Downeyoshun – Pre-Release Tour and Giveaway

: “Downeyoshun 1956”

The morning after school ended, I sat on the porch and waited for Aunt Sally to get there. Mother had a mean smile on her face. When Aunt Sally drove up and parked in front of our house, Mother said “I’ve changed my mind. She’s staying here. We’ll come down in August.”

    I started to cry, and Mother said “Sally. Inside.”

    But Aunt Sally went right up to Mother and said “Forget it, Susan. She’s going to be mine every summer. Sally Hon, get in the car with Billy.”

    She pushed Mother back into the house. I could hear Mother hiss at Aunt Sally, and Aunt Sally growl back at her. Miss Carmella came out onto her porch. “I like your aunt, kid. Introduce us when she comes out.”

    Aunt Sally came out of our house grinning and skipped down our steps with my suitcase. Mother slammed the door. Marie and I hugged and kissed, and I said the words “I love you” for the first time in my life. Miss Carmella grinned and stuck out her hand and Aunt Sally shook it and laughed. They agreed to play “pen-pal” for Marie and I through the summer. Marie and I hugged one more time and said goodbye. Billy stuck his head out the window and said he had to pee. Aunt Sally told him to hang onto it for a few more minutes until she got gas. Miss Carmella pointed to her home and said “You wanna?”, but Aunt Sally said thanks, but she wanted to get out of here. Miss Carmella laughed, said she got it, kissed my cheek, and said, “Have fun, kid.”

    And off we went.

    On the trip down to Ocean City, I told Aunt Sally all about my friend Marie, Kindergarten, and all the things I learned this year and what I would learn next year, all the different kinds of food that Marie’s family ate and how good it all tasted, and how happy they were, and that I wished we could be that way too, but now I was going Downeyoshun where I would be happy, and –

    Billy started laughing. “She talks a lot, now!” Aunt Sally snorted. “She’s been saving it up for six years, it’s about time it all came out.” She looked at me in the rear-view mirror. “Talk all you want to, Hon, I’m glad to hear it.”

    I found out I knew a lot more arithmetic than Billy, but that he knew a lot more about reading. He read all the billboard signs all the way down, and Aunt Sally only corrected him twice. I wanted to learn this, too, so I asked him to teach me. “Sure”, he said. “It’s easy. I’ve even got my own books.”

    The trip down seemed to go much faster this time, and the smell of the ocean suddenly filled my nose. I didn’t say so out loud, but THIS was home.