The Future Holds Us Both

CHAPTER 1

“Community high school,” I said as I tried reading the name fully even though it was looking washed out on the poster board. The ‘ity’ wasn’t bright leaving it to display ‘commun high school.’ Only those familiar with the school, or got some sensual understanding would realize it once.

“This will be your school!” Dad said.

“For the moment… Baby boy!” Mom added with some smiles. She doesn’t want to see some odd reaction, but still, it was displayed. First I gave my dad a surprised look, also, with my mom’s add-up comment I felt like talking back but I was blunt with words. I stared at them both for a moment, then touched the frame of my glasses as I wondered if it was happening real or an illusion.

The school wasn’t compared to my previous school, not the school building looked like a tug of war, some of the iron bars added to the low fence were broken, from the distance we stood I could see some broken windows, some broken wood, and furniture outside. There was no edge of comparison as I preferred city schools to community schools.

“But, we’re just here for the moment.” Mom once said. “Once your dad is restored to his work we will return to the city, and you’ll go back to your nice school over there.” She smiled as she held me closer to herself.

“Once we’re stable, you’ll get the best of education,” Dad said as I stood in doubt. Still, the doubts kept coming, “will it ever be? Are we going to return to the city? Will dad return to his work? will it be okay at last…?” I thought hard as we kept walking. Mom who loves strolls, especially on a cool evening had insisted. I decided to join them rather than be idle in our little house. It wasn’t as I was expecting, even though we were living in a staff quarter, dad was said to be building a house; not any was compared to where we were now, not the three-bedroom staff quarter with a bathtub, and water heater, the kitchen got the best utensils with convenient storage which made space for even a group cooking. The happiness for mom was that it got a backdoor and a backyard where she had a small vegetable garden. The sitting room was fully furnished with interior furniture and a large screen HD television with equipped sound devices. Not to talk about the rooms, mine was like a playground for me as I got the freedom after school to sit and sketch some drawings. Mom is my big fan, she always visits my room to see posters of my newest painting on the wall, or in my diary.

“You’re just so gifted my boy.” She said.

“Is it beautiful mom?” I asked.

“It’s portraying deep beauty,” Mom said, “who’s this girl?” Mom asked as she saw her drawing on my dairy.

“She’s someone I spent some interesting time with today, she’s got some sweet voice. And she told me she wants to sing like Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Alicia keys, and the rest…” I said.

“So she’s a music lover,” Mom asked.

“Yeah mom, she’s not just a music lover but a top-notch music singer. This drawing is from a picture I took when she was singing during their music class.”

“So which class are you?” Mom was keen to know.

“I’m in art and performance, but mainly in art because of my drawing prowess, also do you know I write poems, mom?”

“I’m surprised to hear this, that means I’ve got a Shakespeare in my house.” Mom teased, “so you wrote a poem for her?”

“Not exactly mom, but I wish to, would it be nice?” I asked.

“If you feel so, make it light.”

“Okay, mom.” I smiled.

Soon, a motorcycle passed, and I knew all those were memories as I remembered the first day we moved into the community when we drove in a rickety car that was awe to all eyes that looked. Motorcycles and bicycles were the most common means of transport around, and only a few drive cars. Mom knew I felt bad as we left the staff quarter for the low house we stood before. It was just a one-room but said to be self-contained as it’s got both kitchen, and toilet within. The kitchen was small, also the toilet which got an only shower, and tap, then closely was the water closet toilet, it wasn’t as wide as the one we’d in the staff quarter.