Ride the waves; It's a surfing term. Surfers paddle out to catch waves. They wait for a really good, high, strong wave, then they surf it into shore. When you ride a wave, it's not YOUR power propelling you, it's the strength of the natural phenomen...
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Chapter 29: Waves Don't Die
Cardboard boxes scribbled on in black broad felt-tip marker, the walls on my side of the room I shared with Riley bare and devoid of the usual smiling framed faces, dirt and dust shapes on the wall like templates of the picture frames that once hung there, white parcel labels stuck on black garbage bags of clothes, as each thing is packed and moved into the hallway, it starts to be become bare and void of the character it once housed.
I should be excited right now.
Yay! I am free!
I can stare at the ceiling forever without being interrupted by my aunt telling me to do my homework. I can go home at 2am without her yelling at me. I can sleep with my mouth open without Riley chucking a pillow at my head.
But reality has hit me like a truck.
Who the bloody hell will clean my toilet? And of course food. I'd miss Sarah's cooking, no doubt my stomach will become a garbage can. Stuffed with anything that I can afford to buy. Half baked potatoes, cold chapati, toast with no butter because I ran out a week ago and forgot to buy some and now spent all my money on college textbooks. I'm realising that monthly groceries don't fall out of sky. I'd have to pay for it.
In a few days I'll take a train to the airport and begin my new life in another state, as a college student.
I'd grow up and learn to live on my own. I would have my own failings, but I would have to get up and walk the mile on my own. With each passing day, I'll become more responsible. I'll wash my own clothes, make my own food, clean my bathroom and take care of myself. I'll also come to figure out how dependent we are on the people that look after us, whether it be our parents, grandparents; my aunt and that we struggle to survive on our own. That we struggle to take care of one individual that is ourselves. That a large amount of resources is required for survival and maintenance of just one individual.
I will enjoy this new freedom and this phase of my life. Yes, I will definitely feel homesick, but that is what makes our home a special place in our hearts, otherwise we will never learn to truly value home and our family.
I sighed out deeply sitting the last cardboard box down on the floor with a thud, labelling it "random books" with a now dried out black sharpie.
"How's it going?" Sarah appears besides me and stands over me in the hallway as I'm slumped on the floor against the wall.
"This is the last box" I force a smile and she looks at me proud.
"Wow, this day really crept up on me, on all of us" she sighs.
Honestly, it was true. It had only felt like yesterday when I received my letter of acceptance and now I was already done packing all my things out of my room.
