Learning to Love

Happy Memories

Jenny's car smelled of gum. Gum and mint. Maybe it was because of the gum Jenny had given me after I finished my food. Or maybe it was just because that's the way her car smells.

I looked out the window

I watched the passing cars, and the old brick houses we were driving by. Jenny sat in the front seat, cautiously driving along the road. I perked up and she neared my house.

"Is this it?" She asked, parking on the side of the street in front of my house.

It felt good to be back here. Even though this place had no good memories. In fact it really only had a few bad memories.

My neighbor's broken fence was still broken. There was some police tape around it. My dad's car had been towed away but there were some oil stains, and broken glass still on the street.

Jenny waited in the car. She watched me carefully as I opened the house door and stepped in.

I looked around. Everything was the same.

I went to my room and began packing my things. I only had one other bag besides my school bag. I stuffed all my clothes in there, leaving some room for other stuff. I left my bag there and wandered over to my dad's room. I never really went in there. I opened the big wooden door.

It was super messy. His bed was unmade and covered in rubbish. You could barley see the floor under the rubbish and random papers and food packets everywhere.

I carefully stepped over the rubbish, making my way to his small oak dresser. When I opened the drawers there were no clothes inside.

But when I opened the small drawer on the top, there was a small frame inside.

Inside the frame was a picture. The picture was old but not too old. I looked carefully at it.

There was what seemed to be a happy family in the photo. A young handsome man with a chubby little girl on his shoulders. She was laughing, her cute face all pink.

Behind them was a lady. She had brown blonde hair that lay in waves over her shoulders.

She was beautiful. I noticed words written on the bottom of the photo.

Maia, 3, 2012

I stared at the words. This was me? Then the man and woman must have been my parents.

I stared into the eyes of the man in the picture. To be honest it did look like my dad.

That meant the lady in the back was my mum. I looked at her. She was beautiful. But she didn't look anything like me.

I couldn't see all the details on her face because the picture was blurry.

This was my family.

But we looked so happy.

Then I remember.

I remember being on my dad's shoulders. Laughing with him.

We were at the park. The same park that was across my house right now.

Finally, finally, I remember a happy memory.

But this time it's better, because this time my mum was in it.

And that's all I've wanted my entire life.

Just one memory of her. And now I have it.