Hope in Sydney

The Road Ahead

6:00 AM

The road a head seemed long. It was like one of those road landscape drawings where the road starts of wide in the middle of the page and eventually fades into a line. I currently drove on a road, with beautiful trees on either side that had pink flowers. Cherry blossom trees. Beautiful in all seasons. To the left and right after the trees, held nothing but green grass. It was so different from where we came from.Where I grew up.

The LA busy streets. With skyscrapers and traffic up and down the roads. Home felt like a million miles away. The home I had with mom and dad felt like it was so long ago. Which I guess it was. The last 2 years had been hell. I couldn't understand how I had let things slip through my finger. How things had got so severe. But enough was enough. Last night I was able to get out and not look back.  After months of planning my escape the perfect chance had arrived. I packed what little we had in my car along with all the money I had been saving up and left. I had been driving since 12 p.m. and hadn't stopped since. I wasn't planning on stopping for anything until I was in front of our new home.

I had been saving and working for months to afford it; terrified he might find out. Sneaking around, trying to find a place for us and finally finding one.

A couple more hours to go and we would be there. My body shook in anticipation at the  sigh of relief I was looking forward to taking. I look at the rear view mirror to see my tiny blessing sleeping peacefully, unaware of all the things that are going on. All I had done to get us out and away from where we were was for him. He deserved so much more than what he had to witness for his 9 months of life. We weren't going to last much longer if we had stayed.

I swallow down a sob that threatens to crawl up my throat. I have cried enough the last 2 years of my life. I can't allow my past to follow me here. It is going to be a new start for us. I look straight ahead with determination in my eyes. My son deserves a life of joy and so do I. I will stop at nothing till I reach that goal.
I continue to drive as silent tears run down my cheeks only to be stopped by my scarf that hides blues, greens, and purples that paint the skin of my neck.

April 18, 12: 00 noon

''Welcome to Sydney " the faded sign reads. I drive farther ahead. 20 mins pass. Houses start to appear on etheir sides of the road. Beautiful big houses with large open spaces that stretched out for many many yards. Farther down the road, stores and restaurants start to appear. I'm in the center of town. For a thursday morning it seemed many people were out and about. I keep driving and eventually the stores start to be replaced by homes once again.

''2744. 2730. We are close.'' I drive for a couple more mins. ''2744. There it is.'' I smile. At last there it was, our new home. It was a one floor house with 2 rooms, 2 bathrooms, an all around porch, and was surrounded by yards and yards of space going in every direction. Plenty of space for Oseias to run and grow.

I get out of the car and turn around to take Oseias out of his car seat. ''Hello papa.'' He wakes up with tired eyes but a huge grin at the sight of me. His chubby hands with his little balls of fingers reach out towards me as he kicks his chubby legs with excitement.

''Good morning handsome. How was your sleep?'' I grin back. The last couple of months had been tougher than last year but everytime my little blessing looked at me and smiled, everytime we woke up and I went to him in the morning, he started jumping with joy at the sight of me. It warmed my heart and made all my worries go away in that moment. I could almost forget everything that was wrong and enjoy the blissful moment. Having his love has made everthing worth it. All the pain I hace had to gothrough in order to keep him. But it was only a bigger reason to get out and make sure we could be ok.