Oh My Darling, Clementine. (A Love Story)

Chapter 1 - We'll Make It. I Promise.

        Sometimes, things don't really work out the way we plan. Certain things in this world aren't meant to be. Maybe i'm one of those things. I often wonder if I was a mistake. I also wonder if they think about me. My parents, I mean. I don't remember them, or anything about who I was. The only thing they left for me was my name. That doesn't help much, I am made fun of for my name. I, by the way, am Clementine. The other kids sometimes tease me. "Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling, Clementine. You are lost and gone forever. Dreadfull sorry, Clementine." But I really don't mind much, i've grown to like the song. I sometimes have dreams about my mother, or so I think. I have little pieces of memories, from when I was a small child. I remember a woman singing that song to me. Her voice was beautiful, but I never got to remember the face that matched that pretty voice. A lot of the kids here were mistakes. I'm not trying to be mean, but if they weren't mistakes, then they wouldn't be here. In fact, I found a book about Albert Einstein once, and in it was a famous quote from him. It said, "Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried something new.". I found that quote quite fascinating, actually. I always remembered it every time I made a mistake, and it often got me through a lot.

        I don't think many people really remember their first memory. It gets mixed in with other memories, like a really early childhood memory, that can be easily mistaken for the first. But I remember mine quite well, it's very difficult to forget actually. My first memory was not of the woman singing "Oh My Darling, Clementine". Actually it can be confusing to understand, even for me. My first memory was of a wall. Yes, a wall. I was quite groggy, and couldn't see very much. It's not like there was much to see. I awoke to the harsh sight of a bitter grey wall. A plain, undecorated, wall. My back ached from sleeping on the hard mattress. Looking around at my surroundings, I didn't see much. It looked like a normal bedroom. My bedroom. My normal bed, with an alarm clock next to it on the desk, and another desk at the corner of the room. Not very much furniture, but I was not afraid that I didn't remember this room. I felt like I had been there before, and it felt sort of like home.

        Now, I have awoken in that very room every day, for the past 13 years. Supposidly, my parents gave me away when I was only 4 years old. I blamed myself for being an orphan ever since. It must have been my fault, right? I mean, I must have done something that angered them, for them to just dump me in a place like this. I can't complain, living in a childrens home isn't that bad. They feed me three meals a day, and give me a place to sleep. I still have my free will, and I can leave when I want, but I can't move out until I'm 18. My birthday is only a week away. They allow me to have as many friends as I like, and I can throw birthday parties if I want, as long as they're not too loud. For some reason, I didn't feel like celebrating this year. Turning 18 is very different from when I turned 16. I mean yea, I got to drive a car, and get a job if I wanted. But this year would be too different. I am now allowed to leave. Well really, I don't have a choice. They don't keep you after 18, considering you've become too old to need to be mentored by an adult. I dreamed of this moment when I was younger. I imagined myself getting a job, a good job. Then maybe I could afford an apartment. Harvey says we can move in together and split the rent. Harvey is my best friend.

        We've done pretty much everything together. He was my first friend here, and we've spent our entire time together pretty much talking about what we would do when we got out of here. They call the childrens home the Artillery House. Even though i've been so excited to be leaving in a week, I know i'll miss this place. My window is right next to the ocean, and London has a beautiful beach. My caretakers call the large mass of water surrounding the beach the "North Sea". Every day after school, me and Harvey used to take walks down the beach back home. I loved the feel of the sand on my toes. I told Harvey that when I leave the childrens home, i'll want to move to America, and find a house by the beach. It's not that I don't like London, or the Artillery House. I love it actually, and every part of it is beautiful. But that's just it. I've only seen the beautiful parts of London. That's the only place i've ever been. My favorite caretaker, Amelie, used to buy me American travel books. They had lots of pictures of sights to see in America. I've always had my heart set on seeing the Grand Canyon. There's something about it that I know would just take my breath away if I saw it in person. When I told Harvey, he said he promises he'll take me to see it one day.

        Speaking of which, I suddenly hear a knock on my door. "Hey Clem,". It's Harvey, of course. "You got any plans for your birthday next week?" He sits next to me on my bed. "You must be excited!". I hesitated to answer. "I don't think I want to celebrate this year Harvey." I replied. Harvey gave me a crooked smile. "Of course you do, silly." He said, giving me a friendly punch on the shoudler. "If anyone likes celebrations, it's you.". That made me smile, I liked how Harvey knew me so well. "Yea I know, but things are different now. You know that Harvey.". I remembered Harvey's 18th birthday party, he turned 18 about a month ago. He had a wild party, with people there that I didn't even know. But he had fun, and that made me happy. He promised he'd wait for me to get out before he moved to America. He's been staying with a friend until I turn 18. "I know you're probably scared about leaving the Artillery House, Clem." He said. "I understand. But trust me, sleeping in a different bed when I left, which was the first time I had slept in a different bed in my entire life, was an exhilarating experience. You should really join the club." He smiled, which made me smile.

        I looked down at the ground. "It's just..." I took a deep breath and got up from the bed. "I've never known anywhere but here. It'll be so strange, Harvey.". I walked over to the window, and realized how much I really would miss that scenery outside. Harvey followed me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Don't be afraid, i'll be there with you, every step of the way. This is what we've been waiting for ever since we were kids." He said. "I know, I know. I'm just worried things won't work out the way we want them to. I mean, what if we don't even make it to America?" I ask. Harvey giggled a little. "Whatever, Clem." He responded. "I'm serious, Harvey. What if I never see the Grand Canyon?". Harvey got a serious look on his face. "Clementine, listen to me." He took my hand in his. His hands were warm, and I hoped he didn't notice my cheeks flush. "We'll make it. I promise."