“I am not going to my Mother’s house for Thanksgiving!” Debra Clay’s mother Annie shouted at her, a drink glass in hand, the afternoon before the holiday.
“Come on, Mother, you say that every year. In the end, we always go, because there’s nowhere else for us to go.”
“That’s because you weren’t eighteen before, and I couldn’t responsibly leave you alone,” Annie mouthed back at her daughter. “Now that you’re old enough, you can choose to go do what you want, and I can do whatever I please. This year, I want to celebrate my independence.”
Debra crossed her arms.
“Wrong holiday, Mom,” Debra responded with a snarky tone.
“Doesn’t matter. What matters is you are finding your own way to spend Thanksgiving this year, and that’s final. Now where did I leave that new dress I bought to go out to the club?”
Annie stormed out, the ice clinking in her drink.
Debra walked out on to the front steps, gearing up to fly into the sky over to her grandmother Elsie’s. She’d done in often enough, no one in the neighborhood thought strangely of it anymore. After all, she was the granddaughter of one of World War II’s greatest endowed heroines, that should be a part of her heritage.
Just then, she saw her neighbor John headed to the family garage, which also served as his personal recording studio and the frequent gathering and rehearsal space for their band, Flying Glory and the Hounds of Glory. With John’s several siblings and happily married parents, she knew they got together for lavish feasts every Thanksgiving. She started to wonder what it might be like to be part of a tradition like that, and then realized part of her wished John would invite her over; after all, she certainly couldn’t invite herself.
“John!” Debra called out before she even realized what she did.
She got his attention and went running over to him; no need to fly over such a short distance.
“Deb, how are you doing?” John said, greeting her with a smile. He’d always been so friendly to her. That’s part of why they clicked so well when they formed their first band in elementary school. It brought up all those feelings that motivated her to write the lyrics “New Day Dawning,” which they didn’t use for the Halloween concert.
We’ve all made it through the long, dark night
Surrounded by the ghosts of the past
Look at the sun on the horizon
Reminding us the darkness doesn’t last
At times, Debra missed the old days, but she loved her newfound powers and being Flying Glory more; it made her feel special and people loved her beyond those who knew her for years. The more she felt people paid attention, the more it drowned out the lack of love she felt at home.
“Oh, just looking forward to Thanksgiving come up. I’m sure you’ve got the same plans as always, you and your family all at the table, with the usual turkey and trimmings.”
Debra struggled with being subtle, as this wasn’t a strong suit for her, while waiting eagerly for John’s reply.