My head is resting uncomfortably against the cold glass window in the back of this dusty yellow cab. All I see are flashes of countless green fir trees. It's never-ending. It is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but I miss the city. I've lived my whole life in Chicago. Give me a skyline of tall buildings with lights bright enough to light up the night sky, and I'm happy. The hustle and bustle, the city noise...that's home. Not this overgrown plant infested town. I know I'm being cynical and to many, you'd think most would be thrilled to exchange a crowded loud city for a nice quiet house in the countryside, but that's just not me.
"Just a few more minutes, ma'am. We're almost there. What number was it again?"
"Uh...2931 Oaks Avenue. I think it's called Wilke's Estate."
"That's a nice piece of land, ma'am. Heard it's almost 100 acres or so. Nice place to settle down, if I do say so myself." Can he please stop talking...
"Uh yeah...I'm REALLY lucky." As the driver continues to tell me about this new town I've been forced to inhabit, I slip in my earbuds and turn on my iPod. I nod occasionally to make him believe I'm still listening. As the music drowns out this obnoxious man, I think back to that phone call. The phone call that changed my life.
"Jude, I am so sorry about your father. He was a good man. I don't want to keep you long, but I just wanted to see if you needed me to come help you pack. I know it's sudden, but the courts are saying you need to be living under a legal guardian until you are eighteen. Please let me know if you need me to come..."
My dad was killed in car accident. It was snowing and he had worked late. The car that crashed into him on the icy street forgot to put chains on their tires, and smashed directly into the driver's side of my dad's car. The EMT's said he died on impact. It's horrible how one person's mistake can do so much damage and change your life forever.
A few months after his funeral, state officials came to my door and said that as a minor, I could not legally live by myself without supervision. I didn't have any family that I knew or at least no one bothered to tell me about. Apparently from my dad's will, I do have a "relative", my mom's mother's second husband who had agreed to take guardianship if anything had ever happened. Now let me tell you something. My mom isn't dead - I mean she might as well be, but all I know is that she ran out on me and my dad when I was five. Five years old. What kind of person does that? Great mother, right.
So now I'm being forced to live with a person I have never met - who's technically not even my actual family.
The cab stops in front of an old what used to be white-painted gate.
"Here we are, ma'am. Don't worry 'bout payin'. Your granddad called in and paid in advance."
'Granddad?' I'm too tired to correct him. I look out the cold window and see more trees and a path, but no house. I step outside as the driver hands me my luggage and drives off. I'm left in front of this ancient paint-chipped wooden entrance that leads to God-knows-where. I begrudgingly grab my suitcase and duffle and attempt to open the old gate. Hooray! It's broken. I throw my bags over the fence one by one and climb over. I follow the dirt path with hopes that it will lead me to my temporary housing until I turn eighteen. Luckily that's in only ten months. Can I make it that long?
I finally arrive in front of a massive house. I think I actually gasped out loud at its unbelievable size. As I stand there gawking at this mansion-like home, the front door opens swiftly and a thin, older woman emerges.
"Miss Jude? You're Miss Jude, correct?"
"Uh yeah. Is Mr. Wilkes home?"
"No, unfortunately he was called off for a house call."
"House call?"
"Well yes, he's Fairfield's town doctor, you know."
"Um, no I didn't know that." I really don't know anything about Mr. Wilkes.
"Well, you may call me, Miss Kitsch." I nod to greet her. "Alright then, child, come on in. You'll catch your cold out here. I'll show you to your room. Dinner will be served at 6 o' clock sharp."
I follow Miss Kitsch up a long staircase with both of my bags in hand. Sheesh, this house is so big! I mean there have to be at least five or six stories. As soon as we reach the top, my bags fall out of my hands. I worked up a sweat on that climb. Miss Kitsch shoots me a stern look and I immediately pick up my things and apologize for the noise. She's going to be a real peach to live with.
She walks me to the end of the hall and unlocks a large wooden door.
"You will be staying here, Miss Jude. Here are a set of keys. These open your door, the main doors downstairs and few below. You will not have access to the full house. Remember, dinner, 6 o' clock."
I nod and she leaves the room and closes the door behind her. I push my bags to the floor and throw myself onto the large king-size bed covered in a large blue and green quilted comforter.
