Twisted Fate: Amnesia

Children's Imaginations

Narrators P.O.V 1991

Six years old Shay, sitting in the living room with Tina Hendrix watching Cinderella. Shay stays over Tina's house when her mother ‘Tisha’ is at work. Tina and Tisha are best friends and have been since they were in middle school together.

“I want to get married.” Shay blurted out to Tina.

“You want to marry a prince like Cinderella?” Tina asks as she pulls Shays’ hair into a high ponytail with her full bang she loves.

“No ma'am, I want to marry a bad boy.” Shay shrugs as if it was a normal request.

“What are you talking about little girl?”

“I'm gonna marry a bad boy and turn him good.” She patted her bang down on her own forehead before giving Tina two thumbs up.

“Okay, when is this going to happen?” Tina rolled her eyes behind Shay but played along with her tale.

“Today.” Shay spoke with confidence.

“Who are you going to marry today?” Tina asks, surprised.

“Hmm… I don’t know.” Shay pointed her finger on her chin and thought about it.

“What about Sion, He might want to be turned into a prince.” Tina is the mother of three boys. Sion, age six; Silas, age seven; and Sincere, age eight. Tina had her first kid at the age of eighteen with Shawn Hendrix and they got married when she was pregnant with her second child. Mr. and Mrs. Hendrix were high school sweethearts no one thought would last because of how bad they used to fight and argue over any, and everything. They proved them wrong and formed a happy family together.

Shay looked over at Sion, who was drawing flames on his yellow toy truck with a red crayon. Sion and Shay spent the most time together when it came to playing games like hide and seek, tag, and pretending the floor was lava.

“Yuck, Sion is my brother.” She stuck her tongue out like it left a nasty taste in her mouth. Sincere walks in the house from the backyard. He has grass stains covering his jeans and dirt on his sh*es as if he were playing in it. “Silas ran over your roses, Mama.” He spoke loudly as if he wasn’t standing directly in front of her.

“My goodness, tell him to come here.” Tina ordered Sincere.

“Tattle…” Shay stuck her tongue out at Sincere.

“Shut your lips.” He curled his lip up at her in a frown.

“Watch it boy! I hope you don't want to marry a bad kid like Sincere. I know he ran over my roses with his brother.” Tina lectures as she puts her hair supplies in her beauty box. Shay shrugs, then she walks to the back porch with Tina to check on her roses. The boys were racing on their bikes and rode into her garden.

“I want to marry Silas, He’s not that bad.” Shay said as she watched Silas walk towards them from the middle of the yard.

“Oh, goodness, well good luck turning him into a good boy. He doesn’t listen to anybody but his father.” As Silas got close to them, Tina pointed towards the back door for him to go inside. After Tina disciplined both Silas and Sincere, she sat in the kitchen watching Shay through the window as she walked across the yard to sit in the grass with Silas. Shay had a good friendship with all three of her boys since they basically are growing up together. But Shay had a different type of relationship with each of them. Sometimes she would treat them how Tina would treat them, acting as their mother.

“I want to get married.” Shay got straight to the point.

“So?” Silas looked up at her, shielding his grey eyes from the sunlight to see her face.

“So, I'm going to marry you.” Shay explains as if his nonchalant answer had no effect on her.

“I’m not marrying you.” He denies her, then he went back to digging in the dirt with a stick.

“That’s not nice.” Shay folded her arms across her chest. After letting out a huff of aggravation, he looked up at her like she was being unbelievable.

“Why do you want to get married?”

“When you marry your prince, you move into your dream castle that a big pumpkin or limo takes you to.” Shay got excited telling him as she thought about the pretty castle Cinderella went to.

“So, why are you bothering me?” Silas asked with the same unwavering, careless emotion.

“You're no prince but I want to marry a bad boy and turn him good.” She sat in the grass next to him on her knees.

“I'm not bad”.

“You just got yelled at.”

“That's normal.”

“For bad boys.” He stopped moving his stick and looked at her with only his eyes. He pursed his lips contemplating something before he spoke again.

“So, you want to turn me good?” He asks arrogantly.

“If we get married and you listen to me you won't get in trouble anymore.” Despite his doubt Shay went on to explain herself.

“I don't want to listen to you, you’re just a kid.” Silas isn’t agreeing to her silly theory.

“If you listened to me this morning you wouldn't be in trouble now.” Shay claims after remembering she warned him not to ride bikes in the yard with Sincere. She knew Sin would challenge him to a race because he always does. If they didn’t run over the flowers, it would be something else because Sin is a sore loser.

“Okay, if I marry you, the punishment will go away?” Silas considers her offer.

“Exactly” Shay approved of his conclusion.

“Will I get my bike back?” This was the deal breaker for Silas.

“I’ll ask Mama Tina for your bike and give it to you.” Shay assured him of this.

“Fine, I'll be your Prince. Go ask her for it before my dad comes home.” He looked back at the house hoping Shay was right.

