids?

As she sat in that tree looking to the west for the last time in her childhood life she vowed to herself she would never end up like Momma. If she ever was to marry and have kids, they would know they were loved, they wouldn’t be hungry or cold, or feel like they’d be better off dead. No way. They would be happy all the time like the Cane kids were. At school she never saw them sad or in dirty clothes. They were always laughing and smiling, seemingly enjoying life, and always were friendly to her and her siblings. Maybe they felt sorry for them. Mikayla didn’t care. Sometimes she felt sorry for herself too. The middle kid Noah was only 5 years older than her, but he had become her friend long ago when he’d caught her at 9 years old in their peach orchard, picking up fruit that had fallen to the ground and eating some, stuffing extras in her backpack to take home with her. Mikayla just knew she was going to get in trouble and was about to dart away when he smiled at her and she nearly choked on a mouth full of peach.

“
Don’t run its ok.”

The smile was bright and friendly as he reached up and plucked a ripe fruit from the branch and handed it to her.

“
You don’t have to get the ones on the ground darlin’, I’ve seen you climb trees so I know you can pick some up here instead.”

She took the peach, but her mouth was moving and not a word came out. For some reason that made him laugh, not in the way of making fun of her either, it was a laugh of joy really, like an angel might sound. He certainly was handsome enough to be an angel. His hair tumbled across his forehead in sandy waves as he crouched down next to her on the ground and held out his hand.

“
I’m Noah Cane. You’re one of the Johnson girls right…Miki? I know your brothers, we play ball together at school.”

She nodded her head and took his big hand in hers, sticky fingers and all, shaking his hand hard and licking the peach juice off her lips.

“
Yes…Yes, I’m Mikayla Johnson. Please don’t tell on me Noah. I’ll pay you back for the peaches I ate already. I was hungry and so are my brothers and sisters.” She stumbled to a halt, ashamed she had spoken those words out loud. Being dirt poor was humbling. “I…I just figured since these were on the ground it would be ok. I know I should have asked first. You can have these back.” Regretfully she took the peaches from her back pack, jumping when he laughed loudly and started putting them back in her bag.

“
No no no Miki. Can I call you Miki?” She nodded again and felt tears well up in her big green eyes.

“
Good, Miki it is then. You keep these peached darlin’ and share them with the other kids ok? It’s fine really. Just between you and I ok?”

Miki sniffled and used her sleeve to wipe her eyes, at that moment she felt like she’d found her prince charming and she fell in love for the first time in her young life. At 14 years old he seemed so much more mature than her older brothers. He sweetly re-packed her backpack and stood his full height again plucking more fruit while he talked. Thinking since he was ok with her eating she once again bit into the juicy fruit and mumbled out an mmm of pleasure. He grinned at her and proudly announced “Sugar Ridge has the sweetest peaches, little Miki, but I don’t think they are nearly as sweet as you, little one.”

Blushing ten shades of red and choking down the last bite of peach she stood up so fast she almost toppled over; luckily he caught hold of her hand before she slammed head first into the tree. “Boy, you are all kinds of trouble aren’t you little one?” His laughter barked out as she blushed again, this time getting mad.

“
I AM NOT LITTLE!”

It was a silly argument, especially since he stood at least a foot and a half taller than her but her brothers had always teased her about being littler than everyone else and it infuriated her. But Noah…it just made him laugh harder, holding his stomach and leaning over, he was cackling so hard. So what’s a girl to do when her newly found prince charming laughed at her? She stomped her little foot and shoved him as hard as she could and caught him unaware, knocking him to his rear on a few rotten peaches on the ground. The priceless look of surprise on his face had Miki laughing in delighted giggles, pointing and laughing harder when he stood and discovered the mess of peach guts on his backside. His laughter echoed with hers and he took off running towards her as she darted off, running like wild to the edge of the woods until she didn’t hear him anymore.

She stopped, gasping for breath and squatted down behind the base of the tree with her hands propped on her knees. The only sound was her panting breath and the crickets calling out and the birds answering them. So when he suddenly jumped out from behind the tree and yelled “Rawr!” She fell over to her side and squealed, which only made them both bust out laughing again. Noah plopped on the ground beside her, smiling, handing her the backpack full of peaches and tugged her bright red pigtail. The journey of a long friendship started that day.

“
Miki! Miki it’s time to go, come on.” Torn out of her daydreaming, she heard Callum calling her name. Tucking the binoculars in her jacket pocket she walked down the gnarled oak branch and made her way back to his truck, eyes darting back and forth searching for her Mother. There she sat on the porch steps, silently crying. Miki stopped, looked at her big brother and when he nodded she walked over to her Mother, standing straight, voice quiet but sure. “I want you to know I love you Momma. Even after everything you’ve done to me. I will always love you but I’ll never come back here, ever.” Her Mother choked a sob and reached one shaky hand towards hers, Miki took her hand and gingerly leaned over and kissed her cheek, letting go of her hand and walking towards Callum on weak legs that were about to fail her. He opened the door for her and whispered to her as she got in. “That’s a good girl Miki; everything is gonna be alright kiddo. Just you wait and see.”