MIDNIGHT SUN

CHAPTER ONE

KHALILAH

I don't understand why these things happen to me, or much like I'll never understand why my mom does these things to me. I push the comforter away from my body, nothing about it is comforting me anyways. I couldn't sleep a wink in the previous night; after hearing that I'd go live with grandma starting today. Not that I don't love my grandmother or anything but I hope my mom will put me into consideration when making her decisions. What about my life? What about my friends who are here? What about my plans? My own goal? I don't want to go, it would be more easier if she ask grandma to come stay with us. I sighed, I shouldn't be thinking like this, my grandpa died of a heart attack last week. So the family must have felt grandma was lonely that's why they choose me to go keep her company. I mean what kind of children do that to their own mother, and what kind of mother would do that to her own child? What could I possibly do to grandma's loneliness? How could I possibly stop her from grieving. I'm just an awkward teenager, who can't even help my pathetic self. How can I help my grandma? I really want to disagree and throw a tantrum but my conscience wouldn't let me. I don't understand why it has to be me. I sighed again frustrated to the core, I wanna run away but I can't I loved my grandparents so much and I always loved to visit them but this is just different... I have to live there now, in a small village. Not like there is anything I can do to stop it, so I got out of bed and went to shower. I had already packed my things since last night. 'Khalilah, hurry up you're going to miss the bus.' That's my mother's voice but I'm not sure if I heard her correctly; I'm going to miss? The bus? Bus?? I fling the door opened. 'What happened to your car, mom?' I yelled.

'I have a meeting, so I'll drop you off at the park.' She said like it was nothing, she just waved her hands motioning for me to come downstairs. I scoffed, I can't believe this was happening to me. 'I always knew your meetings was more important than I am but I don't believe there'd be a day you'd do this to me!' She rolled her eyes she must be so tired of my rambling. 'I seriously don't have time for this.'

'Mom when do you ever have time for me? I always knew I should have gone with dad instead.' Her eyes narrowed a bit after the last part of my statement. 'You eat a three square meal, you go to a very nice school, you have a roof on your head and in this house is everything a girl your age would ever want. So what are you still whining for?' She still doesn't know what I want? Is it too much to ask for? 'You're not like this with Malia or Jiyaan, why is it always me? I already know you don't care about me but at least make it less obvious.' The frustration I feel, since I realized I was being neglected by my own mother was very obvious in my voice. The infuriating part was that she don't care. 'When you're done, come outside and I'll drive you to the park.'
I stopped her before she could walk away from me. 'You don't need to worry mom, I'll get a taxi from here and get to the park on my own after all I'm nineteen years old.' The next thing she said disappointed me even more. 'Thanks that should do it.' I just stood there unable to move, after what seems like hours I went back to my room; I finally realized why I was chosen to go live with my grandma. I was a nuisance to my mom, the black sheep of their imperfect family. I picked my bags and went downstairs; even when my mom does these things why couldn't my older sisters do better. They wouldn't see me off also? You know what? Maybe it's better I'm going to grandma maybe I'll feel less unwelcome around my own family. I suck in a deep breath and head out of the house, I feel sad about this things but I don't cry, because after those lonely years I realized that crying doesn't solve anything.
I was able to get a bus on my own I haven't been to the small town on my own and it's a little bit dangerous for a girl my age to wonder around that distance alone; it makes me vulnerable to scammers thieves or even worse kidnappers. I plugged in my ear phones as soon as the engine ignited; this will be a very long eight hours journey.