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Wednesday 8 January 2014

Short Fiction Project-Simple but Rich


Created by: Danielle Robak
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                   Simple but Rich

Chapter 1
When people ask me to explain this place, what do I say? Will I be able to describe exactly what it looks like, smells like and the muggy feeling I get when I step outside my door? There are no words for this so called home. Starting “fresh” a 12 year old boy that I am, once had everything and now, nothing. What the hell happened?

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. Sun shining high up in the clear blue sky, a slight breeze that sent shivers down my spine. My father, Mr. big shot finally offered to take me to my final baseball game. Its weird, usually he is either busy with work or busy doing something that involves work. On the way to the field my favorite song came on. My dad and I started singing and were already pumped for my game. The song was still playing as we parked and got out of the car. I could hear the lyrics so clear as I walked onto the field. Teammates were warming up all excited to win and finish our baseball season. I started getting warmed up, throwing the ball back and forth to my partner, boy this feels good.
“Time to hit the field”, yells the ref.
I’m pitcher today, 100% ready to throw hard and win. I look to the left where my dad was standing, hmm, that’s weird I thought to myself. My father is nowhere to be seen. Yeah yeah it was normal. As soon as the whistle blows I spot him talking the phone. He doesn’t look too happy.  This is our last game and he isn’t even watching my first pitch. “Stop thinking Jeremy” I say to myself under my breath. “Keep focused”. The ball rolls off my hand. A wicked curve ball that lands in the back catcher’s glove.
“Strike”, the ref yells.
2 more to go. Second and third throw are exactly the same.
“Strike, you’re out”.  
Time goes by my arm is sore, it never gets sore. The score is close we are down by one, next homerun and they win. Next batter walks up. Short and stubby. This will be easy. Over to the left of the field my dad is yelling at his phone, great! The game is in my hands and I’m distracted. Whatever, I’m focused, a couple more throws and we are safe. I wind up my arm and pitch the ball. It travels through the air so fast I couldn’t see it. The batter swings his bat and sends the ball flying.
“What!” I yell. “How the hell!?”
Who knows where the ball went. The chubby little player, maybe 5 feet tall makes his way from base to base.
“Homerun!” announces the umpire.
I look over to my dad, he hasn’t watched 1 minute of my game. I look over to my coach. He throws his clipboard to the ground pissed and it’s my entire fault.
The players on my team walk off the field with their heads hanging low, including myself, not saying a word.
“Well good loss boys”, our coach says to us. “Its alright, we will get them next year.”
I have no interest talking to my coach about how my one throw lost us the game.  I walk away from my team and wait for my dad. He ends up walking over 10 minutes later with his phone dangling in his hand.
“You didn’t even watch my game!!” I yell in a very upset voice.
“I’m sorry bud, work was holding me on the line, and I ended up getting caught talking to your mother.” Explains my dad.
“Whatever”, I replied.

            The ride home is quiet. No music and no discussion. We drive up slowly into our garage. I grab my stuff and jump out of the vehicle, slamming the door.
My mom is inside throwing things in boxes and bags. She comes running over in tears.
“What’s wrong mom?” I say as tears fill my eyes.
“Sweetie, your father lost his job” she whispers to me in a soft voice.
“No No, how could this happen? You guys said that everything would be fine!” I respond in a loud voice and cross my arms. “Where are we going!? I like it here.”
“Your father has lost his job. They believe it will be better for him in a lower titled facility,” replied my mother. “Down south you know, closer to Capri”
“Are you kidding!?” I shout. “I have everything here, friends, sports, school. We hear about what they get down there. Nothing!”
OK, how can this be happening? My life here is perfect. Families down there don’t have anything and we have too much class for a village like Capri.

Here I am on a plane going far south. Leaving a place I once called home. Five days ago I never would have guessed a boy like me with perfect friends, family and a perfect life would be leaving. I look over to where my little brother is sitting. He is practically jumping out of his seat with excitement. In fact as I look around at the other passengers they all have that excited, anticipating look on their faces.
Screw this. I plug my headphones into my ears and doze off into a restless sleep.
            Wow time really flew by I lift my head slow. The plane has landed. I take a look out the passenger window. Nothing but bare land and the feeling of dullness. We step off the plane. The hot air hits me as I walk off the plane, my face burns. You'd think that there would be a breeze on a day like this, beaming hot sun but dry as a desert. The thought of living here, leaving my perfect life behind makes me want to vomit. Do you know what they say about this place? Rumors are that the people living here are so pour they have no idea what life is actually like. I look around at my family, wow, they actually look happy. How could anyone be happy here in the desert!?

 Chapter 2

The drive to our place wasn't as bad as I thought. Sure I have been complaining about how shitty this village is but it's a new place so I had many things to look at. We got settled in to our 1 story bungalow, nothing like the 2 story mansion we had back home. Painted boring brown on the outside, dark red shutters, and many little bushes surrounding the house. Inside was painted a light grey color and had dark wooden flooring, I guess not too bad. My bedroom was just white, mom said I can paint it whatever color I wanted in a couple days. I had box after box being piled into my room. Although I had no interest in unpacking them.
"Jeremy, you know your going to have to unpack those boxes sometime soon," my father says as he walks past my room.
"Yea yea whatever," I say under my breath. “These boxes will stay packed until I get my old life back."
“This is your life now, and you will learn to deal with it whether you like it or not, “responds my father.
I shut my door with anger, not sure how to take that one. This is my new life, yea right.
I haven't been enrolled in school yet unfortunately, what will I do with my time. These clothes definitely need to come off I thought to myself. I change into jeans and a sweatshirt and throw on a pair of warn out runners with holes at the toe.
“I’m heading outside mom!" I yell as I head out the front door.
"Ok, be back before the sun goes down dinner will be ready then," she shouts back.
Since when does she have a set time for dinner? At our old house we ate whenever we pleased, or just alone since everyone was busy doing their own thing. Weird.
            As the days go by things get weird. My mom has been acting like a new person. I see my family more than ever and never would have realized everyone would be this happy in this ridiculous village. Ok ok, so a couple weeks ago I was playing professional club baseball with people I loved being with and a sport I loved playing. Who wouldn’t be upset leaving a life like mine? Living here has changed me, Capri has changed all of us.
            So I carried on with my life, not really complaining anymore and figured it was just a waste of time being in a bad mood. My father ended up getting a phone call from his boss a couple days ago. The company seemed to be going down hill with the new head chief and the boss offered my dad his spot back. This was the opportunity my dad had been waiting for since we have moved here. Why wait? We will move back and everything would go back to normal, same friends and school. What would happen to this place? What would happen to all the great things that have happened here, does my family have the same thoughts I have now? How will I be able to tell my family that I would I like to remain living here? This place has made us positive and more as a family, why leave?
            We talked it over as a family and discussed how our life would yet again change. Sure this isn’t the place we have imagined living in for the rest of our life, maybe it’s just the start to leading us to something bigger and better. I’d like to hope so. Capri did something to our family. I have been able to act like a kid again and enjoy things that I have never thought of doing. My father has joined me in all activities and his cell phone isn't attached to his ear anymore, like at all, I barely see him on it. My mom has found new passions such as cooking and decorating and has joined us a couple times at the beach with my little brother. As for myself, my spirits are way higher and I enjoy being with my family. I have realized that simple things in life are the true things that make us happy. A simple life is a rich life.

                           The End.                                                                                     By Danielle Robak

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