“I will, after we get married.” Shay grabbed Silas hands as they stood up, face to face, fingers locked. Shay explained what they had to do to be married and keep Silas out of trouble. Tina laughed when she saw them holding hands in the backyard. She ran and got the video camera to capture this moment. It was amusing to her how they were sure they could get married just by saying they were married. She saw how serious Shay was about her marriage to Silas by the way she locked their fingers together and made him look at her when he spoke to her.

“I promise to be here for you and keep you out of trouble forever and ever.” Shay started off with her vows. She lifted Silas face up with her hands on his cheek to make him look her in her eyes before holding his hands again when it was his turn.

“I promise to be your best friend and you'll always be my woman no matter what.” He looked her in the eyes as he said it and fought the urge to grimace when a huge smile spread across her face.

“I now pronounce us, Husband! And Wife!” Shay exclaimed before pulling him into a tight hug. Silas then rolled his eyes when she couldn’t see him.

“Aren't we supposed to kiss?” Silas ask after Shay let him go. She instantly stood on her tiptoes and gave Silas a peck on his cheek. “You're my woman now, a real kiss.” He sighed.

“What’s a real kiss?”

“On the lips.”

“You want to kiss my mouth?” Shay’s shock couldn’t be hidden.

“We're not married until we do.” Silas shifted his weight to one foot, waiting for her response.

“But only big people kiss each other on the mouth.” Shay looked back at the house, getting nervous.

“Then we can't be married if you're scared.” Silas let go of her hands taunting her.

“I'm not scared.” Shay crossed her arms across her chest again pouting her lips. Silas grabbed Shay by her cheeks, tilting her face up towards his before planting one kiss on her lips. Tina stood on the back porch recording them with her camera as it all unfolded. She was also on the house phone telling Shay's mother everything they did.

“Oh, hush Tisha, she wanted to marry my baby.”

“She knows your baby will do whatever she says, that’s why.” Tisha laughed.

“Won't he? The boy will fight her and still do whatever it is she asked for in the first place.” Tina cracked on their kids.

“He’s like that with everybody?” Tisha asked trying to recall.

“No, it was just you and Dee, but he’s mean to y'all now, I guess it's just Shay. What y’all do to my baby?” Tina asked as the kids started racing in the yard.

“Awe, he’s a sweetheart to me I can’t speak for Dee.”

“Who did you say gave you a hard time?”

“That Sincere, he needs a beating.” Tisha sucked her teeth in a playful manner.

“You know he loves you. Sincere told everybody you were his girlfriend.” Tina teased.

“What does he know about a girlfriend? Him and Silas better leave me and my baby alone.” Tisha said with a fake attitude.

“He married her, you’re too late now, Ahh Hah.” Tina said in a childish tone, getting a laugh out of Tisha.

“I’m about to give them some cake and make them come in the house.” Tina watched them run around the backyard a little longer before she called them in the house and asked about their play wedding.

“If you yell at me, you're gonna get in trouble by my wife.” Silas warns.

“Is that right?” Tina bit back her laugh.

“Silas, I said I'll keep you out of trouble by making you be good.” Shay adds, correcting him.

“I like what I said better.” He shrugs.

“I told you he doesn't listen. Did everybody get a slice of cake?” Tina says while looking around the table.

“No, I didn't.” Shay looked around the table at everyone’s plate.

“Yes, you did, you're married now. You have to share with your husband.” Tina points to the plate in front of Silas.

“Married?” Sincere blurted out.

“What?” Sion’s mouth dropped open.

“Great, now she can eat my food and not get in trouble for it.” Silas huffed and leaned his head in his hand disappointed.

“That part has to suck. Shay, did you kiss him?” Sion asked.

“Yes, I think.”

“Eww, you kissed my brother!” Sion cringed.

“Cool! Silas is the man now.” Sincere laughed and gave his brother a high five. Tina laughed at her sons and got her camera ready to get some pictures. After she took her pictures, she decided it was a good time to tell them no more kissing. While all the kids ate their cake for a second it did look like they were a cute couple. Sharing a slice of vanilla cake sitting across the table from each other. For once no one was tattle-telling, yelling, or hitting each other.

Tina

“Why are we waiting here?” Shawn asked as we wait at Silas school.

“Ms. Beaver said she wanted to meet with us today, Shawn, relax.” I pat his shoulder lightly.

“Meet with us about what? I saw his grades last week, he’s not failing.” His patience is nonexistent.

“Shawn, Relax.”

“Fine, Tina.”

Ms. Beaver steps out of the classroom and pulls the door ajar. “Thank you for meeting with me today. Silas is sitting in the classroom coloring a picture while we talk.”

“No, I’m not.” Silas, standing right behind her with the door now open.

“Why aren’t you coloring?” Ms. Beaver pointed towards the table.

“I need to go home.”

“I agree with him, Ma’am, why are we here again?” Shawn asked her.

“Silas said he’s quitting school to go to work.”

“Silas is seven.” Shawn advised her with a straight face.

“I am aware of his age, which is why I called you.”

“Ms. Beaver, I’m sure you know he’s not quitting school to get a job.” I cut in stating the obvious.

“That’s not what I am concerned about.” She looks at us wearily.

