The Road To Success

Alex

"So, Alex, are you umm...okay?" asked the women driving me to my "home". I didn't respond, I was staring out the window looking at the small suburban houses pass by. I was wondering what type of home I was going to be taken to, she was a red headed and noticeably scottish, or maybe I'm a stereotyping bastard. I was latino and didn't really trust white people, but you have to understand that I had little experience with them to begin with. She did not seem to have a husband, I didn't see a ring on her finger so I would believe so. She was driving a new 2016 BMW so I thought she might be wealthy, probably upper middle class. I used to live in a tiny two bedroom apartment so it would get some time getting used to it. 

"We are almost there!" she said in an excited voice, the voice a little girl has when she gets a new puppy. Was I the "puppy"? I did not listen, I did not trust her, she was... I don't know. I almost took a nap when suddenly, out of nowhere she yelled out "We're here!"

I looked at the house and I have got to say, I was impressed. It was two stories tall and had a very elegant garden, it had a brand new Mercedes in the garage.

"What did you say you worked as?"

"Oh? I'm an engineer at Microsoft." For a second there I thought I went crazy, an engineer at Microsoft?

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" she asked.

"A uh... doctor," I said with some trouble.

"Oh, a doctor huh? cool, cool. Thats a pretty good job," she said casually.

"Why?" she asked. 

I didn't want to tell her the truth, I said "because they are payed well," and she believed me.

We got out of the car, I grabbed my backpack and put it over one of my shoulders. She opened the door and I went in, it was beautiful, never did I think that I would live in a house like this. She let me go up the stairs to my room. I thanked her and went upstairs. I saw a bed and a cabinet for clothing, other than that, it was really unfurnished. I took a picture of my mother out of my back pack and put it next to my bed. I got out a cross necklace and put it around the frame, I put my palms together and began to pray.

"Is that your mom, the biological one?" I heard her say. I looked at her and nodded. She picked up the picture and looked at her. " She is beautiful," she said. I thanked her and she put it back. 

"I enrolled you in a school near here already so tomorrow we will get your supplies and then it is off to school," she informed with a smile.

"Thank you."

"Now how about we get you some ice cream," she said eagerly.

"Yes, thank you." With that she went downstairs to prepare the ice cream. I took one last look at my mothers face in the picture and said "I love you mom," and I kissed the small frame.