"Mine Personal Property🔥"

High skyscrapers, traffic noise, the hustle and bustle, they weresomething of a foreign concept to me. Someone that grew up in a small town of Decatur population nine-thousand seven hundred and ninety one could only dream of. Everyone knew everyone. I was serious. If you changed your flavor of gum, you bet your cleanest pair of nickers, Missus Rhymes, the town gossip knew of it. There were probably two traffic lights throughout the whole small quaint town. Nestled between a dairy farm and a large city, it was the perfect place for a slower pace of life. Slow definitely being the operative word here. The place was teeny,and privacy was nonexistent, but it was home. It was all I had known my entire life. My mother and father were good parents, but they had me on a leash so tight, breathing became an olympic event to survive. I was something shiny, something exotic to look at. It was almost a sin that I had been blessed with so much beauty, I was indeed an object that had been sexualized and would continue to be sexualized. Misogyny at its finest. I stared at the sunlight driftingin through the windowasthesky began to burn shades of oranges, pinks and reds, signaling the death of day and birth of night. It was quiet on a late Saturday afternoon, and I laid on my twin-size bed, contemplating the woes of teenage life not that I had much of one. Controlling parents, remember? Luckily, my habit of reading kept my nose buried in books, me in the house and as far away from the opposite s*x as possible. Still, I ached to be free and away from this small town. I wanted to go on adventure and taste life. I wanted to live! To fall in love. I don't know, have fun! There had to be more to life than this small town. I stared down at the magazine full of tall skyscraper buildings and women dressed in high fashion. What would it be like to be surrounded by all the glitz, high pace, and smart-looking people? I was smart enough to know that things weren't always greener on the other side, but Ihad a thirst to explore. How could I gain any experience if I sat contain in my parents' home all day? The only thing to look forward to was a summer internship for computer engineering. I sighed as my eyes flickered over the pale lavender colored wall My father called it trash, but everything was considered trash- everything not relating to farming. I was more like my mother. I hoped she would be able to convince father. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. "Amelia!" I sighed as my mother's voice reached my ears. Had she convinced father? My limbs were heavy from sleep and I groaned as I sat up to answer her. "Coming!"I hollered. "Ray's here!" Well, why didn't she say so sooner? I dropped my magazine and leaped from the bed. Pulling my fingers through my blonde tresses, I clambered downstairs and into the arms of my uncle Ray. "Ray!" I said gleefully, throwing my small frame into his larger one. "How's my favorite niece?" he chuckled, swinging me around. I grinned into the embrace, my face buried into his chest. He always smelled like fresh rain. Uncle Ray was a big guy standing about six foot three. There were plenty of women giving him cow eyes, but somehow, he remained single, only saying he was waiting on a special someone. "I'm your only niece." I chuckled as he sat me down. "So, what's going on with you,' he said, walking towards the kitchen where ma was making some of her famous apple pie. "Well,"I dragged out noticing pa enter. "There's this internship in Austin." "Texas?" "Yes, it's for computer engineering! I would be exposed to all the latest tech and gadgets!" I continued gushing. "And think of the coding! I can't wait to see the syntax!" "Calm down, jelly bean! Sounds eeer..fun," he finished'off lamely Running my hands through my hair, I sighed melancholy. I would never be able to go unless Uncle Ray could convince pa. ."My daughter is not going across the country like some traveling gypsies." "Oh pa, it's not like that! I promise. I'm seventeen!" "You're still a child, and living under my roof!" "Oh William, give the girl a break. She's been cooped up in this place all her life and she smart. Real smart." "Don't tell me how to raise my child!" my father thundered at my uncle.I groaned. I didn't want a fight. Ijust wanted a chance to live, to be free. I wanted a taste of adventure. "The girl won't be a child forever. In just a few months she'll be eighteen. A living breathing adult. You won't be able to keep her here."Well, Ray did have a point. What was so bad about letting me complete an internship?"Pa, this internship will look good on a college application and then I'll be able to get a full ride. You and ma wouldn't even have to pay a nickel.C'mon pa." I whined. "Your job is to support her in all her endeavors. Not push her away. No matter how hard you try, William, you will not be able to shut her out from the outside world. Besides, I won't be too far. I got some business to handle in Texas." "Fine." Came the gruff reply. It worked?! It actually worked! I was going to the big city! "Thanks, pa! You're the best!" His blue eyes smiled down into my violet ones. "No boys." "Ugh, I know pa. I'll be too busy studying to be worried about boys." It's what I told pa but secretly I couldn't wait to interact with them since I had practically zero experience with them... and relatives didn't count."What's all the ruckus about?" Ma said, finally tuning in. When she's busy baking her infamous pies, somebody better be dying if they bother her. She always reminded me of a storm when she gets in the kitchen,destroying everything in her path but somehow delivering goodness to all our bellies like a rainbow after the storm. "Did ya hear? Pa said I can go to the city! It's for the computer engineering internship." "Well, that is news!" We gathered around the large wooden farmhouse table stretching from one end to the other as ma begin to set appetizers out for dinner. I loved my ma and she was the one that took pride in my beauty. I was six at the time and the church had just finished. Ma long dark honey blonde hair had been pulled back in a bun and her dark brown eyes were warm and full of life. She held my hand tight in her grasp. as we passed a group of women. "I never understand what he sees in that plain Jane." I remember these words coming from one woman's lips as she curled them up at my mother. I could feel her hand tighten reflexively in mine and linstantly knew that I would never like anyone or anything that made ma sad. I patted her hand like I'd seen father do many times. "Such a beautiful child," they said, smiling brightly at me. "I've never seen eyes such color or hair that pale. She must take after her father." As mother gripped my hand tighter I realized it was another dig and l smiled joyfully as father appeared. "I digress," Pa said, sweeping mother into his arms. "William," they started. "Sanders, please," Pa said, cutting in on them. I watched curiously as the women's skin burned red before they gave their apologies and fled. Suddenly, ma was chuckling while father gave an indignant snort. "How much of that did ya hear?" "All of it." "Honey, I would've been fine." "I know, hun, but I wouldn't have. Now come on. I want to take my best girls out for ice cream." I smiled at the warm memory, but as I got older, pa's attitude changed.The other children became far and few. While they went to the local high school, I was home alone with an old desktop computer, and even the books I read were chosen by my parents. It wasn't until Uncle Ray began bringing me big books full adventure that I began to long for anything outside of my parents house. I. hardly knew the outside world only our farmlands, and even then, I wasn't allowed very far from the house.I always had to be within eyesight. Now, I thirsted for the outside world.I wanted it bad. I couldn't wait to escape. And it finally happened. I was going to be free for it .