Once upon a life time

I think I was 9. At least I think that is the age you are when you are in fourth grade; and I was in fourth grade. We were all in the dining room of that tiny house in Bradenton. Linda was there. She is my mother for those of you who don't know yet that I no longer call the woman "mom", "mommy", "mother", or anything at all any more. My sister was there. She would have been too young to remember this, as well as a lot of other things. Some times I wonder if that was a blessing or a curse. She may not remember a lot,but she was young enough to be influenced more deeply by the events. My "Grandma" was there. Only, she isn't my grandmother. She is my great aunt. Linda just calls her "mom" and made us call her "Grandma". I call her Aunt Audrey. She isn't nice, nor compassionate. This must be why Linda liked her more. They "fit" nicely with each other. We were there in the dining room and Linda left for a minute. I don't recall how the topic of us moving to Tennessee soon came up, but it isn't important so I won't struggle to remember it. What I do remember is Audrey saying "Do you think anything will be any different in Tennessee? Do you think it will be better? Well it won't. It won't." I was 9. She was telling me that things were going to stay bad. More than that, she was admitting that she knew they were bad; and Aunt Audrey would never do anything to change that or help us. No one would. I remember trying not cry. But mostly I remember brushing my Barbie's hair gently. I remember brushing it like if I could just be nice to her, maybe someone would be nice to me. I was praying, I am sure... I just didn't know that's what I was doing at the time. She was right... nothing was better in Tennessee.