I woke up to the usual noise of the busy streets of south side Chicago where people were heading off to their jobs and the kids ran around trying to delay that doom of getting to school.
I stood up and saw the view in front of me and smiled. This is the view I have been looking at for the past 18 years now.
My name is Lilith brooks but everyone calls me lily, and today is my birthday.
I, lily brooks, am officially 18 today and I’m….very late to school.
You see, I’m an honor student at Wendell Phillips Academy High School and in my senior year. I looked at my phone as it started to vibrate on my bedside table to see that I have a text from my bestie kristy Williams. We have been best friends since grade 1. She knows that I’m weird in a way, she even makes fun about it by saying that I must be an alien.
You see I just love to hick in the wilderness to the point that sometimes I don’t want to leave. It hurts my heart when I see the neglect of the grass and plants and everything else. I try to volunteer to clean up the city but I just can’t stand it.
I have strange dreams about a land that is green all over and a place that is just breath-taking.
Anyways back to the text, kristy was telling me that she was standing by the door. I laughed at that. You see, every morning kristy comes over for breakfast and just before she knocks she texts me saying that she’s outside. And right on time I hear the knock just as I begin to head downstairs. I’m an only child so my parents don’t really mind me having friends anytime of the day.
My parents, bill and serena, have light blond hair and blue eyes while I have dark hair and semi-black eyes. When I was young I used to think that I was adopted. Even kirsty thought that for a while but then mum told me everything when I turned 14. She said that they found me on their doorstep and that I was the most beautiful baby girl they have ever set eyes on and that on that very moment they knew that they would never let me go or let anything harm me.
I walked into the kitchen to see kristy and my parents holding a package each in their hands. I just sighted and knew that it was a lost case when I told them two weeks ago that I don’t want any presents.
I walked to kristy first and hugged her, whispering a soft “thanks” as I took her gift.
I then walked over to mum who was standing with one arm holding the gift while the other extended towards me. I ran to her and hugged her tight knowing that I can never imagine the day I don’t have her by my side. She batted my back as I let a few tears escape. I looked at her and saw the love that she felt for me shine there. I just hope that she sees the amount of love that I hold for her.
Finally, it was dad’s turn. I hugged him but just for a moment. Dad was never one to show his true emotions in public even if its only me and mum, and for that I respect him.
I took all three gifts and set them at the counter so that I can open them at night.
We all took out seats at the table and small conversation broke out between my mother and my best friend about the changes in the ways that people think.
I ate in silence until I heard kristy shout that we are late.
I wasn’t listening to what was being said at the table because I couldn’t get my dream of last night out of my head.
I had one of those dreams again. The one about the green land. Only last night was the very first time I see somebody standing in front of a picture of a very beautiful little girl with some words written at the top. The man stood up and said something in a language I never heard before. I tried to hear more but I I could feel myself beginning to wake up.
The only thing that scares me is that the little girl in the painting was me when I was a year old…
