As the Snow Falls

Poverty

Its cold, mom must have left a window open. I hate when she does that. I wish I could just lie in bed, forever, but sadly one must eventually move, might as well get it over with. I slowly edge my way out of my ripped yet still soft blanket. Its hard to stand, there's a sharp sting in my left thigh. My bed is a simple hard mattress on a concrete floor that stands cracked and dirty close to the soil. Its about 5:30, my mom leaves for work at 4:30 and gets home around 4:00. She works as a maid for some stupid rich person hotel. I cross my room to the door and walk down the hall, still floored with cracked grey concrete. I close the living room window my mom must have left open before she went to work. School starts in exactly 36 minutes, it takes me 15 minutes to minutes to walk there and 3 minutes to make sure the house is locked up. Therefore I have 18 minute to eat and get ready. I quickly throw on some joggers I found in the lost found and a hoodie I shop lifted from some store in the mall, my clothes are cold from the cool morning breeze and slightly wet from being under a leak in the ceiling. Naturally, there's no food in the fridge, there hasn't been for months. I pick up my torn and dirt covered backpack and check all the windows to make sure there locked and slowly walk out the door into the cold, white snow.

"Hey Chase over here" Jason yells across the court yard as he beckons me over waving his hand. He's one of those people who's smile is bigger than there face and talks to everyone they possibly can. He has green, shallow eyes and golden brown hair. I'd wouldn't be surprised if at least half the girls in our school didnt have a crush on him at least once in their life. Slowly treading through the deep snow in my beat up shoes I make my way over to him along with a group of people I guess you could also consider my friends. Along with Jason there stood Jamie and Joseph, there fraternal twins from a somewhat wealthy family. Jamie has long blonde hair and would kill a man if he thought less of her because she was a women, Joseph had a bright smile but was really shy, it took him while to feel comfortable around me to were I could actually get him to talk. With them it made it easier to get through the school day, it was like a break from my past and present. A way to just leave it all behind, but it only lasted till 2:00 when the wall of protection crumbled and I had to go back home.

I'm starving its 8:00, mom gets off in an hour but she wont be home tell 9:30 9:20 if the bus gets there in time. I tried to eat lunch at school but this girl kept asking me for help on the science homework, that was due next period. It doesn't matter ill just get food tomorrow. Until then ill just entertain myself. I stand from my mattress, my leg still periodically stinging throughout the day. The floor is really cold, but I try to ignore it as I walk over to a box in the corner of my room. I opened it and the strong smell of black sharpie overwhelms my senses. I pull out a sketch pad, its blank white pages somewhat dirty from the dust. I dont know what it is about drawing, but its calming. It allows me to think and get my head on straight. I scan through the already occupied pages mostly drawings of the forest. As soon as I hit the next blank page I press the the sharpie tip against the page as hard as I can, I can see the ink start to bleed through the pages. Then from the dark wet dot of ink I draw a line down with subtle curves, somewhat resembling that of a face. I continue adding a sharp jaw line and deep curious eyes. Later, adding shaded facial features and long wavy hair. I look back at the drawing and realize what I just drew. The girl in the picture looks exactly like my mom accept consumed with fear, and worry in her eyes.

I hear the door open slowly as the hinges squeak. Soon after that gentle footsteps enter the house, slowly shutting the door at a failed attempt to block at the cold. "Mom"? I ask waiting for a reply. "Your supposed to be asleep you have school tomorrow", "I know but I wasn't tired, how was work?" . With a tired run down voice she replied, "same as always, but dont worry yourself darling ill be alright". My mother had me when she was 15, with some 17 year old bum who didnt care about her or me. I walked into the the living room to talk to my mom face to face, but when I got there, she was passed out on a uneven dusty couch. She works herself so hard every day to the point of utter exhaustion. Then she gets to come home to a broken house with nothing in the fridge that she doesn't have time or money to fill, all for me. I could feel myself filling up with anger, anger for the man that knocked up my mom, anger for the stupid hotel that doesn't pay her enough for what she does, but most of all, for myself. I'm the only reason she is where she is today without me she could have gotten a college education, and have a nice job. I ruined her life, she's only like this because of me. I could feel the walls start to cave in and the house start to get colder with every word I said. Staring at my mother asleep on the couch, I've made up my mind, I'm going to fix this.