We’ll Remember By:Skylar McCormack
We’ll Remember Skylar McCormack
We’ll Remember, Skylar McCormack The Literary Arts Department Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, A Creative and Performing Arts Magnet
CopyrightŠ2019 Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, A Creative And Performing Arts Magnet Pittsburgh, PA The copyright to the individual pieces remains the property of each individual. Reproduction in any form by any means without specific written permission from the individual is prohibited. For copies or inquiries: Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Literary Arts Department Mara Cregan 111 Ninth Street Pittsburgh, PA 15222 mcregan1@pghschools.org Ms.Melissa A. Pearlman, Principal
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis
Table of Contents 1.
We’ll Remember
2.
Lucky
3.
Fifty-Two Years Later
4.
The Boy Who Stole Kids
5.
Did You Miss Me While You Were Looking For Yourself?
6.
Things Left Unsaid
7.
The Sky That Changes Colors
8.
My Prime Years
9.
What’s The Point?
We’ll Remember After graduating high school you will go to college. You will not be stuck in this small town of Galion, Ohio like I did. You are going to make something of your self. This is not an option, you will do as I say and not as I do. Do you want to be stuck in some factory for the rest of your life? I didn't think so. You’re going to buckle down now, you are going to join three clubs and I don't want to hear you say it’s too difficult because that is failure talk, and no child of mine is going to be a failure. You also need to join at least two advanced classes next semester, because that is what colleges look at. They don't look at average people, who are in average classes. No. They look at they great students, the ones who don't take the easy way out. Are you going to take the easy way out? I don't think so. I want you to join a sport as well. It doesn't matter what sport, any sport. They look at that too you know. Don’t forget about community service because that’s important. They want to see that you care. Don’t tell me it’s hard. You know what’s hard, raising a family of six when you’re only making ten dollars an hour. Making time for your family when all the time you have is to work and sleep. Not to mention, not having a social life. That is hard stuff there. You don't need that. You do all that stressing out stuff now and it will pay off in the end, believe me. Become a lawyer, a doctor, someone who makes ten times the money I do an hour. Maybe even become one of those scientist you see on TV, figure out the cure to cancer, go to the moon, something that will put our family name to honor. You are going to be the first of this family to go to college. You will make all of us proud. Even if you travel far away from all of us. Far enough that the connection will break every time we try to talk. Far away enough to forget us all. But we’ll remember you, I promise that. This town will even has
posters and banners up with something inspirational, like He could do it, so can you. I’ll fundraise it. You’ll set the standard. Those kids would want more. Hell, you being the youngest, your sisters and brothers will be jealous that their little brother passed them up. Because you are the one going to college to make your life better in every single aspect that we weren't able to provide you with. That I wasn't able to provide you with. Trust me, just take those advanced classes.
Lucky
On the other hand, It recently occurred to me that I could not live without his blows. —Fernando Sorrentino, “There’s a Man in the Habit of Hitting me on the Head with an Umbrella”
When I was seven my mom never showed up after work. We were all so worried, she wouldn't answer her phone and her work said she’d left hours ago. My dad tried to keep our minds off of it so we played monopoly for hours. When dad was about to send us to bed, we got a phone call. Our dad explained it the best way he could to a seven, nine, and thirteen-year-old. We got to the hospital and the doctors told us that he had to speak to her alone. My oldest sister told me that it had to be something bad if they pulled him to the side. “They do that in all the sad movies,” she said. Eventually we got to back and see her. She was hooked up to wires and she had a gown on, it made her look more sick. In the corner of the room we saw what stopped our mom that day. “He refused to leave her side after she rescued him,” the nurse whispered. The puppy was only a few weeks old. He either fell down or was thrown into the sewer drain. He just happened to bark while my mom was stopped at a traffic like next to the drain. Both of my sisters loved him. But I didn’t. He almost took my mom away forever and I couldn't forgive him. But they loved him so much that the named him Lucky. My mom was in the hospital for six weeks. The car that hit her broke her ribs and messed up her spin and she had a concussion. It was a hit and run, the man left her
there on the side of the road, one town over from Galion. I remember the day that she came home. The scruff ball wouldn't leave her alone and I couldn't even get a hug without it coming in between us. I would cry myself to sleep every night, afraid to have another nightmare about a car crash. Lucky would curl up with me at night. I would turn the other way so I didn't have to look at him. Sometimes I called for my dad to take him out of my room. But one night, after dinner I went back to my room like a I did every night while the rest of the family would stay down there to watch a movie, Lucky followed me. He usually stayed down stairs with everyone else. I told him to leave me alone, but he just sat there wagging his tail back and forth. “I don’t have any treats,” I said, but he followed me into my room. I sat down on my bed frustrated and he jumped up on the bed and started to lick me. I kept pushing him away until he stopped and when he did, he gave me a look, a sad one. I looked away trying to ignore it but he just sat there. I gave in and patted him on he head a little. i didn’t want to believe I just gave into him but when he played his head down on my lap, I knew I would never want to live in a world where is no Lucky.
