shattered

chapter 1

Don't you just hate it when your parents think they can just burst into your room, in the middle of your afternoon nap screaming? A few moments ago my mom June came running through my door startling me out of my sleep and pulls me into one of her extra tight, full of love hugs.
"Hi mom i say gently pulling from her. She looks down at me her hazel eyes glimmering.
" Guess what i found in the mail this morning?" she asks. I look down at her hand holding a white envelope with the words Mount High University. My heart begins to beat faster than it was before my mom came in.
"Did you open it? can you open it? and tell me what is inside." I know exactly what is inside. i just hope its good news.
"I want is to open it together. This is a big change for all of us as a family. As you know-" i fall back onto my pillow in protest of what she is about to say.
"Mom you tell me the same thing all the time. I'm the first to go to college"
She nods.
"you are the only one that made it pass the 1st year." she says as she strokes away the hair the had landed on my face when I fell back.
    My dad moved the family from Haiti to The U.S when i was in 3rd grade. Ever since then, the only lecture my siblings and i get from our parents was about working hard in school and graduating. although i agree the lecture and the many values we were taught are very important, i wish my parents would let me do some growing up on my own. that's why when I was encouraged by my adviser to live o campus I went with the idea. I had to tell my parents my plans of course. one thing i learned growing up in a Haitian household is that if you dear do anything behind your parents back and they find out, you will never hear the end of the topic. EVER.
    When I told my mom, at first she was not too thrilled about me leaving home, but after some further convincing she agreed that college life can't be fully experienced from home. With my dad however, me,my mom and my 2 older brothers and sister had to set up and intervention type meeting. One day after he came home from working at the police station and had his nap, my mom called him down into the family room where the rest of us were waiting patiently.
"What is going on? did someone die?" he says making his way to sit besides my mom.
I wanted to break the news to him fast while he was still sleepy from his nap, so i fired away.
"Dad i got accepted into Mount High university, and I was thinking about staying on campus." we all wait in silence waiting my fathers response.
"Now Kyara you know how i feel about you guys being far from home."
"I know dad, but  think this will be a great experience for me. i still have a lot of growing up to do. some of that includes learning some life lessons on my own."
"What life lessons will you be learning?" he asks bluntly. My little speech clearly did not impress him. Luckily my mom spoke up.
"Darius, everyone should at least experience the college life. We both were on campus ourselves. we turned out fine." He looks at his wife who he loves to let the world know, is the love of his life (aside from God of course) and his voice of reason. He smiles then nods his head.
"College was fun because we got into reckless teenager things." I think he was referring to almost having sex before they were married.  The story as I know it goes something like this My mom and dad met at a party they were invited to by some friends who were trying to get them to hook up. they did not know the plan at the time, but things wet better than the friends thought. A year after dating my dad purposed to my mom when she was just 23. they got married and 3 years later my brother Kingsly was born. yaaay... Dont get me wrong i love my siblings all very much but they are siblings which means they have no other role other than to get on your last nerves. Anyways back to my story.
"As much as i hate it, your mother has point. Being on campus isn't always like what you see on TV. It can e worst, if you don't be careful."
"I will be careful. i promise."
He sighs slowly then says ok. I hugged my dad for so long my mom had to pull me away.
" don't over do it,"  she says in my ear. I nod.
"Thank you dad."
"you're welcome." that brings me to now with my mom sitting on my bed rambling about every activity i should do on campus.
"and make sure you come home every weekend. we will miss you very much." I promise her I would.