Being You

Chapter One- Home Bitter Home

   I know the saying is home sweet home but in my home it's not sweet for me at all as a matter of fact I don't think I can call it home so it's best if I called it a house instead. My parents made the big move to Ridgewood when I was five years old; by then Abigail was only three anyways dad got transferred to this little but hospitable town by his boss. Dad is an accountant and mum is a designer both my parents are loveable but as I grew older I began to feel uncomfortable around them because it seems as though they disliked me because of certain qualities I posses and at the top of it is my weight.

It was back in basic school when I started to put on weight but they started to make a big deal ever since I got into high school. I didn't know why they behaved like that, it wasn't like I was obese or something and to make my life even more miserable they always compare me to Abigail and then Harold came along and my life in that house became a nightmare. Now you get why I can't call that place home. As time passed my dad would always call me a pig and my siblings would laugh, then my mum would call me names if I asked her for more food if I wasn't satisfied. The only good thing about that is that I have my own room where I can cry myself to sleep without anyone knowing.
     
High School was a place where I was somehow happy because no parents and no siblings and that I was grateful to God for. I think it was around three years ago I gained admission into one of the best High Schools in town, Corpus Christi. It is a boarding school for boys and the buildings are so ancient but beautiful and it has eight halls which are; Commonwealth hall, Royal Park hall, Vita hall, Alessandra hall, Legacy hall, Alpha hall, Riis hall and finally Graham hall and I was lucky to be in Commonwealth hall since it was the best hall. The school is best known for its academia and it's talented students. Not only is it old but it was founded by a Roman Catholic priest in the late 80s and it's still standing till date. 
    It was a late Tuesday afternoon in September when I was called by my dad to the living room.

"Jerry" my dad yelled. "Jerry" he yelled again.

" Yes dad" I responded.

    I reluctantly got up from my bed, removed the earpieces from my ears. I hardly made friends in basic school so I had no one's number so all I did was listen to Adele's songs to sooth my depressed soul.
I got downstairs and stood in front of my dad.

"How long does it take you to get here?" he asked. "Or is it because you're fat so you can't walk quickly" he says whiles laughing.

All I do is stand with my hands behind my back and fight the tears that want to flow like a waterfall while my siblings laugh.

"You see when I try talking to you, you never want to listen. Just look at you, you are as fat as a pig infact twice a pig's size meanwhile look at your siblings slim and fit. He says.

"Wow seems you've stepped up your game lately. Your insults are upgrading." I mutter under my breath.

" What was that?" My mum asked.

" Nothing" I say quietly.

In my house children are not allowed to voice out their own opinions because if they do it means they're being disrespectful that's why I couldn't say most of the things I wanted to say. The last time I did that I received a resounding slap from my mum. Yeah so.... that's it.

"Anyways you got into Corpus Christi and you start next week so start preparing yourself and when you go try loosing weight. You can even join a sports club" he says and gets up and heads to his room.

I quickly march straight to my room, shut the door and begin to cry all the tears I held back while listening to my dad speak and my mum and siblings laugh but then I dry my tears and say to myself "At least on the bright side I got into the best High School in Ridgewood so that has to be at least my silver lining. Right?"

I sit on the floor and cry myself to sleep. The following week is hectic as I pack my stuff and other essential since I'll be going to school the following week. My mum bought some items for me to send to school and my dad gave me pocket money in case of emergencies. They both advised me so much that it got stuck in my brain like one of those catchy songs used by companies for advertisement. Soon the days were passing by and the day for me to start a new chapter was fast approaching and before I knew it it was here.

The day had come, the day had finally come. You see normal students wouldn't be this excited to come to school especially if it's a boarding school but I was happy because I was leaving that house though it wasn't forever but I liked the idea of being away from my dad and his constant speech on why I should loose weight and that my siblings are better than me because they were slim and my mum's annoying whining when I ask her for something especially food and lastly my siblings always laughing when mum and dad mock and disgrace me right in front of them. For one thing I thought siblings were to have each other's backs but Abigail and Harold had each other's backs but they never had mine which made me wonder if I was adopted but I never dared open my mouth to ask that.

Anyways I was here and that's all that mattered. I checked the notice board at the Administration and found out that I was in Commonwealth hall. My dad then drove me to my hall and helped me carry my stuff out of the car. Commonwealth hall has three floors (excluding ground floor). It was painted in black and white and it's emblem was placed on the walls of the hall. The emblem had a torch in the middle, a book on the left, two swords on the right and down below had the inscription lux vestra coram omnibus luceat which is the motto for my hall. When the housemaster saw how I was trying to figure out the meaning and trying hard to pronounce it, he came up to me and said " It's Latin "

"Yeah definitely" I said with a huge grin on my face.

" You know" he said, " it means let your light shine before all"

"Wow" was all I could say.

"Well now that you know the meaning of our motto, let's get you sorted out."

" Sure" I said.

" By the way I'm Mr. Reginald Carson the housemaster for this hall."

"Oh and I'm Jeremiah Ramsey" I said

" And this is my dad Mr. Michael Ramsey."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Ramsey and don't worry your son is in good care." My housemaster says.

" The pleasure is all mine and I'm not worried at all" my dad says shaking his hand firmly.

After all the formalities and the signing in, Mr. Carson told me the room I'll be staying was room 14 and that it was on the second floor. Some other students helped carry my stuff to my room. We got to the second floor and I opened the door with 14 on it and entered the other students set my things on the floor and I thanked them. The room was neat and okay. It had four beds on each side of the room and so I picked the second bed on the left side of the room. After I had settled in my dad talked gave me money and left.

  I plopped back unto my bed and sighed "Maybe this place is going to be my home sweet home and not like my home bitter home."

Before I could think of anything else I heard a guy say " Yeah it's this room."

Well I guess I'm going to meet my roommate now.

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