Run Home || Kim's Perspective

Chapter 1

Sometimes your family can disappear in a blink of an eye. For example, my family disappeared, not exactly disappeared but left me alone. With a babysitter. My parents haven't really disappeared because my dad was sent to a war when I was really young and died from those big loud bang things. I think they're rifles but I'm not really sure. Even Mr Chinh one of my neighbors, was also sent to the war but I'm not fully sure if he got shot too. My mum past away because of sickness. I couldn't really help her because I don't know since I am still young. But I wished I knew. And that's when my mum left me a babysitter. I wished my mum could choose a better babysitter, instead of choosing who has the best name that is... Ai. Guess what? Ai means beloved and gentle in Vietnamese.

You know my babysitter is not like other babysitters that pretty much smells like baby wipes, and are nice. But my babysitter is not like those facts, mine smells like cabbages, and her attitude is horrible. Actually, I think that name doesn't really match herself. Like she always picks her boogers and she eats them, and she always... Maybe we should talk about something else.

Of course you can tell that why someone would will ever get that person to babysit such an innocent girl like me? Well I think I am. Sometimes when I'm at bed, I feel like escaping this place with a lot of different reasons. I am not going to tell you them but you should now know some of them.

So that morning my Aussie friend Elizabeth came over to stay with me. Yeah maybe you're thinking why is my Aussie friend coming over while a war is going on? If you are thinking about this to me don't because I don't even know why either. So yeah my friend came over... Oops I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kim. Kim Huynh. And this is the year 1964. I know you might not really need this fact but it can come in handy one day about what year what I'm talking about now. Ok, let me continue my friend came over and that's when I asked "Why did you come over here, it's really dangerous?"

"I know" said Elizabeth "it's just I felt sorry that your family is gone and that you're alone. So I wanted to come and play with you. By the way, you don't need to worry the war is at the North of Vietnam remember?". "Oh yeah, but it's still dangerous" I said. "Stop thinking about the negatives" says Elizabeth "just think about the positives".

"Yeah you're right, oh by the way do you want to play ball?" I asked. Elizabeth nods. "Let's play in my room, it has a lot room to play". Elizabeth nods again.

I took Elizabeth to my room, "Catch!" shouted Elizabeth with the ball. I tried to catch the ball but I couldn't reach it Elizabeth threw it too high that it went through the window. "Come on Kim we have to get your ball" said Elizabeth "it's not just Kim it's pronounced almost like the word him, with a G instead" I corrected her. "I don't care, come on" says Elizabeth while pulling my hand. While she was pulling my hand, I checked everywhere if my babysitter's looking. Luckily, she was sleeping. And you can't believe how loud she snores. It always sounds like an elephant yelling because he is hungry, which nearly made a house crash into pieces. Maybe I'm going a bit too overboard but that's what I think her snores sound like while I sleep.

I quickly catch up with Elizabeth and saw she was pointing at a big ship. That's when I noticed Elizabeth was trying to tell me our ball is in it. "Kim our ball is in this boat, hurry up" yelled Elizabeth to me. "I know" I responded.

That's when I suddenly saw Elizabeth climbing up the ship.