Distress

Thirteen

We pace around the neighborhood, my hands tingling with every step that I take. Shawn looks as if he's between confusion and ridicule.

"Are you sure about that?" He asks, a growing curiosity visible on his tone.

I nod, I promised myself to take a glance in this when I go back here and I won't take this last chance fade just to see where I used to belong. My eyes darting with every house we pass by, and still none of them looks familiar with the home I once lived, where I grew up, learn my first words, made friends, and met Nash. I am still convincing myself that maybe it turned into a pool area, or they turned it into a convenience store or the worst; demolished it. All my hopes high, despite the 1% of its chance.

"We'll get there, I promise." I assure him but he seems to not believe me.

"How would you know that?" I am startled by his ramifications, he's quite.... blunt.

I sigh, he's right, how would I even know when they sold it with a wooden banner in front? I'm pretty sure it's been owned by someone.

"Don't take it wrong Ave, I mean, I didn't mean to say it that way. How would you know if that was six years ago? You can barely remember the color of your mailbox." He sighs, but he gives me a warm smile. He really has a point.

I continue to look around, regardless of Shawn's responds. My instincts tell me I will, in no time.

I just continue to walk, and everything is so peaceful. People are inside but they could careless about going outside to have a barbecue night or a stroll around which is quite different than before. We're a little far from Nash's block but I can faintly see the shiny lights on his rooftop.

"I can feel we're close Shawn." I admit, I can feel the same stone I stepped in before, and the familiar trees that are still standing in their same spot. I can see them, even the old yellow swing that is newly-painted, I'm not wrong.

He looks taken back, as his back muscles relax, "Really?" He keeps on walking too, following behind me.

It's dim, the old oak tree turns to my sight. This is where I used to sit and count the stars every night!

And by that, my clue is when I saw the oak tree, our house is standing by its left.

That's it. It's there, same old, same look. Except it's a light beige, it was grey before. And the same mailbox that Shawn said, the same old red mailbox. And the pool, reflecting above the two-story flat. It's all the same, and I am grateful they didn't change a thing.

I am in awe, I thought it would be different, but boy was I wrong. My expectations proved me different and told me to wait and see and I can imagine how I look at them, in every part, I am remembering something.

"We're here." I practically stand in front of it, where Shawn does what I do. The lights are off except the kitchen and living room, where I used to know their positions and little by little, all the memories flashing back at the back of my mind.

I look at Shawn, where he is ought to be staring at it, "It's still the same."

"Yeah..." He trails off, "even if I don't know a single thing." He chuckles.

I smile and look back at the house. My heart's in such admiration 'cause right now, I want to tell my mom I found it... again.

I can't believe how things escalates so fast where yesterday, you feel like the twelve-year-old kid who had its first crush, first friends, first pets where you all brought them in the house in front of you. I'm contemplating if it really blew that fast, from where I can remember.