The Weird Life Of Maru

Chapter 1: New Life

          It always starts with a dream. I see my father, as if he was right there with me. He looks so clear, so real, like he is actually here with me. But we never speak, or look at each other, we just sit in sweet silence. As if we ever broke the silence the moment would end, but I didn't want it to. But sadly...it was just a dream...I had to wake up. I just laid awake staring at the ceiling...my father died a year ago...but I feel as if he's still here with me. I look over at the clock 6:30 am...great I have to get up for school. I hear a loud knock on the door followed by my mother screaming, "Maru! Wake up! You have school! I laid in bed for a few more minute's debating whether I should go or not, but in the end I forced myself to get up and got ready.

           I stared at myself in the mirror for a few minutes...my hair was a mess ,curly as always, my eyes tired with bags from countless nights of crying, and finally my belly which always arrived in a room before me. I checked my phone to see what time it was...7:00 am...shit! I got my shoes on and made sure I had everything on me and left in a hurry. I passed by my mothers room to find her asleep, she works really late to provide for me and my brother. My father's death was the hardest on her after all, she was raised in Mexico where the women stayed home and took care of the kids, and the men provided money for the family, now she has to do both.

          I walked about a block to my bus stop and waited. It was a warm morning and the sun wasn't out yet, I looked down at the grass and kept on thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. I got on the bus and the entire day was a blur, I could only remember walking down the halls and changing from class to class, but not really anything that had happened. It was as if I was on auto pilot the entire day. Finally I got home and went straight to my room, I put down my backpack and laid in bed listening to Green Day's 21 guns. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing...I'm not going to cry...I'm going to be strong today. So I got up and started to do my homework, but then I saw my mom's car pull up into the drive way.

          That's weird...she usually doesn't get home till late. I went down stairs to talk to her but only saw her with her face in her hands. "Mom?" I asked worried. I haven't seen her like this since...since my father died. Immediately I felt my stomach drop...something was wrong...something was terribly wrong. "I'm so sorry," she cried. I stood there for a second soaking in what she just said. Why was she sorry? I just stood there frozen with fear of what was to come next. "I lost my job..." said mom in a whisper with her head down. Tears started streaming down my face...and I hugged my mother tightly. I didn't know what we would do or how we would get by I just hugged my mother tightly and cried quietly in her embrace.

          "What's going on? asked Adam. My mother release my from her embrace and I ran to my room. I grabbed my phone and put my headphones in and just blocked out the whole world for 2 hours. I didn't want to think about what would happen to us...I didn't want to think at all. I wanted to be okay for just a few more minutes...but sadly after a while I heard a knock on my door and I knew it was my mother. She came in and we both looked at each other for what seemed like forever, finally she sat down next to me on my bed looking away from. "You know I love you, but I just can't keep doing this anymore Maru. It's too much on me...I've...I've been thinking for some time, I have a friend in California that is willing to let us stay with her as long as we need to.

          She kept on talking after that but...I didn't hear her. I just felt like my whole world was crashing down...my friends, my house, my life was all here and she wanted me to leave it all behind. "Me and Adam can get a job to help you with the bills! Together we can all make enough to stay here and not leave," I said quickly. I was panicking trying to find solutions so I could stay. "Maru you're too young to work and I only get paid minimum wage...we are barley slipping by," she said in a whisper. I looked at my mother and I felt selfish, she has done everything for me and my brother, she's the one struggling to keep us off the street. So I gave in because I loved my mother. But I cried myself to sleep as always but this time I didn't see my father...only darkness.