'FAYE... FAYE... FAYE'

'FAYE... FAYE... FAYE'

Saturday, 31 December, 2011

The night was beautiful and the young teenage girl loved to walk under the big oak trees that lined either side of the street.

Don't step on the crack, you'll break your mama's back! She said this each time she came to a crack in the sidewalk. The thick tree limbs with their beautiful leaves were making shadows on the sidewalk and alot of places were .. dark areas.

She thought she heard a little sound and put it off to her imagination. Don't step on the crack, you'll break your mama's..... back! There it was again... she felt alarm and began to listen closely.

As she walked she changed her pace to see if she'd hear something other than her feet walking on the sidewalk.. she did! She clearly heard another person walking... walking in the dark behind her. She looked back and couldn't see anything and she began to run on the sidewalk to get home as fast as she could. She lived in town and so, she wasn't far from the house.

She could hear someone behind her .. also, running! She got to the corner where she needed to turn... and she heard it....

'Faye... Faye... Faye'... and it sounded like a familiar voice, but, who was it? Why were they chasing her? She waited though, she didn't know who it was.. yet. She had alot of young cousins who walked also, that was how teenagers did... they walked alot in town to get to their destinations. Her mother didn't have a car.

In the nightlight she saw a young, black male coming toward her and he was calling softly 'Faye... Faye... Faye'. She didn't know him and she was so afraid! She didn't wait for him to get to her and began to run up the street... it was uphill, but, she was strong and ... she was fast!

She kept running until she got to her yard and slowed down to walk into the house. She didn't want to alarm her mother who would make her quit walking if she knew she was afraid. As she walked toward the door to her home, she kept looking back to see if that guy was there! She didn't see him.

She walked into a spider web and instantly began violently shaking.. and almost went to pieces. She kept slapping and 'wiping' to make sure if there was a spider on her... she got it off of her. She couldn't stand a spider and ... she was already so afraid!

She calmed down enough to go inside, all the while watching all around her, hoping her mother wouldn't see how afraid she'd been. All she wanted to do was to go to her bedroom to be to herself.

She walked inside and her mom said 'Faye, what's wrong? You look as white as a sheet!' I told her that I'd just walked into a spider web and it scared me!

I never knew who that black guy was who called me by a name only 'family' knew me by. I've wondered through the years why he was following me and I didn't wait around to ask him why was he running behind me. Something kept urging me to not stand there and 'run!'

I was talking to Skip about this... this evening and was wondering what would have happened if I'd just stood there so innocently to wait for him to get to me? I do remember I was so afraid but, I was so confused.... by him calling me by my 'family's name' for me... it was so familiar that while he was in the dark, it caused me to slow down long enough............................ 'Faye... Faye... Faye'.

I feel cold chills now, thinking about it. It causes more memories to surface that has to do with 'Faye, Faye, Faye'. God, I hate that name. I associate it with danger, fear and not good things... not many 'good' things.

That night I was almost fooled into thinking a family member was calling my name... it may have been the last time I would hear 'Faye'. I was afraid after that to walk though I lived in town... when I had to, I was so alert.

I just wonder...... don't you ever look back and wonder 'what would have happened?' It's one of those things one never knows the answer to.... I can sense that I was in danger and did the right thing.

The strange thing was that for a moment I remember thinking that 'tomorrow someone is going to laugh at me for running'... I had alot of pride, but, thankfully... I didn't stay to hold my ground on that one. Normally, I would have.

I don't answer to 'Faye... Faye... Faye'... I am going to run like h_____! I still feel that creepy feeling these years later.

Don't call me 'Faye'.... please. I have several cousins who do it today and it's okay for them to... I don't feel anything 'bad' from them.

Just call me ... Gloria, or call me Granny Gee... I like those names and my son named me Granny Gee... so, that's so special to me now. 'Gloria... Gloria... Gloria'................ 'Granny Gee... Granny Gee... Granny Gee'. I just tried them out ... they don't hold anything that makes me feel anything 'bad' about them.

I will go on to write about my aunt's boyfriend calling me 'Faye... Faye... Faye'..................