Mistaken Paradise

Sometimes All It Takes Is Courage

I didn't understand what was happening, she looked so normal, but there was something about her, I couldn't quite figure out, but once again my curiosity took a power of my entire body, and I decided to answer back.

"Hello ...." I answer very nervously, slowing lowering my voice because I didn't want to seem rude or anything but I didn't know her name.

"Bellmiss," She said interrupting my awkward silence: "...but you can call me Bell, okay James?"

What?! She knew my name; this was getting uncomfortable. I needed to come with an excuse to escape this conversation...even though, I didn't want to, not entirely, not deep inside anyways.

"Sorry, I...I have to go, nice to meet you James" She looked worried, but then she continued: "...I mean...stranger which I don't know his name, but I called you James because that's... that's a very common name, you know!"

I wanted to burst to laugh, but she looked like she believed that she had fixed the whole situation and came out with a genius solution but I got to admit, it was a foolish answer!

On the right hand, she gave me a perfect way out without having to hurt her feelings or anything; I found that very suspicious because the moment I thought about that, she practically said bye.

"Okay...bye, Bellmiss"

She looked at me still surprised, but I didn't know if it was because I "BELIEVED" the dumbest excuse ever or because I...could "see her" according to her, though she looked pretty real to me...and pretty.

Weirdly, I thought I saw her blush, but barely though I wasn't sure, I decided to let it go...enough weirdness for a day. She came closer to reaching out to give me a hug, but I took a step back, so she back off, turned around and left.

In fact, she entered a store beside my school. I've never been inside which it's shocking because I've studied in that school since 3rd grade considering my mom wanted to live as far away from my dad after she came home from a regular grocery shop and found him with another woman on their bed. She was heartbroken considering they were very in love with each other (at least that how I saw it). Even though she wanted to look past that and rebuilt their relationship, she knew every time she would look at him, talk about him or even think about him; she would go right back to that moment and hold a grudge for a long time. So, she closed the bedroom door noiselessly, got in her car, went to pick me early at school and drove. She just drove wherever until she found Greenville.

Maybe, at the moment it looked like a terrific idea, but I dolefully believe it was a bit immature, considering they had me, a 8-years-old boy who loved his father very much and now I don't even know where he is or what is he up to. I guess I'm fine with that now because I understand how hard it could have been for my mom and still is. Sometimes, she looks at me and I just see her eyes, they look so sad and broken, but after a few seconds she smiles and says I look a lot like my father. From time to time, she sits me down and gives me a lecture on how I should not ever cheat on someone even though, my dad did it, and I have it in my blood or something. It's so foolish and silly but damn; she always looks deadly serious. I try not to laugh but trust me; it's hard.

Anyhow, mom was forced to start an entirely new life in this unfamiliar town, but I guess we turned out right. We have a standard size house with two bedrooms, a small car and my mom got an average salary job as a real-estate, but because it's not a large town, it can get hard sometimes. We're happy, though, so it's not all bad.

4:32 pm. It read on my watch, I knew I had to get home before it got too late and my mom starts worrying, because I'm an only child, my mom tends to worry way too much about losing me or something.