Moving to a new place

"Oh yeah, he'll love that," I say, thinking about Jeffrey with his army of friends and his never-ending parade of baseball games, wrestling matches, football practices and everything else. We have lives, Jeffrey and I. For the first time it occurs to me that I'm in for so much more than I've anticipated. My purpose is góng to change everything.

Mum closes the book about trees and meets my eyes solemly across the kitchen table.

"This is a big stuff, Clara," she says. "This vision, this purpose---it's why you're here".

""I know. I just did'nt think we'd have to move"

I look out the window into the yard I've grown up playing in, my old swing set that mum has never gotten around to taking down, the row of rose bushes against tje fence that this been there for as long as I can remember. Behind the fence I can barely make out the hazy outline of the distant mountains that have always been the edges of my world. I can hear the Caltrain rumble at it crosses shoreline Boulevard and, if I concentrate hard enough, the faint music from great America two miles away. It seems imposible that would ever leave this place.

A corner of Mums mouth quirks up into a sympathetic smile.

"You thought you could just fly in somewhere for the weekend, complete your purpose and fly back?

"Yeah, maybe". I glance away sheepishly. "When are you going to tell Jeffrey?"

"I think that should wait until we know where we're going."

"Can I be there when you tell him? I'll bring popcorn."

"Jeffrey's time will come," she says, a muted sadness coming up in her eyes, that look she gets when she thinks we're growing up too fast.

"When he receives his purpose you'll have to deal with that too."

"And then we'll move again?"

"That's crazy." I say, shaking my head. "This all seems crazy. You knoe that right?"

"Mysterious ways Clara." She grabs my spoon and digs a big chunk of Chubby Hubby out of the carton. She grins, shifting back into mischievous, playful Mum right before my eyes."Mysterious ways.".