The Boy Who Stole Kids Once there was a boy who would take kids in the middle of night, and they would never be returned or found. He would creep through their windows, through the floor boards, and sometimes just like Santa Claus, right through their chimney. They kids would not hesitate, or say no last goodbyes. They would simply say “I was wondering where you've been.” They heard of him before. Kids would go to school, telling stories of seeing a boy run on the outer edge of the woods with other not far behind him. The boy lived in a small cabin, only big enough for his parents and him. From a young age, they left him alone for hours on end. They would leave no water, no food, and no wood for the fire. The poor boy was left to fend for himself. By the time he reached seven, they had left for weeks on end and when they would return, they would continue like nothing had happened. Whenever his parents came back, it was just like some people passing through looking for place to sleep for a few nights. They rarely showed affection. They told him that hugs and kisses would make him weak, and he needed to be strong. He lived as an adult. No rules, except for one. He was never to leave the forest. On the boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was alone again. That afternoon he decided to treat himself to a nice squirrel. He put the wood in his fireplace and started the fire with the thought of being right back. But with it being so cold out, squirrels were harder to find, so he spent hours looking, forgetting about the fire at home. Getting too close the end of the forest, the boy decided to head back. He clutched the squirrels tail in his hand, swinging it as he went along. Getting closer, he smelled smoke, something burning. Looking around, he was the only one in sight. He
ran fast down the cobble stone way he made years before so he wouldn't get lost. As he got closer, the heat started to hit him. All he saw was red and orange being flung in the air. The boy dropped his squirrel and ran, faster than he thought he could move, so fast he almost didn't see the squealing truck go past him. He ran and ran until he saw light peeking through the woods. He tried to stop, afraid of what might be on the other side, but before his thoughts could catch up with his actions he ran right into the middle of road. Not knowing where to go, being all alone, thinking he left his parents down, he walked, and walked until reaching a sign that said Welcome to Galion, Ohio. Beyond that point, he saw open land, house that were made from stone, and cars that went faster than him, he only ever saw the one his parents drove down the path to the house. He wandered on through, knowing he disobeyed his parent’s orders but too curious to not keep going. He saw people in shops. People eating with forks and spoons. Things that were foreign to him. Walking around, watching people who had colors in their hair. He only ever saw them on butterflies in the spring and summer. His excitement was over flowing, but it all stopped when the office approached him. It happened all so fast. He was taken away by a police officer. They put him in a home, plastering his face everywhere, hoping he would be claimed by his parents because he refused to talk to any adult. They waited months until they finally gave up. Everyone lost their sympathy for the boy and he was eventually just another kid in the system. Even though he had food, water, and a warm place to sleep, something wasn't right. He knew he had to leave.
He thought about it everyday for month thinking of ways to leave. He realized others might feel like he does. He decided that he would be happy and any kids who felt like him would be too. He waited until the time was right. In the middle of the night, when everyone was fast asleep, he woke up as many kids as he could. He took them to a faraway place, only the unhappy kids can find. They asked the boy how did he know who was unhappy. They asked him how he knows if they want to leave. He told them he has this feeling and until he finds that person who is unhappy, it will always be there. If you feel unhappy, I promise the feels it too and is looking for you. He will always look for you.
