The Voice in My Head by Dana L. Davis

Author:Dana L. Davis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Published: 2019-03-20T12:44:48+00:00

* * *

I remove my camera from the bag at my feet, snatch off the lens cap and load up a new battery, taking snapshots of Dad and Violet as fast as my shutter speed will allow.

Click-click.

Violet smiles when Dad seems to get excited.

Click-click-click.

Nods when he pauses.

Click.

I stretch my neck to see if I can hear what Dad is talking about.

“And boy oh boy, when Al Jarreau got on stage, you ain’t seen nothing like it.” Dad leans forward. “Helen, am I right or am I right?”

Mom nods as she crawls through traffic like we’re in a funeral procession. “Oh, Violet, Al Jarreau was our Justin Bieber.”

“Helen, you can’t mention Justin Bieber in the same sentence with Al Jarreau! Justin Bieber’s toe can’t compete with Al Jarreau.”

I frown. Al Jarreau and Justin Bieber really shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence. I lower my camera and study Violet’s expression. She seems completely engaged. Appears to be hanging on to every word as our parents ramble incessantly about the legendary jazz musician. Could I endure a convo with Mom and Dad about Al Jarreau? Is Violet right about me? Have I not taken the time to really get to know them? Am I not invested in them? Am I the one with the problem?

“Iceberg, right ahead.”

My eyes shoot up. “Sorry?”

“There’s an accident up ahead. Y’all are gonna be in traffic for hours.” The voice snorts. “Sucks to be you.”

“Not if I can help it.” I stuff my Canon back into its bag and scoot down the aisle. Michelle is playing sudoku across from Violet and Dad. I sit beside her and lean forward.

“Mom?”

“Yes, Indigo?”

“There’s an accident up ahead. I think we should exit the highway and take the streets to get around it.”

“An accident?” Mom looks over her shoulder at Dad. “Isaiah, is that true? Check Google Maps.”

Dad checks his phone. “I’ll be. It’s about ten miles down. Looks like traffic is bad already. It’s all red on the map. Long delay, it’s sayin’.”

Mom switches on her blinkers. “Thank you for checking that, Indigo. You saved us.”

“A couple of hours at least.” Dad smiles at me. I smile back.

We all sit in a peaceful silence as Mom inches off the highway and down a ramp. I clear my throat as we round a corner, crawling deeper and deeper through a quaint Idaho town with well-kept lawns, historical houses and old, rustic, redbrick office buildings.

“You know what I really like?” I declare boldly. “Buses.”

Dad tosses me a side eye. “What do you mean you like buses? What kind of buses?”

“All kinds. Especially the Seattle City Bus Company. It is so on point. It’s particularly...adept at getting people around the city.”

Dad stretches his eyes wide. “O-kay.”

“With all the hills and stuff. Seattle is a mess. And those buses be workin’!” I slap my knee and laugh. Violet stretches her eyes as wide as Dad’s. She’s looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. But why is she looking at me like that? I’m

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