REM // Van McCann

61. We're Moving

I'm not the type to go out for breakfast (or should I say brunch?) but I couldn't be arsed to go to the grocery store and make breakfast so I went online to find a place nearby. The nice thing I've come to learn is that there are a decent amount of restaurants within walking distance of this place.

After eating, I went to the store to buy some stuff. Even though my flat was fully furnished, there were still some things I needed to buy like toiletries, cleaning supplies, and food. I bought so much stuff that I actually needed to request an Uber back to my place as I couldn't possibly carry it all on my own. And then I spent the afternoon cleaning and organizing my flat. It wasn't quite home yet but it was slowly getting there.

It felt weird being on my own and not having anyone to talk to. What I've learnt so far is that people here are friendly but they never expect people to talk to them. They're always surprised when I ask them questions, whether it's asking how to get somewhere or asking what restaurants they recommend, and the conversation never lasts. My accent helps even though I don't realize I have an accent. It always catches them off guard and they wonder why I chose here of all places.

I've no cable nor internet yet. They're supposed to install it later this week so I didn't know what to do with myself. There's only so much cleaning you can do and I was fed up of cleaning. I'm not one to stay in my flat all day so I decided to walk around the neighborhood to get my bearings. Perhaps I'll walk to the work building so I don't get lost on my first day.

The nice thing about having your company help with relocation is that they'll choose a place that's a reasonable distance from work. It only took me ten minutes to walk to work and I can trim it down to five minutes if I run but who runs to work? I'd rather not come into work all sweaty if I can help it—even if they've got showers. The building was open because some people have to come in on weekends but I had no business going inside so I just stared at the building from outside. I wasn't used to living in the city with tall buildings. I was used to the countryside and being able to see for miles. It was a big change but Seattle isn't a big city compared to say, New York City or London.

There wasn't any use standing outside so I began walking around taking note of restaurants I'd like to try and where I'd like to take my walks when on a break. Despite being in the city, they did make an effort to make it green. That's one difference between Seattle and the UK. There are more trees here, mountains if you know where to look, and water. It was beautiful here.

I lost track of the time and started making my way home when I felt hungry. It's the worst having to cook when you're hungry so I hurried home and had a quick snack before cooking. I seasoned the potatoes and got them roasting in the oven before bringing out the salmon fillet I bought earlier today. Back home, I never really ate seafood but Seattle is known for it so I thought I'd give it a try.

It didn't take long for the smell of fish to fill my flat so I opened the windows to let fresh air in and sat at the table to eat. I've always been used to being alone but this type of loneliness was different. I didn't have anyone to talk to. They were thousands of miles away and asleep now. It felt strange being in a different time zone.

After dinner, I cleaned up and went to bed early because I had nothing else to do. I reckon things will be better once I have cable, internet, and friends, but for now, this is my life. I have to train myself to sleep early for work anyway. Might as well start now.

It was quiet at night which I liked. Being in a noisy neighborhood is the worst. I turned off the lights, pulled the duvet over me, and tried to find a comfortable position but the squeaky bed annoyed the shit out of me. Eventually, I gave up and it wasn't until I almost drifted off that I heard my phone ring. The vibrations were louder than usual because of the table and I grabbed my phone to see who was calling. Clara. I sat up and answered the phone right away, no longer feeling sleepy.

"Clara," I breathed into the phone, not expecting her to call. I reached over to turn on the light. Warm light bathed the room.

"Were you sleeping?" she asked timidly. It was almost 11 PM.

"Yeah, but I don't mind. What time is it for you?" It must be early for her.

"It's almost 7 AM."

"Why are you up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep. Sorry for not responding to your text. So much has happened these past few days. My dad knows where we're moving." She paused and I held my breath. Please say America, please say America.... "We're moving to Portugal." My heart sank. Portugal is about a 2-3 hour flight from the UK. Still very far from me.

"How do you feel about it?" I managed, trying to hide my disappointment.

"I'm sure you can guess," she answered, her voice bitter. "I spent last night crying. I've come to love it here even though you're not here anymore. Of all the places I've lived, this is the one that feels like home and we're moving again." She broke out into a sob and it hurt me that I couldn't wrap my arms around to comfort her. All I could do was listen to her sob.

"I'm sorry, Clara. I'd give you a hug if I could. I hate that I'm so far away from you," I said, my voice cracking. "Maybe you'll like it there. The weather's better there anyway. Do you know when you're moving?"

"We're moving in September or October. They'll know for sure when they get more information."

That was soon. Only 2-3 months more. They haven't been in the UK even a year yet and now they're going to Portugal. She also said it would be a while until they heard where they're moving to. What happened to make things happen so quickly?

"Where in Portugal are you moving to?" I asked.

"We have no clue but my parents have done some research and are excited to move."

Now that Clara knows where her family is going, I wondered what was next for her. Obviously they'll be spending the next few months getting ready to move house to Portugal. But once they're all settled, I wondered if Clara would stay with her family or consider moving to Seattle with me. She's very distraught right now so this wasn't a good time to bring it up. I let her talk and listened to her until I fell asleep to the sound of her voice just like how things were before.