ShawnMendes entered Wattpad.

57

<<Welcome in Pickering Mandy.>>

Pickering.
It's strange to think that I'm on my way right now to the city where Shawn grew up, and where he probably has his roots until today. His whole family seems to still live there (at least wikipedia says so), and even though I know, that more than 90,000 people live in this town, I fear, that I could meet Shawn. It's very improbable, is what I repeat again and again in my head. You won't meet him. He's probably in Toronto, or he is still on tour. Whatever.

But when I sit in this train, driving to his hometown, my stomach is still nervous.
My mum didn't mention where exactly she now lives, instead, she wrote me a message, where she told me, that she would pick me up at the train-station.

When I step out the train, my eyes immediatly scan the platform, and right there at the end, sitting on a bench, my mother is waiting. She talks to a woman her age, and smiles when she sees me deboarding of the train. She says something to the other woman, and I can see, that it's "that's my daughter". They both come up to me.

"Hey Mum!" I hug her. "How are you?!"

"I'm fine, thank's. How are you?! Darling, that's Karen, she was that nice, to take me with her car into town, because mine broke down and now is in the garage."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," I offer Karen my hand, and she smiles back and shakes my hand. "Nice to meet you, too, Mandy. Did you have a good trip?"

"Yeah, thank's." I register only at the background, that it's gotten colder the last hours I've spent in the train. I mean, they were saying in the radio, that it's gonna be snowing. They may be right. It's freezing cold. "So, you're neigbours then?", I ask while taking my little package on my shoulder and following them out of the train station. While speaking, I curiously look around. But to be honest: It's really most of the times looking the same at train stations.

"Yes, actually, we are," my mum confirms. "Karen and her husband and their daughter live just a few doors down the street. They have this wonderful house with a veranda and their garden is just amazing. - Even in winter. - I really don't know, how you make this", my mum says to Karen.

Karen laughs. "Thank you Jillian, but I have to admit, that I don't. I mean, I have a husband who really likes to work outside, so therefore I'm summer, he spents usually his after-work hours cultivating the flowers."

We reach the car. It's a really simple, unremarkable black car. A bit of a mini-van. I recognize, that the cars windows are darkened, and I wonder a bit about that. I mean, is Ontario really such a sunny state? I didn't think so until now. But who knows, maybe one of Karens family has a sun-allergy – or they just like their cars like that. Doesn't matter. I'd always prefere a cute little car, maybe in a shimmering blue. Yeah, that would be nice. But as long as I don't have one, I prefer every car, that's not pink and built for barbies as Amy's car.

As we enter the car, I regonize that Karen looks every now around as she's searching or waiting for something. When she sees, that I'm looking at her questioningly, she smiles a bit apollogaticelly, and reminds me of something or someone, but I don't know what or who. I smile back. "It's really nice that you take us back to the house, thank you."

"That's really no problem."

We start driving, and the next half of an hour, we all keep mostly silent, even though my mum and Karen say from time to time "Look, that's...". It's a bit of a sight-seeing-tour, without an annoying tour-guide. Karen really seems to be nice, even though she doesn't tell a lot about herself.

"So, you're having a daughter?" I ask.

"Yeah," Karen nods. "She's roundabout your age. A bit younger probably."

"And she still lives at home? Does she study?"

"Yes, she does. Well actually, right now she has the influenca."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," I pull a face. "I hate, being ill."

Karen starts laughing. "Oh, no. That's a misunderstanding. Ally isn't ill. She's just an influencer."

Oh gosh, I am so dumb. I can't but laugh with Karen and my mum.

Then, I say: "Is this something, she can really earn money with? I mean no offense, but most of the people I know, dream of an influencer carreer, but it they don't have that much success."

"In a few months, she's going to have one million followers. Do you think, that this is enough to live from?" Karen says a bit ironically.

I exchange an unbelieving view with my mother. "A million?!"

"Yes."

"I don't remember, you mentioning, that it was that much," my mum says.

"Well, usually, I don't go housing with that fact", Karen smiles apologetically, and again, I have the feeling, that I know this smile.

I clear my throat. "Karen, I'm sorry if this is weird, but is it possible that we've already met? You remind me of someone, but I can't figure out of who."

"I wouldn't know where from", Karen says, but somehow, I feel that she's not telling the whole truth. But before I can think more about it, she smiles at me in the back mirror. "We've arrived! Welcome in Pickering Mandy."