Did you miss me while you were look for yourself? After (Train) (Drops of Jupiter) As Jane drove past Bucyrus, and through Crestline, butterflies form in her stomach. She hasn't seen her hometown in years. When she was nineteen she decided to leave, only saying goodbye to her parents. Rumors spread, saying she was kidnapped, or got into a car crash. Her favorite one was that someone said they seen her when they went on vacation in North Carolina. They told everyone that they saw her get arrest at the mall for shoplifting candles. Jane hates Candles. Her best friend Luna was convinced she died, even though Jane's parents told her that she hadn't. They think that was her way of coping because she couldn't think that her best friend wouldn't say goodbye or even give her call. They spoke to Luna frequently and invited her over for a weekly dinner. She inched closer to the line where Crestline met Galion. She stopped the car in the middle of the bridge and took a deep breath, nervous about what she might see on the others side. She drove slowly though the green light. Jane saw the differences in everything. It wasn’t what she expect to see after years of leaving. She couldn't believe that a town could evolve so quickly but be so dead at the same time. The bank where she start her first account was now an apartment building. Her favorite candy shop expanded to the store next to it and now sells ice cream. She breaths in her new surroundings, trying to smell something familiar. She pulls in the driveway she had many late night memories with like pulling up late into the night with Luna and trying to sneak her in or the time when the whole street decided to have their ballon fight right there. She sits there for a minute, trying to soak in
everything she seen. When she had enough courage she looked next a few houses down, where her best friend lived. She felt bad. She didn't think about anyone but herself the moment she left. She even cut off her parents for the first three months she was gone. She didn't know why she felt like she had to rebrand herself, and why she had to cut out the people who loved her the most to do that. Before she could convince herself to walk over and reintroduce herself, her mom walks out and rushes to her car. Jane pulls herself out of the car and her mom squeezes Jane tight. “Honey, I didn't know you were coming home.” “I know, I felt like surprising you guys.” Jane looks behind her mom.”Where’s daddy?” “Oh he is out getting a few things for dinner tonight. He will be so happy. How long are you staying for?” “I don’t know yet. I guess I’ll figure that out when we get there.” “Oh Jane, you are so different but so much the same. Now let’s get you in the house.” After Jane’s father makes it home, they sit down as a family for the first time in years and have dinner. They laugh and cry as they share memories. “Jane, how was…”Jane’s father gets cut off by the front door opening. Jane’s parents both look at each, almost guilty. “Hi, sorry I was late for dinner,” Luna said, and look towards Jane. “Jane…” “Hi Luna.” “When did you get here?”
“oh she got here few hours ago, here I fixed you up a plate, sit down,” Jane’s mom pulled out a chair for Luna to sit in. “I was just about to ask Jane about her adventures,” Jane’s father looks at her. “Oh yeah. Well it was a nice break I think. Two years really helped me find out who I was, being here for so long I didn't know anything different. Washington was so beautiful but very cold. California was too hot. I tried Arizona but it was even more hot. I think missed all four seasons the most while being gone.”Jane said. “Well did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?” Luna said. Jane paused for a moment and looked at her and in the dead silence, she stood up making the chair squeak on the floor. “I did.”
Things Left Unsaid 1.) Your parents never told you that you lived on an old Native American burial site and that is why they got is so cheap. 2.) That day you walked in the field behind your house and brought home a bone proudly. You washed off the dirt and wanted to hang it on your wall, but your father insisted you never touch bones again. He scrubbed your hands raw and even made a finger bleed a little. He said the dead were not to be disturbed, even if they were animals, except that one wasn't form an animal. 3.) Some things are meant to be left unsaid. 4.)Sandy, the girl in second grade only stole your juice box to get your attention. 5.)When you took your daughter, Sonny, to the Mansfield theater, the man behind you stole your box of snow caps when you took Sonny to the bathroom, leaving your things unattended. 6.) Your ex wife, Julia, actual wanted to go to college for business 7.) The plants behind your house aren't actually daisies, they are chrysanthemums. 8.) Sonny took the Time Magazines from your neighbor yard every day before school and got caught one day but they promised not to tell you. 9.)Sonny ran away for a few hours after you argued about her wanting to become a archaeologists. She came back after seeing a dead animal on the side of the road with it bones scattered over the road and threw up. 10.) Your teacher told your parents that you should take an advancement test. You were the top of the class and she saw potential in you. Skipping a grade was the best thing she thought could've happened to you. They wouldn't allow it because they wanted you to stay humble. 11.)Your father was the one who wanted you to stay humble. Your mother didn't want to lose you a year sooner than expect.
