What Life Throws At You

It's weird isn't it? What life throws at you. I thought I was just crossing over the pond to take care of my grandma and go to school, but what life threw at me was much much more...

A pot hole in the middle of the road woke me up with a start as the bus I was on jumped from passing over it. I pushed my glasses that had slipped down back up my nose and took a sleepy look around. There were only a few people on the bus to Sutton Coldfield. Residents returning back home, unlike me. I'm from the States; California to be precise. I've traveled all the way from California to the UK to live with my grandma who couldn't take care of herself and who refuses to go to an old people's home to be taken care of. My mom and dad can't help because they're away on business, so it's just me. Luckily one of my professors knows someone in Sutton Coldfield who works at the University of Central England so I'll be able to continue my education there. It's not too far from gram's house so I'm just happy about that.

I rubbed my eyes gently, making sure I didn't smear my eyeliner, and sat straight up in my seat so not to fall asleep again. I shifted my canvas bag on my lap before taking a look outside. The place was breath taking. I don't really remember the last time I visited Sutton Coldfield since I was just a kid, but now that I'm 19 I want to remember this place for a long time. It was one of those towns where you think it would be small, but in reality it's quiet big. The buildings, with their red bricks and new and old fashion structure, made the town look cozy and the people popping in and out of stores gave the place life. This was different in some ways from back home and I really liked it.

“Sutton Coldfield. Stop for Sutton Coldfield,” the bus driver announced back to us riders as he pulled into a full stop.

I, along with everyone on the bus got up and gathered our things. After I had secured my canvas bag over my shoulder, I reached up into the luggage rack and pulled down two large suitcases. Following the small crowd, we all filed off of the bus onto concrete so that others can come aboard. I was left standing by the bus stop as people went on their way. I took a moment to myself and breathed in.

“Aaaaah~!” I said as I exhaled. “Fresh air!”

'So this is Sutton Coldfield...' I mused in my head looking at anything I could. 'It looks so nice here!'

 I reached into my bag and pulled out a map, opening it up. Sutton Coldfield was circled and a dot with an arrow pointing at it was my current position which I wrote 'Bus Stop.'

“Okay. The guy who drew this said it was simple. So if I'm here,” I said and pointed at the dot. “Then I have to get over there.”

I followed a pen line that led to a street with a star. The star was where grandma's house was. It was about a 30 minute walk to her house from where I was. Putting away the map, I grabbed onto my luggage and started for grandma's house.

It was a bit of a struggle lugging my luggage. I'm not the strongest person in the world you see. My arms are my weakest point, so carrying two 5 or so pounds worth of clothes and stuff was killer. Thankfully I was approaching Juniper Close the street where grandma lives on. Her house was on the very end of the street and I made a mad dash towards it. I made it all the way to the porch and smiled. Last time was here, I remember having a lot of fun playing in the yard and in the house, baking cookies and whatnots.  It looked like the two story house never changed a bit. I set my luggage down and rang the doorbell. At first nothing happened, but then I heard a faint slam of a door. Next thing I knew a woman ripped open the door looking disheveled and tired. It looked like she went through a hurricane.

“Are you her granddaughter?” the woman asked me in haste.

“Y-Yes...?” I said uncertain how to feel about this.