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You can do this, Holly, I thought to myself. Yes, I can do this for two reasons: The first reason is moving from Rapid City, South Dakota all the way to Queens, New York, starting a new life with my single mother. After my dad's lack of intimacy between my parents, they decided to separate. They aren't divorced, but they're thinking about it. The second reason, well, getting that heavy box I'm carrying all the way to the thirtieth floor of our new apartment building. Thankfully, my mom hired a small moving crew, so that's less boxes I've got to carry. But the one in my arms is no exception.
I rode in the elevator by myself, setting the ridiculous box that weighed a monster ton down on the old carpet. I clicked the 30 button out of the various choices of different floors and the doors closed. I felt the life sized box I was in slightly jerk upward as I ascended up to join the moving crew.
While I was waiting, I examined the elevator. It was just like any other: it was seven feet wide as it is from ceiling to floor. Oddly, it smelled great. It smelled like polished wood, a familiar smell in my old house. Aside from the carpet being slightly stained, it was nice.
The 30 button on the wall glowed yellow as it made a ding sound. I sighed in annoyance. I was going to carry the box all the way down the hall until I was at room 759. So, I did. I grabbed the stupid box and hoisted it up to the level of my waist. I quickly shuffled down the narrow hallway painted blue. I wanted to get to my apartment before my arms gave out. Luckily, one of the moving guys opened the door to apartment 759. He held it open for me as I made my way inside.
The apartment inside was just as nice as the elevator and the hallway. I put the box down and briefly peered down the hall. I got more detail of the blue walls and the floral designed carpets. There were portraits of parkways and nature strung up individually under the lamps, perfectly spaced out in between doors to different rooms. I also noticed a small, bruce end table that had a fine, porcelain butterfly painted vase which definitely must've held some value. Inside the vase were calla lilies.
I moved back inside so that I could examine my new home. It was insanely big. The spruce wooden floors reflected in the light as you moved farther down the hall. The walls were a nice cinnamon color that matched very nicely with the theme of the apartment. There was a small den to the left and an office room to the right. I walked into the den, catching more amazing details. A fireplace stood surrounded by various stones. Above it was a mantle. I assumed the TV was going to be there. The kitchen was right behind the den. Three lights strung above the island, reflecting the granite counters. Even the cabinets and the refrigerator matched.
I didn't see the rest of our apartment, but I was impressed. Normally when we moved house-to-house in South Dakota, my mom would like to start off cheap by renting a home first. But this time, she went out of her way to buy us both an abnormally large home that could fit the size of a party on New Year's. I think it was the settlement she retrieved after she sold the house. My father even agreed to give all the money to the both of us; he said he wasn't doing it for my mother, but for me.
"Looks great, huh?" Mom asked.
"Yeah," I replied, amazed.
"Just wait until we get all the furniture and décor in then it'll look ten times better."
"Uh-huh." I was too distracted to acknowledge her.
My mom left me to tell the moving guys to be careful with her leather couch and armchair. Coming back into reality, I jumped back into work to grab more heavy boxes that were going to rip my arms off by the time we're done.
However, I got distracted again. Going past the den, there was a wall that lead to the hallway, and there was a dining room. Beyond that was a large window that showed a great view of the city. Aside from that, it was just a useless room. I focused again by walking down the hallway to put the box in my room.
Shocker, my room was also large. I let out a silent chuckle, knowing that my mom went in way over her head. To the left was a huge window that stretched outward. Only one of the windows worked though, it could slide up and down. At least it was wide enough to let cool air in. Opposite my room was the bathroom.
"Holly!" My mom called.
"What?" I called back.
"I need you to grab my checkbook out of my car, please!"
"Okay, I'm going!"
I sighed, but did what my mother instructed. I didn't know why she couldn't have gone to get the checkbook herself, but I had to cut her some slack. So I descended thirty floors down, went into the lobby and walked outside. I shuddered once I was out on the streets. It wasn't cold, but it was a little windy. I was dressed in jeans and a t- shirt, and soaked with sweat. I didn't get how I was not burning up. But the cool air was still nice as the sun started to set.
Thankfully, her car was parked right outside the apartment. As I approached the dark blue Geo Prizm, I suddenly heard multiple sirens blare in the streets. It caught the attention of other citizens on the sidewalk as they looked in the direction of the sirens. Then came a van barreling around the corner with four police cars right at their tail. I turned my head the whole time as those sirens faded in the distance. As if nothing had happened, people carried on with their business.
How much crime goes around the city? I better be careful around these parts, this doesn't seem like that much of a safe neighborhood. I do hope they catch that person though, that's one less criminal they get to put away.
I went back to doing my task as I reached for the handle to the car. But it was locked. Ugh, I knew my mother would do this. This is what I should get for having such a paranoid parent. I went around the car, trying all four doors, which were non-surprisingly locked. I let out an annoyed sigh. Of course, this would freaking happen. The checkbook was so close, yet so far.
I walked back into my apartment to ask my mom for the keys and continued to unload a truckload of boxes all the way until nighttime.
