It was the evening after New Years of 2003, when I was in my room listening to music with the volume turn all way up. I was packing my clothes to visit my aunt Punch for the weekend, like I do every weekend and she does my hair when mom yelled, “De’Anna come downstairs!” “Okay, I’m coming down,” I yelled in return. “De’Anna, NOW!” She said forcefully. “Okay!” I came downstairs and sat next to her on the couch in the living room. “How is your aunt doing your hair this time?”She asked. “I don’t know yet mom, why” “Just asked” she said. Then the phone rang. I picked up the phone and it was my aunt’s mom. “Hey De, how you doing?” she said. “Hey, I am okay, where is my auntie at?" I said She did not answer my question before asking. “Where is your mom at?” she replies. I got up from my seat to give my mom the phone. “Mom" I handed hear the phone. “Thank you baby.” Mom said.
After I gave the phone to my mom. It sounded like my aunt’s mom was crying. But I couldn’t really tell. I tried to listen to see if she was crying, but I couldn’t hear nothing no more. “Hey girl!! What’s wrong?“ mom asked. “Lynn are you sitting down?” she asked crying. “Why? What’s wrong? “Gone where?” “She's dead” crying. My mom begins to cry. I asked "what’s wrong mom". She told me to go up to my room for a minute. I got up start walking out the living room. I get to the steps, then turn back around and walk back to the living room wall, so my mom couldn’t see me because I wanted to know what was wrong so I started listening. “Okay, what you mean she dead we just talked to her yesterday” mom said. “I know Lynn she died today around 7:30 p.m” she cried. “What happened?” asked crying “She was on her way back home from picking up jazz and her friends, from the football game at jazz school” she explained. “Okay what happened next?” she asked “Then, there were a drunk driver in the back of her. He started to hit the back of her car. Punchy tried to get way from him. But he was just not stopping” “Oh my god!!” mom cried. “Then she tried to get over when he hit her again. He hit her so head she lost control of the wheel, ran into a telephone pole. The steering wheel crushed her spine. The police came and pried the doors open to get everybody out the car. When they got her to the hospital she was dead. And jazz’s friend that stay upstairs, she can't walk anymore.” she said. “Oh my god! How will I tell De’Anna? she will be crushed". she was so dependenting on her. I don’t know what to do….”
I stand by the wall thinking what’s wrong? What happened? Why is my mom crying so much? Who are they talking about? I wanted to know what was wrong, but do I really want to know what’s going on? Am I ready for what is about to happened? I keep hearing the word "DEAD" I think I am really, but I know it came faster then I wanted it to come. My mom said the word "DEAD" again. I came away from the wall, mom looked at me. I just stood and looked back at her. “Hey let me call you back.” mom said. “Okay Lynn “my aunt’s mom said. My mom is still looking at me, then she starts crying her head off, I don’t knon what to think I just looked. “De’Anna come seat down I need to tell you something baby” Mom said. “Okay mom, what’s wrong mom “I said. “It’s about your aunt Punchy” My heart begins to beat faster. “Well what wrong with her mom” “Baby Punchy is gone” “Gone where mom” “De punchy died today” I begin to cry. "Mom stop playing with me." I cried. "De'Anna I am not playing; she is dead baby." I cried. I have tears in my eyes. The more I think, the more I begin to cry harder. I tried to get up but when I got up I fell to the floor and just layed there and began to cry more and more. My mom picked me up off the floor. And she tried to get me to stand up, but I felt so weak. "Mommy what happened to Punchy? she was a good person. She was nice to people." "Baby it was time for her to go." "But WHY?" "She didn't say nothing." "Baby seat here let me call your daddy." "Okay mom." She started to call my daddy he didn't pick up. But when she hung up he called back fast. "Larry, Deanna knows Punch is dead." "Oh my god Lynn," my daddy said. "I cried, I want my daddy." "Okay, De'Anna."
