I HAD BEEN SITTING on the couch with a bag of potato chips aimlessly scrolling through the TV
woman because, like me, she was not a fan of cameras in her face. I carefully placed the picture in
channels when I heard the explosion. I
the side pocket of my duffel bag and
turned to the kitchen and saw the
moved on to the next section of the
flickering flares of reds and oranges and
room: the closet. The smell of burning
other colors that I didn’t even know
wood clawed at me and I knew I would
existed. I sprang up from the couch and
have to set aside time to mourn the loss
took the stairs two at a time to my room.
of my wooden center table in the living
I grabbed the large duffel bag that was a
room. There was only one thing I really
stow away under my bed and began
cared about in this closet. I moved all the
frantically shoving in random items. I
other clothes on hangers out of the way
wasn’t sure how much time I had left
until I reached the very back of the
before the fire found its way out the
closet. My heart dropped for a second
kitchen, let alone give itself a full house
when I didn’t feel the familiar fuzzy
tour, but I needed to hurry up. Before
material of my purple sweater, but I let
any real fear took hold of me, I sprinted
out a relieved sigh when I realized it had
to my sister’s old room where I kept the
fallen on the floor. I picked it up by the
things I didn't trust myself with.
hole in the right sleeve. I don’t really
On the bedside table, there
remember how it got there, but there’s
was a framed photograph with a picture
always been a voice in my head telling
of my mom. She was wearing a blue
me it was no reason to throw it out.
school uniform blazer, with a white tie.
A sudden crash snapped me out
She wasn’t smiling, but she wasn’t
my thoughts and I quickly shoved the
frowning either; it was sort of in between,
sweater into the bag and continued my
like she couldn’t decide which to do. Her
mission. I could feel the heat licking my
hair was done into a low ponytail with
face and I wiped the sweat off my
two hair clips on either side. It was one of
cheeks. The fire was getting closer, and I
the few pictures I actually had of the
was playing a dangerous game by still being in this room. But I needed to get
4 Still Waters Vol. IV, Issue I.
Fire of Memories by M.D. Olaoye