12.)Your father put up that fence to block you from going into the field, not to have privacy for a pool. 13.)The day you stole the raspberry soda and the two candy bars because your friends told you that they wouldn't be your friend anymore if you didn’t, the clerk man saw you, but he saw the other kids too. 14.)He was the man you help cross the street right after you had Sonny. He looked at you and he smiled knowing exactly who you were. 15.)Julia didn’t hate you, she hated Ohio. She moved to Colorado and started a coffee shop named after Sonny. She called Sonny all the time but she would never answer. 16.) Julia threw up on the chrysanthemums before she found out she was pregnant with Sonny. She too a test that day and was too nervous to tell you then. Before you came home she hosed them down and acted like nothing ever happened. That is why that one little patch stopped growing. 17.) Julia remarried to a guy with the same name as you. She still can’t say his first name with out thinking about you. 18.) Sonny never liked going tot he movies. She thought they were gross and germ filled. She always brought hand sanitizer with her. But she went because she knew that was your way of going on without think of your ex wife. That was the only thing she never did with you that Sonny did. 19.) Sandy will see you in years to come in a grocery store, she would see you buy juice for Sonny and will offer to buy it for you. 20.) Julia sent you a letter after her second marriage was failing, begging for your forgiveness and asking if she would be welcomed back. It never made it to you though. The next door neighbor got it and had every intention of giving it to you. They forgot about it and it got lost in their junk mail pile. They threw it away after a while. They remembered after a few months but it was too late and they didn't have the heart to tell you. You would've welcomed her back. 21.) Sonny will marry Sandy’s son.
22.) When your Julia moved back to Ohio, she drove past your house many times. Hoping that you would be out getting the mail, or just pulling out so she could see your face, just for one second. She wanted to see your smile, and she wanted it to be because of her. 23.) When Sonny was fifteen, she called her mom back after all those years and told her what she felt and why she felt it. She told her that she made a mistake leaving you and her. Before she hung up she told her that she never wanted to speak to her again. 24.) Sonny will send her an invite to the wedding. 25.) Julia will bring the blue jewel comb that her great grandmother wore on her wedding that. she gave it to her has her something blue and old. 26.) You will sit right to Julia as Sonny walks down the isle, she will grip your hand for the first time in twelve years and it will be like she never even let go.
The Sky That Changes Color “Come on Sarah, help me.” Mike said. Sarah stood next to mike as he picked apples from a tree in their back yard. Sarah never really enjoyed the outdoors and moving to the middle of Ohio, in the country didn't go well with her. They were new to town and couldn't make any friends since it was summer time and lived so far apart from other neighbors. Since she left all her friends behind she became more connected to her phone. “You’re bigger than me. I am the one holding the basket, plus I’m texting Brook.” Sarah said. “Okay well mom wants more than this and I can’t reach the rest of them,” Mike said. “What do you want me to do about it?” “I’ll give you a lift up to that branch,” Mike said. “I don’t climb trees,” Sarah said. “Well, do you want to lift me up there, because I don't think that will end very well,” “Fine.” Mike bent over a little, cupping his hands together and Sarah gripping his shoulder for support while she put her foot in his hands. “Okay go,” Sarah said. He lifted her up quickly and standing all the way up he pushed up a little more so she could reach the branch. “Okay, grab the branch and climb up.” Mike said.
“I’ll try,” Sarah said. She pulled herself up and sat on the branch trying to balance her self before and started to climb up higher to reach the rest of the apples. “How many?” She asked. “Like five. I don't know.”Mike said. Sarah started picking at the apples and throwing them down to Mike. “Hey, watch what you're doing. You almost hit me in the head.” “Sorry, but I need one more so you better look out.”Sarah said. “Don’t climb up so high Sarah, you won’t be able to get back down.”Mike said. “Just shush, you wanted me to get the apples, I’m getting them so don’t act all worried now.” “I’m just saying,”Mike said. Sarah climbed a few more branches before her head was exposed to the stop of tree. She lifted it a little more while holding on to the limbs tightly. She looked around and didn't realize she was standing until Mike yelled up at her. “What did you say?”Sarah asked. “I said you shouldn't do that, you could fall. We have enough apples so we can go, okay.”Mike said. “Just wait a second I never seen something like this. Not in real life anyway. It looks like those skies you see see all over Instagram. ”Sarah said. “What do you mean?” “The sky it looks different.”
