Daddy finally got his big job. We celebrated by taking a family vacation. We went to a huge amusement park. The sun was shining. It was me, Mama, and Daddy just having fun together. After years of watching them struggle, we were finally having fun.
But now we’re moving…
The clouds are gray as the SUV barrels down I-95 South. A sign comes up. It says:
Now entering Florida
Welcome to the Sunshine State
The sign passes by and a little piece of my heart goes with it.
“Daddy,” I ask, “why do we have to move to Florida?”
My father adjusts the rearview mirror to look at me. “Well, Beloved, Florida is where the job is. I can’t work there from Georgia.”
“Oh…”
My mother reaches back and touches my knee. “We’re going to have a better life, Precious. You’ll see. You’ll have a better school. We’ll have a better house…”
“I like the old house,” I interrupt.
“That’s because it’s the only house you’ve ever known,” my father states dismissively. “This house is better. Your mother and I picked it ourselves while you were staying with your Mimi and Paw-paw.”
I look out the car window. The sky is still gray.
“You should really be more appreciative of what I do for you,” my father goes on.
My mother consoles him. “She appreciates you, Dear. It’s just a little hard for her. You know how Beth can be sometimes.”
I still miss our old house, but I’m just their little Beth. I’m quiet for the rest of the trip. The trees on the road blur past. They look like people. They remind me of school and my old friends. I guess the trees will always be around, even when my friends aren’t.
We pass through Jacksonville and exit onto a state road. The Spanish moss hangs thick from the trees. I always thought Florida would have more palm trees. In a way, it kinda looks like Georgia.
Another sign passes by.
“We’re almost there,” Daddy proclaims. “Welcome to Caramel Springs, Florida.”
The road narrows and grass stands tall on either side. I see a mailbox ahead:
7743 Oaktree Rd.
Daddy makes a right onto a dirt road. Bushes with blue flowers border the long driveway. The path goes over a hill and veers left. Our new home, a white plantation house, rises into view. It stands at the bottom of the hill. A grove of pine trees towers over the structure. The grass has been kept up and manicured, so that green spaces can be seen between the trees of the front lawn. Behind the house, I can see a river flowing beyond the grove.
“It’s pretty,” I admit.
The dirt road turns into a gravel driveway and Daddy parks the SUV in the 2-car garage. I jump out and run into the front yard to get a better look at our new home. My father struts up to me.
“See,” he crows, “I told you it was better.”
The white building is over two stories tall with six columns on the front porch. A covered balcony on the second level stretches across the front of the house. The garage is on my left and another room extends from the house to my right.
My father follows me as I walk over there. “That’s going to be my man-cave,” he declares.
Around the back of the house is another smaller, covered balcony overlooking a covered porch. A gentle slope leads down to a small dock on the river. Bushes, shrubs and blue flowers surround the perimeter of the house.
“C’mon, Beth!” Mama calls from a balcony. “Come see your room!”
Daddy opens the side door and lets me run through his future “man-cave”. There are two doors on the other side of the room.
“Take the left one,” my father suggests. “The other door goes to the family room.”
Following his suggestion, I end up in a living room filled with boxes left by the movers. Pale green carpeting is everywhere. Ew. I tiptoe towards the archway on the other side leading to the foyer. Through another archway, I can see a chandelier made of amber and wood hanging in the room opposite the foyer. Turning right, I head up the stairs.
“It’s up here,” my mother calls.
I follow the curved stairway to the right, and follow the sound of her voice until I find her standing in a fully-furnished bedroom with a small fireplace facing the door. I enter slowly. There’s a closet on my right. On my left is my new full-size, canopy bed. Windowed doors next to the bed lead outside to the rear balcony. I can see the river from here. There’s even a full bathroom near the other side of the bed.
My mother is standing in front of a small fireplace. Next to her, near the balcony doors, is a span of wall featuring a beautiful mural of a tree. I think it’s an oak tree. The mural stretches from the floor all the way to the ceiling, where its painted branches and leaves spread out even further. Even the adjacent wall and balcony doors are decorated with green leaves.
My eyes widen at the beauty of this piece of art. I smile at my mother. “Did you paint this for me?”
Mama smiles back. “No, actually,” she responds, “it was here when we first looked at it.” She heads towards the balcony doors. “You wanna see something cool?” she inquires with a grin.
“Yeah.”
Mama pulls the shades down over the balcony door windows. The evening hour makes the room dark. She points at the tree mural. I gasp in awe as blue-green sparkles dance across the painting.
“It glows in the dark,” Mama tells me.
Later my parents bring in the groceries and delicates from the old house, while I bring in my toys and stuffed animals. Mr. Cuddles, the bear, is the first toy I bring in. I put him on the nightstand next to my bed, so he can stand watch. My other bears, Tee-tee and Puffy, go on the bed along with my cow, Miss Moo-sey. Daddy has to help me with Bruiser, my stuffed gorilla. I put him at the foot of the bed. He’s my first line of defense against monsters. My mother brings in my lamp with the lampshade from my favorite movie, Frigid.
The trip from Tougabrook, Georgia to Caramel Springs, Florida was long and nightfall comes quickly. I make up my bed with the sheets Mama brings. Then Daddy comes to read me a story. He tucks me in and leaves the door open just a crack.
Waiting to go to sleep, I lay in my bed staring at the glowing mural. It comforts me. Maybe this place won’t be so bad after all. Sleep comes and dreams follow after.