Lyric from ‘The Ballad Of Lucy Gray Baird’ by Rachel Zegler “...we lost our bright colors…” I stood still for a moment. “Witchcraft?” I whispered to myself. “Yes, darling,” Ma said. “I’m sure you have a ton of questions, but you need to save them for when we get to the store,” “What store, Ma?” I demanded, louder than I’ve ever said anything before. “You’ll see, honey, just listen-” “No! Y-you can’t tell me to listen if you won’t answer any of my questions! Does this have to do with dad leaving? Are you dumping me? What about the boys? They’ve never been without me! How are you gonna hold up with them?” My voice raised to an unreal volume, and Ma shrank in her chair. Unshed tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them away. “James Evan Kitosha! Listen to me! I will answer every question you have in a few hours, just save your questions, please. But yes, this has something to do with your father,” Ma’s voice broke, and she stood up, pacing the kitchen. “Momma?” Neil asked quietly. Liam was under the table. “I’m sorry, your brother and I have some unfinished business we need to take care of,” Ma said quietly. “Unfinished? When did we start this? Why am I in the dark about all of th-?” “James! Please stop yelling! You’re scaring your brothers,” Ma put her fingers to her nose bridge, then sighed. “Then why are you yelling?” I demanded. “Because, I need you to understand that I know this is different, but you need to trust me,” She tried to take my hand, but I shook my head violently and backed away, as far as the north wall in the kitchen. “Well, you’re not doing a very good job about it because I don’t understand, and you know I don’t! I’m not the best learner, you know that,” I said, shaking some of my curls out of my eyes. “Your dyslexia has absolutely nothing to do with grasping what I’m telling you. You are a wizard, a half-blood. I am a Muggle, and non-magic person, and your father was a pureblood Slytherin,” said Ma, but cautiously, like she was afraid I’d attack her or something. But I wouldn’t. Yelling is the worst that I would do to her. “James Evan Kitosha, pack a bag, we’re leaving,” Ma turned to the boys. “Neil Ignacio Kitosha, pack a bag as well. Liam Reid Kitosha, please get out of there and go pack a bag. Meet me in the kitchen in ten minutes,” She used our full names, and I didn’t know why. I didn’t like my full name, really. It reminded me of my dad, and I hated it. In ten minutes, we were all comfortable in Ma’s black SUV, and cruising down the highway. I know she wasn’t stopping for anything until we got where we were going, so I didn’t talk, I just listened to music. And soon, I fell asleep to the tune of ‘Watermelon Moonshine’. “Drinkin’ watermelon moonshine, cut the burn with a little lime…” Lainey Wilson droned, and I dozed off.
