“MOVING IN”

"Have you packed all the things, Mrs. Johnson"? That's my dad talking to my mum. My day is a very funny guy; the neighborhood loves him very much, well!! They love the Johnson family. We are the Johnson and today we are moving to a new neighborhood. I am Patrick Johnson, last born to the Johnson family. Sarah Johnson is my elder sister, she loves me very much. Samuel Johnson, my immediate brother has a problem carrying me around to my school events.

It was a sunny day; we were all busy packing and getting ready to leave. My dad had returned from work very early that beautiful Monday noon with the delivery vehicle urging everyone to act fast. Neither I nor my siblings were happy. Our parents loved it because we no longer have to pay the rent.

"Mr. Johnson you owed me three months and am raising the rent this year" these were the exact words of Pa Alpha the landlord to our resident at 43 Pademba roads at the beginning of every rent year. I was 10; I could remember all of it. Pa Alpha had found out that we were moving out of his house that very Monday noon. You can see his disappointed face. He looked so down and humble wishing we had stayed for another increment. My dad loves making people feel guilty about their acts. As he packed the luggage to the vehicles he sang a song drawing the attention of Pa Alpha. I couldn't remember the song. We all laughed at it and Mr. Alpha gazed at the moving van with his house left very empty.

I had left my friends, my school, and even my playing ground. The thought of starting over, making new friends keep firefighting with me. "I am going to miss it all," I said to myself. The only people talking in the car were our parents. They loved out that we finally own a house and no one would throw us out again. They won't miss the neighbors; they won't miss the sound of vehicles and the morning call to the Islamic prayers. "you will love it there, there are beaches, plenty of sand to play, friendly people, amazing kids, a football field, honey isn't it? most of the people who live there are very friendly, very big trees, we can go fishing, boat riding" as she speaks the words make no sense to either of us. She was trying to making us okay. We slept in the car for hours before finally reaching our new home.

As I stepped down the sand my feet become cold and the smooth feeling rises to the top of my body, the air smell fresh as mint, the wide sea gave a peaceful and unending view of active nature which tolerates the coexistence of unimaginable natural beauty. It was amazing to see how beauty converts those very disappointed emotions of ours into a very delightful imagination of what we could do from here. As beauty sinks the thoughts of departing from what we miss now gradually turn to what we need. "We would love it here," we all said.

It was a four-hour drive and everyone seems very tired except for our parents who left to find us food for the evening. The new home is amazing, looks are as the word beauty, pure environment with a life full of nature, and it's a self-beach house, with a garden on the outside. From the windows, one can see the tall trees and can hear the sound of birds from afar.

After mum and dad had left that same day I needed to examine the neighborhood. Well, there was only one house; it was one hundred meters off the new house. I walked closer and then closer until I found the most amazing thing I ever set eyes on. She was not slim neither fat, she was not black neither white, she comes in gold and glitters like a diamond, her carved shaped body is never been repeated in humankind, even at a distance of two hundred meters you can miss not even her dark hair in the description, her eyes stand upright and shines like the morning sun from the east that brings felicity to happy mornings. I dare not stare at her as the look in her very colorful eyes brings me fear of her being a mermaid. Well, I have not seen a mermaid before. "This here is an angel from heaven needing sea wind to wipe off a very stressful work on the earth". I could not make it to her end I ran back to the house thinking about what I saw.

It's a family thing to eat together, mum and dad had returned that evening with pizza and some juice filled the table. As everyone eats and talks about the new place I keep thinking of what I saw. Mum and dad play the question and answer game with my two siblings. The game had lasted for an hour without my participation. "He doesn't like it here, do you? He's got to do the silence thing again" Samuel said to me. My fantasy world could not allow him to work my mind, he loves the mind game. Every one of my family knew how I react to things I don't like. This time they were all wrong, I never hated the place, I love the new house. as the thoughts of the beautiful girl keep distracting my attention from the family dinner, I became more mature for what has known as a game for the elders. My thoughts have turned me old; they have made me see through my dad's eyes to my mom's face.

What is going over me, as I realized my presence at the dinner, everyone gazed at me. "What is wrong Patrick?" She asked. "Should I say it in front of everyone?" How could I tell how matured my heart has become? How is it possible they loved the idea that is turning old just the moment we arrived? What if they could help me get her? Oh! Am being so stupid, am just a child an African child. I had the table telling my mom that I was unwell. "He could cope," day says. Sarah my elder sister had followed me to the living room; we just moved none of us are yet to find a room. My elder sister is a very tricky one; she knows how to get the secret off me. She had played on every one of my moods. "Should I tell her?" My heart keeps pondering. "No, I won't". As she talks I saw her eyes turned into those colorful eyes from a distance, the golden skin of natural beauty and the long dark hair falls to my head, chased her on the sand as she calls my name "Patrick?", "Patrick?" The sound of her voice left echoes to the wind flown away by the wave of the sea dragged down to the bottom and splashes back to my ear like the sound of the morning Islamic call to prayer. She was nature; there could be nothing more natural than she is. "Wake up we need to see a doctor," said my mum. I realized I was dreaming. "How could this happen so fast? Why must I dream of her? What am I turning into?"