The wooden swing bench creaks lightly under my weight as I slowly rock back and forth. I am at my favorite hideaway, my refuge when things got rough at home. My best friend Alex and I had built the bench at only 8 years old and it has been our secret meeting place ever since. Two years later, he moved away to another part of the country and now I only get the occasional letter from him.
So this brings us back to me. Who am I? Well I am an average 18 year old girl. Well… I’m not exactly an average girl. I don’t wear pounds of makeup or go get smoothies every day after school. My parents split apart over a heated discussion, leaving me to my elderly, near-sighted grandmother who is pretty much out of it. Of course my parents do stay with us on alternating weeks.
This week, my mom and dad collided as he was leaving and she was arriving, leading to an explosive discussion about my future. Of course the natural thing to do after these warm summer days fade away is go to college. But…we have no money.
We live in a rickety old farmhouse where we survive by making clothes and other goods which grandma and mom make, and then trading them for food and other necessities. Dad hangs out with a new girlfriend every other week while mom is with us.
So back to my dilemma. I personally want to stay at home and help with the workload but no… apparently I have to have some sort of education. My dream, which has never been shared to anyone but Alex, is to one day be able to travel the world.
Sapphire Fate
-Betty B.D.