So Blue

Molly held the blue bowl as her momma poured some cereal. It was about eight o'clock at night but she didn't notice that cereal wasn't dinner and that a bare fridge wasn't normal. Passing the blue bowl to her mother so she could pour water on it, Molly scratched the back of her leg with her foot looking for a place to sit. It was Friday so Daddy would be home before the sun came up. Grabbing the bowl she sat down next to the door in good faith that soon her Daddy would walk through it. Her Momma walked by her and out the door to smoke a cigarette with one of her friends. The mobile home community was dusty and rundown but there were plenty neighbors around to keep each other company.
Molly listened to her mother's conversation without really understanding what the ladies were talking about.

"I swear he has one more week to miss child support before I get the law involved." says momma
"Naw, you don't wanna do a thing like that! He's good to you when he's around aint he?" says momma's friend.
"That's not the point Arlene. I got my baby in there sitting on the floor in the dark and tryna keep the candles out of her reach is hard when there ain't no furniture!"

Molly looked around the room, she liked the candles Momma told her not to touch, they reminded her of the fireflies that would come out at night. She didn't like waking up from her nightmares to utter darkness though, Daddy use to come in from her screaming and hold her. He'd rock her back and forth singing "Blue Skies" reminding her that the sun would come up in the morning, but that was only sometimes. Most of the time she'd just wake up in a cold sweat, wrap herself in her thin sheet and sit next to the window in the living room where light from the street lamp would flood in. When she couldn't fall asleep right away she'd pretend her father was with her singing "Blue Skies", rocking back and forth with her eyes tightly shut.

"I haven't seen him in a month and this trucking job is no excuse to be away from his little girl this long."
"So you haven't heard?"
"Heard what Arlene?"
"Well word round here is that he got another family out in Tennessee."
"You just shut yo mouth about that Arlene! All people ever do around here is gossip bout everybody else business!"
"I'm just saying, Mike and Josh has the same job and they get home every weekend. You gotta at least consider he got other kids out there."

Molly finished her cereal but her stomach still growled, she didn't want to eat any more just in case Daddy wanted some when he came home. Momma and Arlene always ended up fighting, it was almost funny. But what did Arlene mean about Daddy having other kids? She was his one and only baby girl. She walked into the kitchen putting her blue bowl in the sink. Momma came in saying bad words. Uh oh, on nights like these Momma would paint her face and put on clothes that were too small for her and Molly would get mad because she wasn't willing to wait for Daddy.

"Momma's going out for a bit baby, just go in my room and lock the door, only come out if you have to use the bathroom, alright?"

Molly nods her head in agreement and walks to the bedroom in anger. She plays with the dolls Daddy got her until she falls asleep in the corner of the room. Her tummy wakes her up and she contemplates going to get a glass of water but Momma said not too. Her tummy decided for her and she walked into the kitchen overhearing people yelling outside. There were some crackers in the kitchen drawer Momma would usually mash up in her Spaghettio's, she grabbed them and made a dash for the bedroom. Nibbling on her snack she heard the front door open and immediately pretended to be asleep just in case it was her Daddy coming to sing her song.

She smelled sweat and engine oil and new instantly her Daddy was home!

"Hi baby girl. Where's your Momma?"
"Daddy!! Come on! Let's lay down! Can you sing my song?"
"Course I can, but where's your Momma?'
"Look, I even still have the doll you got me for my birthday Daddy, I named her Lilly."
"Molly, now, I'm not gonna ask you again, where's your Momma?"
"She went out with Arlene and them."

Molly could feel a shift in the room, her good surprise was being ruined cause Momma didn't wanna wait for Daddy. He jumped up saying bad words and walked out of the front door slamming it. She let herself fall to the floor, curled into a ball, letting her tears soak her night gown, afraid to fall asleep again knowing a nightmare would soon come. Daddy would come back, she thought. Until then she rocked back and forth humming "Blue Skies" waiting for her Daddy to come sing with her..."Blue skies smiling at me, nothing but blue skies do I see..."