“Well, what is the problem?” I ask, a little confused.

“He feels he needs to provide for his family.”

“Excuse me?” Shawn leaned closer as if he misheard her.

“When I asked him why he is quitting school he told me about his wife and how he needed to prepare to be a father.”

“His wife?” Shawn questions, I forgot to tell Shawn about their pretend wedding the other day. His eyebrows sparrow down like an angry bird, but his nostrils flared up as if he were confused. He looked at Silas then back at Ms. Beaver as if they were playing a prank on him. Ms. Beaver seems to be a bit uncomfortable by the way I laughed, and the look Shawn keeps giving her. “Tina, why does my son think he needs to prepare to be a father?”

“Ms. Beaver, you have nothing to worry about. Silas will remain in school, and he is not married or having any children. He’s seven and children run wild with their imaginations. I’m sure you’ve witnessed your students playing house before” I say as I calm down from laughing.

“Awe, I’m sorry to bother you with this. I just had to follow protocol when a child comes to school saying such things.”

“We understand, thank you for bringing this to our attention.” I grab Silas hand and say our farewells. We walked back to our car in complete silence. I could tell Shawn was still trying to figure out what just happened. I know he’s going to try to turn this on me one way or another. “Why don’t you just ask?” I start the conversation before he finds a way.

“What crazy television shows were you watching in front of him?”

“I wasn’t watching anything with him to make him think he had to quit school.”

“Then tell me what this is about.”

“You said I have to be a man like you, Dad.” Silas cut in from the back seat.

“Okay, what does that have to do with school?” Shawn asks.

“I need to go with you to work so I can buy Shay stuff.”

“Awe, what do you want to buy her?” I look back at him.

“Baby clothes and her dream castle and a limo and food.”

“Whoa, why are you trying to buy all that stuff?” Shawn glanced at him quickly.

“That’s what you got mama.”

“True, but your mom is my woman, it’s my job to make her happy.”

“Shay is my woman and I have to hurry up.”

“Tina?” Shawn says gruffly.

“Shay and Silas got married the other day in the backyard after Shay watched Cinderella. Why do you need to hurry up baby?”

“I’m not a baby anymore.” He narrowed his eyes looking at me.

“You are my baby; now why do you need to hurry?”

“Shay is gonna have a baby.”

“What? Why do you think Shay is having a baby?” An amused look showed on Shawn’s face. I’m not sure if he’s proud of him for stepping up for his pretend wife and baby that he apparently thinks is real or if he’s laughing at him.

“I kissed her.” Silas shakes his head as if to say ‘obviously.’

“That doesn’t mean she’s having a baby and I told you, you don’t need to be kissing her anymore.” I remind Silas.

“I forgot!” Silas yells about kissing Shay. “Dad said you got Sion after Dad kissed you.” He continues.

“For right now, you and Shay will remain friends nothing more. Y’all can decide to get married when you both are grown, adults.” Shawn instructed.

“You told him that?” I ask lowly.

“When was this kiss?” He responds.

“When they got married.”

“You let him get married and have a baby, don’t judge me.”

“Shut up!” Shawn laughed and avoided my attempts to slap him. Silas wants to be a man who provides for his family, like his father. I’m proud of him, but he needs to wait about thirty more years before he does that. In the meantime, we went to pick up Shay because Tisha was called into work at the last minute and that girl is a workaholic, she never declines a shift. When we got home, I let the kids sit at the picnic table outside to eat their lunch. When he thought I wasn’t listening; Silas sort of broke up with Shay.

“I can’t be your husband anymore.” He said flat out, I can’t see their faces since my back is turned to them.

“Why not?” Shays small voice sounds curious.

“My Dad said we can’t be married today.”

“Oh, I guess we can’t be friends anymore.” Shay’s sadness was evident in her voice. “What about our baby?”

“Yes, we can, they’re old people they don’t know. And mom said that’s not how babies get born.” I turned around when he called us old but kept myself from popping him in the head. Shay’s eyes were watering, and her cheeks were turning red. This girl is really about to cry because she can’t be married. I started to walk closer to the table to calm her down, but to my surprise, Silas had other plans.

“Don’t cry, You’re still my woman.” He rubbed her back with his little hand.

“What are you talking about?” She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands.

“He said we couldn’t be married today, not forever.” Silas started; I stopped moving to make sure I hear them correctly.

“What do we do now?”

“You’re gonna be my woman forever and when I go to work, you're going to have a baby.” What is with this boy and having a baby? I’m going to have to keep a close eye on him.

“Okay, only if we live in a castle with a lot of food.” I muffled my laugh at Shay’s comment.

“You’re greedy.” He took his hand off his back like he was burnt.

“You eat more than me!” She raised her voice a little.

“Shut your lips.” Silas said calmly with a hint of authority. I shake my head because I can’t believe this little boy. I turned to go into the house, Shawn won’t believe it either. I looked at them one more time before I went into the house and Silas kissed Shay once again.

“Silas!” I shout from the porch.

“Told you it’s normal, she likes yelling at people.”

“Boy, bring your behind over here!”