Walking home feels different, weirder. Something's off. No matter, I keep my head down counting the summer leaves on the ground as I pass them by. The air is thick and humid. Seagulls gawking in the distance, crows watching as each person walks by, and neighbors sitting out on their porch as the sun beams down on their skin. A nice summer day in California.
Finally another school year, done. Only a couple enternities left. Shouldn't be too bad. Although I do have summer to look forward to. I stop a block before my house and admire everything around me. The blue sky that makes me miss the ocean, the clouds having me long for cotton candy, and an owl... an owl? I snap out of my thoughts and realize there is an owl flying down the street. I look around, no one else is seeing this damn owl?
I think I might be going insane. Owls don't live near here. I watch it fly over every house, as if it was searching for something. It stops on the chimney of my house. My mouth opens, but I quickly shut it and run as fast as I can. I stop on the sidewalk in front of the house trying to catch my breath. It really is an owl and a beautiful one. I stand gazing at it for what seems like hours, until I realize it's staring back at me. A chill ran down my spine, this is one really weird owl. I took a step closer to it, but then my mom came out.
"Serena!'' Her scream startled me. Making me take my eyes off the owl. "What are you doing outside still? Get in the house." I nodded and looked back to realize the owl was gone. I searched for it, but it was gone. It vanished. Like magic. Magic? It can't be. I go down the train of memories I have laying around in my head. The weird placing of objects, wishing for something and it being there the next day, getting angry and having my lightbulb explode, twice. Feeling out of place. Well I've always felt out of place, so that made no difference.
"SERENA PRETO!" I run into the house. If there is one thing that terrifies me, it's my Mexican mother.
"Mama, I'm home," I can feel the tension. Anger lingers through the air as I walk into the kitchen.
"Took you long enough!" I sighed and sat on the stool.
"I'm sorry," she took her eyes off the stove and pierced through mine. I bet my mother could make a nun swear.
"Sorry? What if something happened to you? Nomas viene alguien y te roba? Luego yo que hago? (What if someone comes and takes you? What would I do then?)" I hung my head in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I promise." she nodded her head full of content. She went on to ask about my day and I gladly answered. I stopped paying attention mid-conversation, anyways. I started daydreaming about the owl. It had beautiful brown white feathers, golden eyes, and a tenderness to the creature. I kept reminiscing. Suddenly, I saw the owl fly by again. It landed near the mailbox and then took off.
"Mama, have you checked the mail today?" she ignored me. "Mama?" I realize. She hates when I mostly speak English at home. According to her, it makes us "forget our culture" and well she's not wrong. My cousins can testify to that. So, I ask again in Spanish. "Mami, ¿revisaste el correo hoy?" she looked up and held the wooden spoon at me.
"No, vaya y regresa. Punto A, al punto B. Me entendiste? (No, go and come back. Point A to point B. Got it?)" I nodded and raced out the door. My heart pounding as loud as drums.
The owl had come back, but why?