Control by M. S. Willis Page B

those
walls.”
    My eyes
started to well with tears and I kept my head turned so Momma wouldn’t see.
    Momma
sighed and continued. “I want to think it is strange that you are still so
affected about what happened with Buddy.  It’s been sixteen years,
Darling, and you are at an age where you should be able to move past it. For as
short a period of time that you knew each other, you two bonded like twin souls.
I regret having taken you to those apartments that day.  You were too
young to witness something so terribly tragic.  Baby Girl, I know he meant
a lot to you, but you’ve got to let go and move on.  Constantly looking
behind you will only keep you from ever looking forward.  That’s no way to
live a life.”
    I
reached up and quickly wiped that tears that had escaped my eyes and then I
turned and leaned into my mother.  “Did you ever look for him Momma, you
know, after he was taken?”
    Momma
was quiet again.  She let out a slow breath before she responded.  “I
did look for him baby.  He was placed in the foster system a couple days
after Kristi died.  It was his natural father that had killed her and then
himself that day, so they tried to find family that could take him in. 
None of his extended family wanted him and he was placed with a foster family
after that.  Your father and I applied to be his foster parents, but the
State didn’t think it would be proper for him to be raised around The Center. 
We understood the concerns they had and we couldn’t argue that our home life
wasn’t exactly normal.  Once he was in the system for a few years, they
stopped giving us information.  Being that we weren’t blood related, there
was nothing else we could do.”
    I put
my arms around my mom and pulled her into a hug.  “It’s okay Momma, I know
you tried.”
    We sat
together silently for another hour, but then Momma had to get back inside to
tend to dinner.  It was getting late and I knew that David and I would
have to be leaving shortly.  I pushed myself up and brushed off my
bottom.  I looked over at the Cypress tree again and then, as if by their
own will, my feet somehow carried me over to it.  I looked down at the
base of the tree to see the roots spiking out of the water.  There was
enough sunlight left that I could see the sooty bottom of the marsh and I took
off my shoes, rolled up the bottoms of my jeans and walked into the cool
water.  When I was about shin deep, I stopped and looked out over the
lake.
    I heard
the back door slam open and I turned to see David coming outside.  I
called out to him and he began walking in my direction.  When David had
gotten close to the marsh he waved his hand at me and started saying something
but he was cut off when his foot stuck in the ground near the edge.
    I ran
out of the water while he was attempting to tug his foot out and only making
matters worse.
    I
shouted out to him as I ran in his direction.  “Hold still David! 
Moving your foot around will only get it stuck deeper.”
    David
ignored me and continued frantically tugging at his foot.  “Hurry up,
Paige.  The freaking swamp is trying to eat me!”  David stepped
forward trying to gain leverage to tug some more.  When his other foot
started sinking into the muck as well, he shrieked. 
    I
finally reached him and had to keep myself from doubling over in
laughter.  He was moving in such a way that it appeared he was dancing,
the whole time waving his hands in the air and cursing the Florida
swamps.  “It’s not funny, Paige, I’m about to die here and all you can do
is sit around laughing your ass off.  Now do something! I’m stuck in
quicksand!”
    I got
myself under control, lost it again, then controlled myself again before I sprang
into action.  I carefully placed my feet in areas that I could feel were
solid and I grabbed David’s right leg.  “Now hold still, David. 
You’ve stepped into the edge of the marsh and I have to pull your leg out
straight in