Today was the 3rd anniversary of my mother’s death. The day continued as a glorious day, yet it was gloomy because of the remembrance of Mom. I got up at 8:30 that morning. Dad was in the kitchen making Mom’s favorite breakfast, like he did every year after mom passed. As I ran with Kami, our black lab, down the stairs to tell him good morning I saw the kitchen table. It was filled with, not only Mom’s favorite food, but mine too! I had a giant grin on my face as I sat down looking at this buffet he had set up just for us. After a delightful breakfast, I went to my bedroom upstairs and switched into nice clothes. Dad called my name so I went barreling down the stairs. He told me I looked very nice and we went out the door into our car. The flowers were sitting on the dash. We got to the grave and ventured to Mom’s gravestone. Dad knelt beside it first, prayed, kissed the stone, and laid his bouquet of flowers down by her name and stood up. He looked at me and said go ahead. I didn’t know how to say a prayer since Dad always did that. So I sat beside it while Kami lay on the stone and put the flowers on the opposite side of the others. Dad told me he thought it was about time to go so I got up, took his hand, and walked to the car with him while Kami followed. When we got home, Dad went in the living room to watch football like always. I snuck out the back door and trotted outside. I sat in the shade beneath a tree and dozed off. The next thing I knew Dad was calling my name, telling me that dinner was ready. I hurriedly got up and snuck back into the house. I acted like I was coming out of the bathroom as he climbed down the stairs.
“There you are,“ he exclaimed. “I have been looking for you everywhere!”
“Well, I’m here,” I sighed.

“Get to the kitchen,” he states.

“Yes, Dad.”
We ate dinner in silence. The food was good, but I wasn’t that hungry. After eating I asked to be excused; then I went into my room, looked out the window and saw La-a was outside playing on her swing set alone. I went down stairs into the living room and asked Dad if I could go play with La-a.
“Why?” he announced bluntly gazing at me.
“Because I would like to go play with her,” I said.
“Alright, go. But don’t be late for supper!” He questioned intensely.
“Bye!” Then I leaped across the house, picked up my coat, and scattered.
La-a and I talked for quite a long time. The Sun was setting and we said our goodbyes for the evening. I hopped into the house to find no food on the table, and Dad watching football, still!
“Dad, are you going to make supper?”
“Go ahead, I want to see this game,”
I made a cheese sandwich for both of us. Bread, mayo, cheese, cheese, cheese, mayo, and bread, I thought to myself, trying not to forget the order.
“Supper!” I yelled. Dad came into the kitchen.
“Yum, they look good!” Dad said surprised at what I made.
“Dad, can I ask you a question,” I asked.
“What about?” He opened up his mixer, made a drink, and then got a beer. He had never drank this much until the night Mom died. Then he quit, but always had spares in the fridge.
“The Happy Haunted Harp Forest-“
“That’s no place to go! Don’t ever go there!” He drank his mixed alcohol.
“I already know where it is…”
“Well forget about it! It’s a bad place!” He opened up his beer.
“Is it beautiful? Did Mom ever go there? Is it really haunted?”
“Would you just shut up already? It is very beautiful, Mom did go there, and it’s a suspicion on whether it is haunted. Now, stop talking about it!” he screamed while finishing a beer, then grasping for another.
Every month or so, I always asked about it no matter what. But this time, I didn’t stop; I just wanted to know more about it. That’s not such a big deal, is it? Well, apparently it is.
“Hey, Dad…”
“Yes, son?”
“Did you ever go there with Mom? Or just by yourself-“
Then he stood up over me, and punched me, hard. I fell to the ground, and he started kicking me. After he realized what he was doing, he stopped. He jumped over me and fell onto the couch. I turned into a bloody mess with a black eye and sore nose. I took Kami’s collar and ushered him outside where I ran. I ran so hard and so fast, but never stopped. Kami just followed behind. I didn’t know where I was going until I saw the sign that said Happy Haunted Harp Forest to the right. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew right then, where I was going. I got to the “entrance” and let myself through. Through the thicket something glorious had appeared. The water falls, the view of mountains, the crazy forest, and the music? There, in front of Kami and I laid the Harp.
“So it is true, it’s really true!” I told Kami.
Night fell and I was exhausted. Deciding where to sleep, we picked right across from the musical harp. We stayed for 2 nights. I was getting homesick, and was contemplating on whether I should go home to Dad or not. I was getting hungry and sad without Dad. So Kami and I went home. We walked for what seemed like forever, then, across the street I saw Dad. He was pacing through the window. I yelped, Dad, as loud as I could. He looked through the window; his eyes stopped when he saw me, he ran out of the house to apologize. I was almost across the street when a driver swerved to miss a squirrel and didn’t see me. The car hit me just as I was about in his arms, when the front right of the car swerved left and flung me back 10 feet, skidding across the pavement. I saw a light in the dark right then; I didn’t know what it was so I kept getting closer to it. Before I knew it I was in my mothers arms in Heaven. I had finally reached my destination.
“I'm home, Mommy.”