Waiting For An Eclipse

Chapter 1

Days of Aurora Paige Lewis
Volume 5, Part 2

May 23, 2016

This day was the day that I was back from my summer vacation in Europe. Two months seemed to run by fast, like it just seemed long due to the fact that seconds piled up into minutes piled up into hours and finally piled up into days.

I was the only one who had to fly back home early. Dad, Mom, Ethan, and Penelope were all lucky to still stay until the end of the month. Ethan and Penelope's college opening cerenomy was still on July. Unfortunately for me, enrolment was in two days.

I'll be in eleventh grade soon.

I walked out of the plane, carrying a duffel bag and waited for my two-wheeled red suitcase to appear in the baggage claim and grabbed it when it was moving right in front of me.

Travel light was one of my principles in life, so don't be surprised about having only a duffel bag and a suitcase for two months vacation.

I strolled my way out of the arrival area and into the exit where people holding placards for the person or people they were waiting for. Again, since all my family members were still on the other side of the ocean, no one was here to fetch me.

I sighed, fixed my thin-rimmed glasses, and continued on to the bus stop where people like me abandoned and alone wait for the public bus.

We didn't have nearby relatives that can come and fetch me. All of them were living in the North, where both my parents were born and raised. Only when they got married that they decided an urban city full of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers weren't exactly a good place to raise children, especially when the Northern part of the country emits too much carbon dioxide and smoke.

The Southern part of the country weren't anything like the Northern. In fact, the high-rise you see were trees, mountains, plantations. Although there are urban cities in the South, they weren't all nearby. The only urban city near my town is 30 minutes away.

The public bus finally came, and people start to get in. Travel light was my principle, but for me, it only meant to bring 2-3 luggages. It didn't mean my baggages were light, so I struggled to carry my suitcase.

I was taking so long that someone grabbed my suitcase and carried it inside the bus. For a moment, I was surprised and quickly rode the bus.

The guy placed the suitcase beside an empty seat and walked towards the back of the bus. He only had a huge travel backpack and wore headphones that made me somewhat relieved to the fact that I wasn't able to thank him.

I sat on the empty seat right beside the aisle, wondering if I should glance behind and look at my savior's face just so I'd be familiar with him in case we happened to pass by each other in this small town. I decided that I will once I'll head down.

But my plans failed when he walked down the aisle of the bus, ready to go down on the next stop. He was standing a few feet away from me, his back turned. I looked out the window and realized the next stop was closing in. In that I knew it was now or never.

Besides, he wasn't wearing his headphones anymore. If I don't do this now, I'm going to regret it later.

I heaved a deep breath before tugging at the end of his sleeves. He didn't seem to feel my small act, so I tugged some more. He turned and looked down at me.

I was surprised yet again that this guy wasn't an old, adult man that I expect him to be. He looked to be a student around my age.

"Um, I'm about to go down to the next stop." He said, probably because I wasn't able to say anything.

"Ah, thanks." I blurted out fast. He seemed confused to what I said, so I pointed at my suitcase.

"Ahh, no problem. Glad to be of help." He said, and as the bus stopped, he gave me a smile.

"See ya." He greeted and waved at me before finally going down.

For some reasons, I found his smile really cheerful and attractive that for a moment, I hoped I would really see him again.

I reached home late afternoon and the sky was already getting dark. Dad called me and asked me if I was home already. I answered yes. Then he told me to take care of myself, and that he deposited money on my account for my food.

Mom got the phone from Dad and informed me that I could stay in Katrina's house or that I can let anyone stay with me for the time being, but I told her that I can manage alone fine. Then they both bid good bye, and I told them to enjoy themselves.

I unpacked my stuff putting all my clothes in the laundry basket and leaving my other stuff for me to unpack tomorrow.

Then before I slept after a tiring day, I wrote down this entry.

- - -

I flipped through the next page and found out that Mom's entry for May 24th was just her unpacking and cleaning the house. It was just short unlike the first one. But what got me wanting to read it more was because her entries were turning out to be a story of a teenage girl.

I got excited to read the next page after that, eager to know about Mom's love stories or how she met Dad. When the three of us asked about their love story, both of them were very vague at them.

Now that I got ahold of a more detailed one, I wasn't going to delay any further. Especially now that Dad was embarassed about this.

"Enough, Charley. It's late. Go to sleep, and continue tomorrow."

I gasped softly as Dad turned the light off, leaving my whole room dark, except for the glow in the dark stars on my ceiling.

"Dad!" I shouted as I turn the lampshade on beside me.

"Good night, darling." I heard Dad call out.

I close the notebook, placing it inside my drawer, and like the end of Mom's tiring day, I fell asleep.

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