Short Stories

Missed Summer Days

Why did everything seem so bright today, my perspective on the world had changed greatly. The feeling of the breeze; the wind swaying the tree's branches blowing my long hair in every which way. I enjoyed lonesome walks around my neighborhood not bothered by anyone but the sound of the calming piano music playing from my headphones. That is how I remembered it, those days I wouldn't have to care about things like school work, but the feeling of being lifted from my own body. I felt light on my feet, living the carefree life. Maybe it was because it was the only time I had felt the freedom.

I only knew myself as bothersome to my parents, I had basically raised myself on my own. Both my parents had been alcoholics. At the age of 8 I already had to look after myself and my parents. You think that children should be nurtured by their parents until they become the proper age to take care of themselves but I, I had to take care of myself.

My mother was very drunk when I came home one day after school, she could barely walk by herself, I put it upon myself to help my mom get physically on her feet as she just sat in the middle of the floor in the kitchen. Bending down I put her arm around my shoulder and helped her walk upstairs to which I would bring her to her room. Every sluggish step she had to take only put more pressure on me to keep her body up from not collapsing. I placed her in her room, and placed the sheets on top of her and she had fallen asleep.

14 year old me walked down the stairs and went off to do the daily housework that no one ever did. If it wasn't for me, this house would be filthy. I look in the kitchen, plates piled up on the counter and sink from their meals from today and yesterday. On the floor spilt wine and broken shard glasses. Getting the broom from beside the refrigerator I sweep up the shard glasses before I clean up the spilt wine. I try my best to have the kitchen as spotless as possible so that hopefully the load for tomorrow wouldn't be as bad.

My stomach starts to growl, I almost forgot that I hadn't ate all day, but the feeling almost feels immune to me. I don't pack myself lunch because our income can't afford to have three meals a day, sometimes maybe not even one meal a day. But I always make sure to make my parents a dinner meal so that they can be happy with me. I don't eat with them, sometimes I'm too busy working on school work during the evening because most of my day is for doing the chores and working.

My mother doesn't work, but that doesn't mean she's a stay at home mom. She's always at the bar or partying. I could say my mom does all the partying for me. My father goes to work but he almost got fired from his job multiple times for his inappropriate behavior and his inability to be dedicated to his work, but somehow he still is working there.

Sometimes I end my chores late and I have to finish my homework that I forget that there's something like food I should be eating. As today had been one of those days, though my stomach had been growling I hadn't felt like eating what was thought in my head was that, 'save it for another day'.

When I wake up with nothing in my stomach my head starts to spin but it only lasts for a few minutes until I regain my balance. I got ready for school and packed my uniform that I had for my work and went to school. When I was walking to my classroom I passed by a familiar face, it was Rydel Avilla,

"Hey Valeria, you want to hangout after school" Rydel had asked, one of the only friends that I had at this school, but I knew that I had work right after school so I had already known my answer.
"Sorry, I have work after school" I told her, that was always my excuse and that was what I would normally say each time she would ask. Maybe she thought things would be different but it hasn't. She's the only one from my elementary school that has still continued to be my friend. She had never visited my home, never did anyone but she had known how my home life had been. She had even offered me to stay over at her house but I knew that it would have to be my duty to clean it all afterwards so I declined her offer.