The sky was red in the middle of afternoon, making the tops of the trees pop a little more but she swore they were a different green than she remembered them to be. “Look, if you don't get down then I’m coming up.”Mike said. “Yeah, you should because you need to see this.”Sarah said. Sarah looked down to the ground to see what her brother was going to do. As he started his way up she looked back at the view. Staring at the trees, trying to pin point what is different about them. “Now what are you talking about?”Mike asked. Sarah pointed to the sky and Mike’s eyes widen at the sight. The sky was now fading into an unnatural purple. “Why is the sky purple? What time is it?”Mike asked. “It’s been about na hour since we left the house so probably one.” “Why is the sun setting at one?”Mike asked. “It’s not,”Sarah said and point to the sun that was behind her. “This isn't possible,”Mike said. “Not only that, but look at the trees.” “What about them. They look the same.” “No they don’t. They are changing, that one over there,” she pointed to her right, “was just normal now look at it, it’s like bright green. Not only that but they aren't moving, at all.” “Okay, and?” Mike said. “There is a breeze. The tops should be moving, even if it’s just a little bit, but they aren’t. They are just still.” Sarah said.
“Man, when they say Ohio is a weird place, I didn't know they mean’t that the sky would just change to at the colors of a rainbow in the middle of the day.”Mike said. Sarah and Mike stood there for a while. Mike was unsure what to do next, looking back at their house, thinking that maybe if they went back home they would be safe but Sarah had a craving to know more. She wanted to go beyond the apple trees and into the unmovable forest.
My Prime Years I want to be arrested so that I can read the Bible. -Denis Hirson, “Arrest me” I want to go back to third grade. I want to argue about who's pencil is who’s. I want to be able to sing in music class and enjoy it. Third grade was such a great year for me. I was popular, all the guys in my class liked me, I understood the work. See, now, I work at an office job, and no one talks to me. I haven't had a guy hit on me since last year. Everyone says these are my prime years, that I should be having the time of my life. They look sorry for me when I tell them that my best years were when I was eight years old. I can’t lie to them. I met my best friend then. However we weren't really friends. We would argue all the time. I don’t remember why, but just that we would always be on and off friends all the time. At the end of third grade, my mom told me that we were moving. Not very far, just to Bucyrus which was about twenty minutes from where we lived them. I didn't even have the heart to tell my best friend good bye. My first day of fourth grade at the different school, I was alone, I came home crying and my mom said it would be okay, that was good at making new friends. She was wrong because the next day, and the days after that no one wanted to be my friend. I want to go back to third grade. I want to say good bye to my best friend and tell every boy who liked me that they were so kind. I want to hug the people who sat with me at lunch and laughed at the jokes I told. I want to go back to third grade so I can be me again.
What Is The Point?
I’d giggle like it was funny. But the squirrel, you know, was already dead. -Ashley Hutson,“At Sea” “What is the point?” Mr Harris says. He walks around the class. Repeating the same sentence over and over. Mr. Harris stops in front of my desk, looking at me and repeats what is the point one last time before walking to the front of the class room. “Yes of course, you won’t need this later in life so what is the point of trying anymore?” He stares us down, hoping someone will make a smart comment back. “Julia, you want to become a corner right? ” “Yes Mr. Harris.” “So what is the point of all this dividing have anything to do with what you want to do?” He pauses waiting for a response again. “What is the point?” He slams his hand on the desk and his face starts to turn red. “Well, we’ll have to use some math but it’s nothing like this sir,” Julia says. “What do you mean nothing like this? You will have to use every bit of this information to succeed in what you want to do. If you don’t know a sliver of this then how are you going to be correct in the report Julia? You won’t be and you will get fired
and you will cry and come back to me saying you are sorry for not paying attention in my class.” “Mr. Harris,” Robert says. “What Robert? You think I am being too harsh, well this is the real world. If you can’t take forty five minutes to solve a simple problem how Julia, are you going to be able to handle a dead body for hours? This is important guys. If you can’t handle simple division, how are you going to handle teaching, or how about a architect?” Everyone in the room goes silent. The all look at each other trying to see what they are thinking. They look back a Mr. Harris who has his hand on his hip, looking the opposite way from everyone else, trying to calm down. “Listen kids, I didn't mean to be like that but everyday I come in and try to teach you something useful and I get ignored, and I get complains because it’s too hard, and kids give up. I didn't go to school to teach you guys and still be paying back my loans when I am fort seven years old for kids to tell me that their you don't want to do it. I am starting to wonder what is the point of doing teaching anymore if nothing comes out of it.” We all look at each other again. I stand up and walk over to him. “It matters. I promise we’ll do better.”