Prologue

“Mom, can we stop by the store? I want to pick up some munchies.” Naomi said sitting in the back of the car. It was dark outside, and late, but she didn’t care, she was running low.
“Sure hun lets stop here and get some gas first.”
The gas station was dimly lit, you could really only see the pumps. The sign was out.
“I’m going in to get a candy bar mom.” She said to her mother.
Naomi’s mother was a slender meerkat in her late thirties, long golden hair flowing down her back. Her eyes told you that she knew everything. She always had a twinkle in her eyes, eyes that pierced into your soul.
Click.
She pulled out the cap to the gas tank and stuck the pump in.
“You hurry up pumpkin.” She yelled after Naomi as she ran into the store.
She called Naomi that because of her long red-orange hair.
Naomi walked into the store and stopped as the door closed behind her realizing that she didn’t have her money.
She turned around just in time to see a suv tear across the parking lot and careen into the corner of the parked car pinning her mother into the gas pump, which was now spewing gas all over the ground.
She could see her mother still moving, struggling to get free of the heavy vehicle.
By the time the ambulance had arrived along with a tow truck, Naomi hadn’t left her mothers side.
“I can’t feel my legs baby.” Her mother said in a half whisper.
“Don’t say things like that mom.” Naomi replied, a flood of tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Everything’s gonna be fine mom, you just wait and see.” She couldn’t stop sobbing.
By this time her mother wasn’t speaking clearly, she was muttering something about getting shampoo for Naomi.

They had attached the tow truck cable to the rear bumper of the smashed car and tightened it. There was a sharp crunch and a loud Wang as the cable pulled tight. The car stayed put.

Paramedics were sitting around her mother ready to do what needed to be done.

The car lurched to the side as the truck tightened the cable more, her mother leaned forward; there was enough room to see the damage that had been done.

Her mother leaned forward and said, “You take care of your sister and father for me hun, and I’m counting on you for this.”
“Don’t talk like that mom, you’re not going anywhere.” Naomi sobbed.
“I love you baby.” Her mother managed to sputter. “I love you…”
“Mommy…” Naomi whined. “Please don’t go.”
“I’m sorry baby, take care of them for me.”
Just then the car lurched forward and Nomi’s mother fell into her lap.
Naomi could barely bare to watch as the life drained from her mothers eyes.

“I love you mommy.” She sputtered as her mother died in her lap.






Chapter one

In a cold sweat Naomi bolted straight up in her bed, her long hair was a big mess and her covers were on the floor. She looked at the digital clock next to her bed numbers glowing green.
She rubbed her forehead and looked at the clock for a few seconds more slowly realizing what time it was.
“Shit! I’m late!” She yelled as she jumped out of her bed and tore off her pajamas. Throwing on a Pair of light khakis and a blue tee shirt she rushed down the stairs and past the kitchen table where Joelle was sitting munching on breakfast.
“Hey sis.” She mumbled through a mouthful of food.
“You could have woken me up, now I’m late for school!” Naomi yelled as she ran out the door.
There was a loud crack of the screen door in the small apartment as the door slammed. Joelle peered around the corner and then resumed eating her breakfast.
The screen door clicked again as Naomi walked back in to grab the keys off the wall. “You know it’s Saturday right?” Joelle asked stopping Naomi in her tracks.
“What?” Naomi stuttered.
“yeah, you don’t have school today… unless your going for extra credit.” Joelle smirked.
Naomi walked over to the table and sat down grabbing a banana from the bowl in the middle of the table. She slumps down in her seat deep in thought with a look of concern across her face.
“You okay Namie?” Joelle asked.
Naomi looks up from her slouch “Not really actually, I had that dream again… the night Mom died.” She shuddered.
Joelle returns to eating her cereal, “Wonderful, well, our planned day of fun is shot…You said we were going to the movies.” she replies cynically.
“No, it just means that I have to try harder to have a good day Joelle.” Naomi says taking a bite out of her banana.
Joelle raises her eyebrow and continues crunching on her cereal. “What about Minda? She can come along and help keep things happy…”
“That’s not a bad idea actually…” Naomi thought out loud.
“She called this morning, Minda… she was wondering if you were okay after last night.”
“She called eh?” Naomi blinked remembering the past night…




It was a cold fall night. Minda and Naomi were walking the paths of Central Park. It was quiet, and lonely, a feeling Naomi knew all too well. They usually used this time to have heart to hearts, maybe to talk about the day’s events on the way home. Naomi was usually cheerful at this time of night, but not this night, she seemed quite somber and quiet. “You wanna tell me what’s goin’ on Naomi?” Minda asked and Naomi trailed off “I don’t know Mins, I’m tired tonight…” Minda replied worried “I know you, and this isn’t you Naomi…”

Naomi couldn’t bring herself to say the words stopping in her tracks and finally said “I miss her so much…” as she fell on her knees; a single tear rolling down her cheek. This side of her was rarely seen, she always seemed so very strong and certain of life; but she also had a dark side, full of pain and sorrow. Only her truest friends knew of this side.

“Hey, chin up hun.” Minda said putting her finger under a sobbing Naomi’s chin lifting her eyes from the ground to her gaze. “I know you miss her… But crying about it ain’t gonna bring her back.” Minda gracefully chose her words. “Do you think your mother’d be happy to see you like this, on your knee’s and weeping for her sake?” Minda asked. “I knew your mom, and she’d never stand for this… ‘Stand up, brush yourself off, it’s gonna be okay.’ she’d say.”

Naomi looked Minda in her gentle eyes. “But I…” she tried to speak but was interrupted by Minda “No Naomi, you should cherish what you have now and not what you’ve lost. You’ve got a sister who looks up to you, who loves you a great deal. I’d hate to see you lose sight of what you DO have hun. Don’t throw it all away for what you have lost. There are people here, now, who care very deeply for you and wish the very best for you. Even in your circumstances I can see you triumphing. ‘Persevere in life, keep at it.’ Your mom used to say.”

Naomi stood up and brushed herself off. “Thanks Mins, I really dunno what I’d do without you.” she said and hugged Minda closely like a sister would. “Don’t you ever change.” “Don’t you stop believing in yourself, I know you can do it Naomi.” Minda replied feeling Naomi’s tears saturating her collar. “We should go get some sleep, maybe I should hang around a bit and make sure all’s well before I go home myself eh?” she added.

“That’d be really kind of you Minda.” Naomi finished.
“Hey, what are friends for?” Minda asked flashing a smile that really showed her kindness and understanding.


Naomi looked up from her small breakfast. “Yeah, it was a rough night…”
“What movie are we gonna go see Namie?” Joelle asked trying to forget what went on that fateful night.
“I don’t really know what’s in the theaters right now… we’ll probably go to the dollar theater, we’re kina short on funds…” Naomi replied.
“Aw, that sucks… what’s in the dollar theaters Namie?” Joelle pouted.
“I don’t know, we’ll just have to go there and see.” Naomi replied. “Lets go call Minda back.”