Deanna Myrick-Foster
10/12/2010
Bell 2
It was the evening after New Years of 2003, when I was in my room listening to music with the volume turn all way up. I was packing my clothes to visit my aunt Punch for the weekend, like I do every weekend and she does my hair when mom yelled, “De’Anna come downstairs!”
“Okay, I’m coming down,” I yelled in return.
“De’Anna, NOW!” She said forcefully.
“Okay!”
I came downstairs and sat next to her on the couch in the living room.
“How is your aunt doing your hair this time?”She asked.
“I don’t know yet mom, why”
“Just asked” she said.
Then the phone rang. I picked up the phone and it was my aunt’s mom.
“Hey De, how you doing?” she said.
“Hey, I am okay, where is my auntie at?" I said
She did not answer my question before asking.
“Where is your mom at?” she replies.
I got up from my seat to give my mom the phone.
“Mom" I handed hear the phone.
“Thank you baby.” Mom said.
After I gave the phone to my mom. It sounded like my aunt’s mom was crying. But I couldn’t really tell. I tried to listen to see if she was crying, but I couldn’t hear nothing no more.
“Hey girl!! What’s wrong?“ mom asked.
“Lynn are you sitting down?” she asked crying.
“Why? What’s wrong?
“Gone where?”
“She's dead” crying.
My mom begins to cry. I asked "what’s wrong mom". She told me to go up to my room for a minute. I got up start walking out the living room. I get to the steps, then turn back around and walk back to the living room wall, so my mom couldn’t see me because I wanted to know what was wrong so I started listening.
“Okay, what you mean she dead we just talked to her yesterday” mom said.
“I know Lynn she died today around 7:30 p.m” she cried.
“What happened?” asked crying
“She was on her way back home from picking up jazz and her friends, from the football game at jazz school” she explained.
“Okay what happened next?” she asked
“Then, there were a drunk driver in the back of her. He started to hit the back of her car. Punchy tried to get way from him. But he was just not stopping”
“Oh my god!!” mom cried.
“Then she tried to get over when he hit her again. He hit her so head she lost control of the wheel, ran into a telephone pole. The steering wheel crushed her spine. The police came and pried the doors open to get everybody out the car. When they got her to the hospital she was dead. And jazz’s friend that stay upstairs, she can't walk anymore.” she said.
“Oh my god! How will I tell De’Anna? she will be crushed". she was so dependenting on her. I don’t know what to do….”
I stand by the wall thinking what’s wrong? What happened? Why is my mom crying so much? Who are they talking about? I wanted to know what was wrong, but do I really want to know what’s going on? Am I ready for what is about to happened? I keep hearing the word "DEAD" I think I am really, but I know it came faster then I wanted it to come. My mom said the word "DEAD" again. I came away from the wall, mom looked at me. I just stood and looked back at her.
“Hey let me call you back.” mom said.
“Okay Lynn “my aunt’s mom said.
My mom is still looking at me, then she starts crying her head off, I don’t knon what to think I just looked.
“De’Anna come seat down I need to tell you something baby” Mom said.
“Okay mom, what’s wrong mom “I said.
“It’s about your aunt Punchy”
My heart begins to beat faster.
“Well what wrong with her mom”
“Baby Punchy is gone”
“Gone where mom”
“De punchy died today”
I begin to cry.
"Mom stop playing with me." I cried.
"De'Anna I am not playing; she is dead baby."
I cried.
I have tears in my eyes. The more I think, the more I begin to cry harder. I tried to get up but when I got up I fell to the floor and just layed there and began to cry more and more.
My mom picked me up off the floor. And she tried to get me to stand up, but I felt so weak.
"Mommy what happened to Punchy? she was a good person. She was nice to people."
"Baby it was time for her to go."
"But WHY?"
"She didn't say nothing."
"Baby seat here let me call your daddy."
"Okay mom."
She started to call my daddy he didn't pick up. But when she hung up he called back fast.
"Larry, Deanna knows Punch is dead."
"Oh my god Lynn," my daddy said.
"I cried, I want my daddy."
"Okay, De'Anna."
That is the day I will never forget!