Raymond

Chapter One💚

Nathaniel's POV

After living a good 17 years of my life in the city of London, my dad thought it would be a great idea to just pack up everything and go to a completely new country because of the divorce between him and my mother.

"It's all for the best" He said.

"You'll love it in Raymond. It's a town that away from all the hustle and bustle of city life. You can finally learn to calm down and relax." He said.

Relax?!

I was unwillingly stripped from my original life because of the mere fact the he won custody over me and I have no say until the age of 18. Then he wants me to relax
This is all ridiculous.

"Smell the fresh air here, Natty. A new start that is what we both need. No bad memories of the past to hold us back. The world is our ouster!" He says with a smile as we walk out of the air port with our luggage in hand to a sleek black BMW that he probably bought with his share of the divorce money.

"...Whatever..." I say irritatingly because after a good 18 months of trying to convince my dad to leave behind with my grandparents back in London while he and mom went their separate ways, I still ended up packing up all my stuff and moving with him.

"Believe me son, you are going to love Raymond! It's a small town near a hidden lake that's far away from the cities yet will still accommodate you. There's an arcade, movie theatre, a shopping complex and even a library. Plus here I get to make twice my salary so we'll be living lavish Natty." He says after pulling out into the highway in the opposite direction of Baltimore.

"Does it look like I care, dad? After being taken away from the only life I know, you are trying to make me love the idea that I now have no one I know, that I have to start a new life in a town that doesn't even show up on map and that being told that this is for the best will reassure me. That I'd look forward to being invisible again? Man, for a psychologist you sure are lousy with understanding children." I reply in a rather harsh tone but could you blame me?

His voice went silent as he looks over to me. Irration radiated off of me like heat off lava. I don't want to have a fresh start anywhere! I mean how is it fair that I have no say in where I want to go? Regardless, there's no turning back now. I knew that the moment I held my flight ticket in my hands two weeks ago.

"Look Natty-" he starts.

"It's Nathaniel." I correct him, rudely might I add.

"Nathaniel" ,He sighs, "I know that this was not what you wanted but I couldn't just leave you back there alone without your mother and I living under the same roof. You might not understand it now but believe me, this trip, this move was all just for you. I know that things can never be they way they were but please son bare with me." He continues as we were just exiting Baltimore watching the tall city buildings be replaced by nature's serenity.

I didn't answer him after that, it seemed better just to not talk to him right now so I leaned back into the car's leather seat while looking out the window as the population of trees thickened with every passing mile. After 4 hours or so we stopped by a gas station.

While my father filled up the tank I went into the store to buy something to eat. While walking towards the deli section of the store, there was only one item that managed to bring a smile to my face ever since I set foot of that awful plane. Chicken Mayo sandwiches on bran wheat bread. My favourite, with a large smile on my face I grab two sets of sandwiches considering the fact that I'm not sharing with that man I call dad and two large fruit juice bottles.

At the cash register I saw a sad looking key chain. I lift up the dull grey placket.

"Raymond, the unexpected paradise", it read.