The Unstoppable Zuri

Getting Ready for Adventure

I sat in my bedroom, on the edge of my magenta desk chair because my back hurt too much to lean back. I was working on my extra-credit assignment for my French class. In English, my paper was titled: "My Paris Bucket List."

    It was the beginning of October, and somehow warm enough outside to have my bedroom window open. A fall breeze blew in as I felt a flutter of movement from my baby girl. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to write for my paper. Currently, all I had was the title.

    I was supposed to have my physical evaluation with Dr. Andrews yesterday, to make sure I was able to go on the Paris trip next week. She was out doing a delivery, so I had to see a nurse practitioner instead, and she said she'd call Dr. Andrews to discuss my exam. She'd call me back with the final word.

    I'd gotten the clearance from all my other doctors, so Dr. Andrews was about to make or break my dreams. At first I thought I wouldn't be able to go to Paris, but since I was doing so well, all my other doctors thought I'd be okay. I really, really hoped she'd say yes.

    I looked down and saw my phone buzzing. I recognized the number for the OB office. I took another breath and answered.

    "Hi Zuri, it's Doctor Andrews," she said when I picked up.

    "Oh, hi," I said, my voice shaking.

    "So I reviewed the notes from your exam yesterday. Everything looks good."

    "What? I really get to go to Paris?" I said, ready to fly out of my chair.

    "Yes, you do!" she said. "Just remember to bring enough of your medications with you, stay hydrated, and to find a clinic near your hotel in case of an emergency."

    "Okay. Got it. Thank you so much."

    "You're welcome. Have fun on your trip. I'll see you when you get back!"

    She hung up and I grabbed my crutches, going as fast as my pregnant self could down the hallway and screaming to my dad. I couldn't believe it. I was going to flipping France!

    When I got to school on Monday, I talked with my friends and classmates about our Paris trip itinerary. Two separate French teachers were taking us twenty lucky kids overseas. There were a lot of requirements for the trip, like having an A in the class, good attendance, and being able to pay the deposit for the trip, which wasn't easy. I gave my dad some of my leftover camp money to help him out.

    While I was sitting there, I couldn't decide if I was more excited for The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, or Disneyland Paris. There was just so much going on, and I was ready to eat all the food. I couldn't wait for a fruity, chocolaty, authentic crepe.

    The rest of the day was a blur, until I got home. My dad said there was a surprise waiting for me. I was hoping it was the special crib sheets I ordered off of Etsy. When we walked in, he took me into the garage. That place was so jam-packed full of junk. We never went in there. But this time, there was a little spot that was cleared.

He turned on the dim lights, and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a super-chic, pink mobility scooter. I wanted to scream.

"Papa, no way!" I said.

"Oui! For my little explorer. I called the insurance company and it was covered! The one time my American health insurance has helped us out," he said. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah! C'est fantastique, Papa!" I said, taking a seat on it. "Can I try it out?"

"Go ahead."

I sat down, turned the key, and grabbed the handles. I used a power wheelchair for a little bit when I was younger, but not a scooter. It took me a couple minutes to get the hang of it. The controls were literally "forward" and "reverse," so it was pretty easy.

I went back to the garage with my dad and got off the scooter.

"Merci beaucoup, Papa," I said. " I love it! Especially since it matches my crutches."

"And let me show you the best part," he said, getting down on the ground.

I watched as he folded the scooter all the way up. When it was folded, I could pull it around like a suitcase.

"I called both airlines, and you can even fit this in the overhead bins. You can always have it with you," he said.

"That's so awesome...but how did you get it this quickly? Doctor Andrews only gave me my clearance to go on Friday night."

"The beauty of Amazon Prime," he said.

We both chuckled and went into the house. There was less than a week to go before the big trip, so I had to get packing.

***

8/28/22--Thank you for 300 reads!