Summer Vacation

The Beginning

Alisea's life was about to change drastically. She sat in the small, dusty attic looking out the window. It was a warm summer day, but it seemed colder with the clouds hiding the sun. Her neighbors were outside, happy as can be, having a barbecue. Summer vacation days away. Alisea envied them. She envied even the kids with broken families and divorced parents. At least they had one parent who was theirs. Really theirs. They shared the same blood and saw resemblances in each other. Alisea never had that. And now tears rolled down her cheeks and she held onto the crumbled paper in her hand as tightly as she could. One small, crumbled up paper in a box in the back of the attic, had meant so much to her. It had changed her life. She straightened the paper out on the floor and read it again for the fifth time. But this time she whispered the words, instead of reading it in her head, which made the letter seem so much more real.

'To my loving daughter,
You must be 5 years old now. I miss you so much, I wish I could have never let you go. But I had to. Thoughts must be chasing through your mind and you must be wondering where I am, why I'm not there to see you in person. Maybe you even hate me, but no matter what, you will always be in my heart. Come visit me when you're old enough, my love, Please. I love you, Alisea.
-Mom'

Alisea imagined her mother. With curly brown hair that seemed golden in the sun, just like herself. She imagined a woman with pale skin and a thin, delicate frame. She was beautiful with a caring smile and gentle hands. Alisea tried to imagine their similarities. They shared the same green eyes and maybe Alisea even smiled like her mother.

Alisea wiped the tears away. Her mother wouldn't have want to see her cry. Alisea was just as confused as ever. Why hadn't her foster parents tell her of this letter? It had been 13 years. 13 years this this Letter had been hidden from her. Why hadn't she found it sooner? She was full of anger, sadness and frustration. What did her mother mean by 'Come visit me when you're old enough, my love, Please.' There was no address or phone number. How was she going to find her mother? The situation seemed hopeless, but Alisea didn't plan on giving up. Maybe her foster parents knew. Maybe they never told her, because they wanted to keep her all to themselves. Or they hated Alisea's mother. But the letter sound sweet and sincere. Alisea began to fold up the letter, as carefully as she could. Then she saw it. Something written faintly in pencil on the back of the note. She couldn't quite make it out, but what she could make out was
'17 Che t Ave.
Hollywood, Ca f n a'

HOLLYWOOD?!! Her mother lived in California!!?? She couldn't believe it. California has always been a dream. Alisea had always wanted to take a road trip to California with her friends , experiencing what life would be like outside of her little town in South Dakota. She had already decided her fate after graduation, she was going to Hollywood, California and nothing was stopping her.

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