The Infinity Of Clouds And Us

Two

 I can see it now. Everything is about to change.

I open my eyes after the car suddenly was put to a pause and my body's momentum was still in respect to the car that stopped causing me to hit my head against the window. I realize that I fell asleep and it's getting dark now. I look at my wristwatch and see that the time is already five fifty-four in the afternoon and it took six hours just to get here, and add an hour more for our lunch break. I scratch my head to see if mom's driving caused my head to swell, but thankfully there isn't any.

"We're here!" Mom exclaims as she turns her head to me, still seated firmly; seatbelt still attached to her body.

I open the window to see the house I would be starting a new life in. My jaw drops the moment my eyes lay on the house. The house is a mix of both contemporary and Zen. What really caught my attention a few seconds ago was the big Buddha statue in the front yard. It's a really big house, although only having two floors.

"Are you serious?" I say, turning my head to my mom.

"Serious about what?" She replies as she takes the keys from the car and shoves it into her pocket.

"That this is where we'll be living. Is this some kind of a joke?" I say.

"No, why? Too simple for your taste?" She teases me.

I take my attention back to the house, "Simple? This is anything but simple."

Seconds after I space out, my eyes goes to the man coming in my direction – a very familiar face.

Greg.

How could I not recognize such a distinctive face? He is a big man with a few strands of white hair starting to appear. If I was to guess, Greg must be in his late forties or early fifties, judging from his thinning hair, but that's just a part of life which will tell you that this man has been through a lot. He keeps his eyes focused on us while his smile remains laminated on his face.

"Hey, look who it is? It's my new family!" Greg exclaims as he dashes right at me with a big smile on his face. "Did you grow taller? The last time I saw you, you were about an inch shorter." He adds.

"You saw me last month." I say, a grin forms on my face.

"Oh... Well, puberty I guess?" He shrugs.

"That was one of the longest drive I ever had." Mom says leaning against Greg.

"Well, let me take your luggage and you could take your rest inside. Both of you." Greg smiles at us.

He grabs my mom's luggage while I took mine. I head towards the door and Greg opens it up for me with his free hand. I go inside and immediately gaze in awe as my eyes land on the stunning interior that this house possess. The yellowish lighting really brought everything together. It sets the perfect relaxing tone for anyone who walks in. I scan my eyes around and my initial observation is that Greg is an art enthusiast; paintings on every wall of the living room and each nightstand has alluring sculptures made of wires forks and spoons bent to form a figures. What really caught my attention was the blimp made from the exact materials but its distinctive features remind me of the industrial revolution.

"North," Greg calls out to me, his head facing me while his body faces the opposite direction. "I'd like you to meet someone." He adds. He signals me to follow him, and I do. The hallway we pass by leads to the kitchen then a door is placed next to the counter where it leads to the backyard; just like Grace's house.

We exit the house only to reveal the backyard which is lit by string lights and lanterns. To my right is a treehouse with a rope ladder which is one of the things I asked my dad to build before he died. In the middle of the yard is a kidney-shaped pool and beside it is a table set with a typical red and white checkered cloth as two people sits on plastic stackable chairs.