Freckled face
Long red hair
The wonder of the rails
Behind and before me
Me and my little brother
Were so giddy with excitement
Dining cars and sleeping on trains
An adventure unfolding before our eyes
I remember wearing my soft fleece nightgown
Innocently covered with bunny rabbits and carrots
My uncle gently holding me in his arms
Carrying me to the car that drove us to their house in Vermont
My mom had just lost her sister in a violent car crash
My parents' marriage was beginning to dissolve
But all I remember is that train ride and picking fresh berries in Vermont
The sweet smell of homemade jam wafting through the house
And
How peaceful the world could seem
When you weren't surrounded by heartbreak and tears.
Amber Comber
