The Life of Natalie Prior

Chapter 2 - Couldn't Imagine

Chapter 2 - Couldn't Imagine
   
  

I wake up with a cool breeze coming through my window. It is the middle of September and the days are getting cooler. Just a little cooler though; there still is those really random hot days where it feels like the middle of July.

I get out of bed then turn around and pull up the sheets and blankets making it look clean. Then I go over to my dresser and pull out a short sleeve shirt and a pair of longer shorts. I throw them on my bed and then get dressed. Then I go and pull my brush through my knotted hair and pull it up into a high ponytail with my hair tie.

"Hey Nat! Want to go for a walk?" I hear my father call to me from downstairs.

"Yeah, sure!" I yell back.

I go over to my closet and pull out my favorite dark-ish blue sweat jacket and go barrel down the stairs.

"Morning sweetie." Dad says ruffling my hair.

"Ugh. Dad!" I groan as my, what use to be tight ponytail becomes loosened.

He just laughs.

"Here." He says signaling to the granola bars in the cabinet. "Peanut butter or chocolate chip?"

I give him a knowing glance and he hands me a peanut butter one chuckling. I go and grab him a chocolate chip one laughing along with him. My father and I have a special bond; it's like we know each other inside and out.

"And we're off on our magical adventure!" My father says pretending he's a superhero; running toward the door.

My father has always been one for being humorous and adventurous. He believes that everything is an adventure and always has a joke to go with it.

He opens the door and holds it for me as I go under his arm and out to the our small front porch.

We go out and down the paved street for a while through the small neighborhood we live in. When we get to the one spot where the road only turns left, we continue going straight; stepping over the metal guard rail and continuing to walk through the grass.

We've walked this area together for as long as I could remember. Just my father and I though. This is our thing; walking through the trees on our unmarked path. We just have our route imprinted in the back of our minds; impossible to forget.

These invisible paths through the trees and partially swampy land are extremely sentimental to me.

I don't know what I would do if my father and I never took these walks.

As we're walking Dad pulls his granola bar out of his back pocket and rips the top corner of the blue plastic packaging. Seeing his reminds me of my peanut butter granola bar in my pocket. I pull mine out, ripping off the red plastic top. I take a bite and let the peanut butter flavor I've grown up loving fill my mouth.

We walk and walk probably for miles in silence, my granola bar a little more way than half eaten because of the smaller bites I've taken.
Dad's has been gone for who knows how long now.

Now we get to our spot. The area is basically my life right here. The one old tree that's fallen over we always sit on. Then there's a little stream that continues further in the direction opposite that we came and it empties into a tiny little pond right in the area where I stand. I smile to myself thinking of all of the memories I've had here.

"Come on Daddy! Get more rocks!" I yell at my dad whose moving too slow. "We've got to make the pond look pretty!"

He laughs and picks up two more rocks; one in each hand. He walks over and puts them down in line next to the ones I've been putting around the border of the pond.

After millions of rocks and a lot of distractions, one side of the pond border is outlined with rocks.

"I'm done." I sigh. "It's just too boring and too much work to do the whole pond!"

Dad laughs, "It's okay. You did great Nat."

The rocks are still partially there today at least six years later. Some have gotten buried, some fell in the pond not to be received again, and others have probably been moved by animals and other nature related things.

"Come on Dad! It's not THAT cold." I laugh with my feet in the water.

Cautiously, dad puts one toe in the water. "I don't know Nat... You could be tricking me when you say that."

I roll my eyes and laugh again. "The water seriously isn't cold at all."

"Eh, I'm probably going to regret this..." He says holding out the last word.

He finally steps into the water. "Okay, not that cold. We are good." He jokes.

"See. I told you."

   

That happened over last summer. It was so hot that day that you couldn't resist cooling off in the pond.
   

"And see that over there? That ship is the evil pirate out to steal the treasure chest. You don't want him to do that, right?" Captain Dad says standing on the fallen tree in a pirate accent.

"No!" I yell.

"Then what shall we do?"

"Get there first?" I suggest.

"Of course! Go protect your treasure Princess Natalie!" He exclaims.

I run as fast as I possibly can to the pile of leaves and sticks that is my treasure.

"No one will get into my treasure!" I scream.

"Right you are Princess Natalie!"

"Watch out Princess! They are coming! Fight 'em off!" Captain Dad yells to me.

I kick and punch the pirates like a ninja.

When they are all gone I whoop in victory as Captain Dad comes over and puts me up on his shoulders.
       
      
      
    
That was way back when I was five years old. Dad and I would almost always come out here and play Pirates and I was always Princess Natalie and Dad would be Captain Dad.

          
All of the good memories I have here, I just hope that none of them turn bad. I hope my father and I stay close like this for as long as possible.

I couldn't imagine it being any other way.