An Unexpected Journey

I'm Lisa and my eighteenth birthday is coming up, I'm at that age where you feel very excited to become someone more mature, someone who no longer has ambiguities, that is, when you are thirteen or fifteen years old exactly you are no longer a child but you are not an adult either. I am anxious to start a new stage.

In a week's time I will be moving to the city of Noxterlur. It's a lovely town; I saw several pictures my parents showed me and what caught my attention the most were its famous golden evening stars. I'm sure half the time I'll be taking pictures and sending postcards to the people of Tabiat.

I love my friends here in Tabiat very much, I will miss them, but I know this is a great opportunity to see the world and meet people. My parents got a job offer with better pay and more opportunities for them, so it is obvious that I should go with them too, but sometimes I think that I could stay here and not leave my life behind, I am afraid, I accept that, but I want to go too.

The days in Tabiat are cold, but the people are very warm. It is a small city and the only way to get out of it is by plane, as it is located on an island where it snows a lot. Boats are not common due to the various frozen sea areas, and I guess it would be annoying to transport people without having a stable route. Television, reading and radio are the most common forms of distraction here. Although there is only one channel of radio and television broadcasting along with scarce books that are not academic, it is more than enough to keep from going crazy. When I was 10 years old, I remember we traveled to a city bigger than Tabiat and I discovered the internet. I could search endless places and watch more than one channel or listen to different radios. Dad says that at Noxterlux I will be able to use it whenever I want, so I am very excited.

When I got home and finally felt the heat I removed my whole armor of coats and warmers from head to toe and not the other way around. 

—I'm home, Mom, Dad!—

—At last at home dear, how did it go?—

—Mom, you know it's fine, it's the same as always, nothing new. My life is so absolutely and perfectly normal that sometimes it's intolerable, I just ask for a little bit of fruit!—

—What? both parents asked—

—You know, it's like here, always the same clothes, food, neighbors, school, etc., but when something colorful comes along, it's always the same. But when something colorful, something unusual comes along, it makes your guts churn with excitement to try it. Noxterlur is like that for me—

—It's quiet here Lisa, aren't the seventy thousand inhabitants who live here enough for you?— said her father, in a failed attempt to convince her.

I asked my father if we could stay two months to celebrate my eighteenth birthday here with my friends, Noxterlur sounds like a dream but I don't want to spend my birthday in a place that I still don't know and much less without friends.

My father said to me: —We can't do that, our work prevents us from doing it, I know that your birthday is in two months but we must leave exactly in one month, so we must leave as soon as possible, be sure to pack the most important things—

The next day Lisa's father, arrived as usual 6:30 p.m. and addressed his wife and daughter with a good night.

They had dinner as usual in their small living room watching a TV channel that broadcasted the favorite soap opera of the house.

The clock in the house chimed 10:00 p.m.. Lisa hated that clock, since according to her it was too old-fashioned for this time, it stood out to the eye because it was one meter high and half a meter wide.

—We should buy a digital one— said Lisa.

—This is a part of your legacy Lisa, it belonged to your grandparents—

—And why did I just find out about it?— said Lisa in her mind.

—Well, it's time to go to bed, go to your room and don't forget to lock the door—

—Yes mom, I know— said Lisa and then went up the stairs to her room.

—Sara, we need to talk. Let's go outside—

Lisa saw that her parents were leaving in the car, something that was already normal for her since there were many times that her parents went out at night and many times she asked where they were going and always received the same answer, "we will go to a café, we won't be long". So with time Lisa stopped asking and got used to it.

The morning came and as always, mom called from downstairs.

—Lisa, you will be late, go downstairs and have breakfast—

—Good morning mom—

—Good morning Lisa, eat quickly, the bus will be here soon—

The hours passed and Lisa came back in the afternoon, when she entered the house she saw her father's coat hanging on the coat rack that was on the right side. «It seems that dad came early today», thought Lisa.

—And this, why are there packed boxes?—

—Julius...—said Sara looking at her husband firmly.

—Lisa, our trip has been moved forward for today, so please pack the most urgent and necessary things—

—But dad, aren't we taking all our belongings with us, when will the moving car arrive, and won't we be moving in a month?—

—We will see about that later, we will leave in the evening— said Lisa's father.

I feel that something is going on and they don't tell me, I see my father a little bit nervous like when you wait for the results of a final exam and you are not sure that you will pass the subject. And my mother... well, it's not like I see her calm either, her face is a little sad.

—Mom, why did the trip come so early, it was still a month away— My mother just looked at me and said:

—Honey, what happened is that they called from work and asked us to go right away, so we will see what to do with the rest of our belongings, for now pack what we need. We leave in the evening—

While my parents were getting ready at the same time, I took out a suitcase that had been practically like an ornament since I had hardly ever used it. My parents never let me travel out of town or out of the country, so having this suitcase was a longing for what I had always wanted to do, visit many places. The truth is that I don't understand why they never let me go on a trip, the only thing they allowed me was school outings but only within the city and if I wanted to go out with my friends I only had permission until before dark and they always called me to know how I was doing, sometimes I think they exaggerated in that parental care thing. I finished packing four sweaters, a jacket, three baggy jeans, underwear, four polo shirts, two pairs of sneakers and toiletries.

The time was short, even though it's a small amount of clothes, I wanted to choose the best of the best from my humble closet. —I'm ready— said Lisa coming down the stairs to the second floor.

—Ok, get in the car— said Lisa's father.

I went out to the front of our house, and took one last look around, not bad for a middle class person like me, I put my little suitcase on the sidewalk and turned to the house longing to still be there, feeling sad to leave behind the place that had been my home since I was born.

—Dad, we are going to be ok right?—

—Get in the car Lisa, it's getting late—

«Why didn't he answer me, I think that something is wrong». 

Lisa got in the back seat of the car, she was about to close the car door when she said: —Dad, where is my mom, why is she taking so long?—

—She is just saying goodbye, you know how sentimental your mother is, let's wait a moment—

At the same time that her daughter and husband were talking, Sara stayed in the living room next to a small lamp being the only one on in the room. Her red eyes were resisting tears and with her fists clenched she said: 

—They had never communicated with us, why now, they were supposed to give us a month to be able to prepare and now this, I thought that Lisa's existence didn't matter to them anymore, it's not fair to her— said Sara, full of impotence, to then open the huge clock that Lisa had complained about, She proceeded to take out a small box, opened it, and took out a key that gave off a subtle and light blue glow, the head was circular and in the center it had a carved lotus and a crescent moon on the top part, while the handle extended in a spiral shape. 

After a few minutes Sara came out of the house, went to the car and climbed into the passenger seat. —Mom, are you ok?— asked Lisa. 

—Yes daughter, it's just that I will miss our days here, the mornings when I prepared breakfast and went to your room to wake you up, when you arrived in the afternoon and I served you lunch, when the night came and I told you "see you tomorrow, rest daughter"— said Sara with her voice on the verge of breaking.

—But mom, it's not like we won't see each other again, there you can also see me at breakfast and tell me until tomorrow night— said Lisa confidently, but she was surprised that she didn't receive an affirmative answer from her parents.

—I saved some hot chocolate, this will be our dinner for today, so don't be picky. Lisa, this is for you—

—Thank you mom—

Lisa had fallen asleep during the ride, when she opened her eyes and composed herself in the seat, she was a little confused, what was supposed to be in front of her eyes was the front of the airport full of noise, people and lights.

—Dad, mom, where are we? I fell asleep, why are we in a forest?—