Learning to love the city

 I was gritting my teeth in silent fury when my mom announced that it’s already final to move to another city that’s unfamiliar to me. My mom and my dad failed their business so they relocated to another city that’s not really a busy city to have a new start for their business and they also wanted me to study there. We’ll I hate it cause I would definitely miss my homeland, my friends and also the happiness this city makes me feel. 

   My family is rushing to fold the clothes and put it in the baggage. 

“Thylane, I know you would love that city because it is a great start to focus more on your studies than just partying around here.” She said while also packing my clothes on my baggage.

“How can I love that unfamiliar city, Mom?. I bet it’s a disgusting city knowing that it’s really not known and my friends can’t also visit me because it’s too far from here.?”

Mom is just too busy to respond to me or she just doesn’t care about what I’m feeling right now. Because our business failed, our life status also failed. Our properties here are sold including our house, our land, and even our cars. It feels like life throws too much rocks on us. I don’t know what to do knowing that I would lose everything when I leave here including my pleasant life in here. I was the queen of this place and when I leave it’s also means I’m leaving my throne.

My family keeps on calling my name to go outside already. They are set to go while I’m too afraid to even walk outside knowing that it’s probably the last moment that I’ll step to this house, the house that I grow up with. I keep on crying while stepping outside the door and I cried more when I saw my friends waiting for me outside saying goodbye.

“ Don’t worry Thylane! We will visit you soon. Stop crying okay.” Martha said smiling while sadness is still visible in her eyes.

“You’re still our queen Thylane ok? That won’t change” Rain said giving me a hug. I hug her back tightly.

My friends and I are still bidding goodbyes to each other when we heard the bust stopping by our place. My family called me to ride the bus with them. It feels so unreal. I didn’t saw myself riding a bus with my parents to go to a poor city. I wave my hands to my friends and I didn’t really look at them cause I know it would be harder for me to not miss this city looking at their sad faces.

I was crying the whole time in the bus while watching every places in the window that keeps on fading. My mom continues to give a tap on my back. I was so devastated and don’t even know what I’d do now knowing that it’s a fresh start for all of us. 

When we arrive at our destination, I was not surprised that this city would disappoint me. There are many old buildings and establishments surrounded by many people .My mom told me that it’s still a city, well I guess a city for them. I saw many people wear their smiles while busy in their work. I’m confused what makes them smile, is it their dirty clothes or their work under the heat of the sun?

“Thylane you will definitely love this peaceful place away from busy crowd and parties.” My mom said while busy smiling to the people looking at us.

Well I guess it’s their first time to see such unfamiliar faces here. It feels like they know each other for a very long time. Everyone is smiling to us except those group of ladies whose obviously not happy looking at me. As if I’m happy being here to their place huh?! I just ignore them because It’s just a waste of time.

My parents is still searching for the house that were residing and it bores me to wait so I use my phone instead to ease my boredness when someone grab it. I was so slow to process that my phone was stolen by a stranger. I saw that someone running and I follow his route with no hesitation. People may think I’m weak but no I am the queen of our place back then that means I won’t let someone stole my things that easily. I was running so fast towards that person when I notice that someone is also running to follow the stealer. 

He was so fast that he already caught the stealer. He get my phone from the hands of the stealer and the stealer runs so fast. The tall guy walks towards me and give me my phone. I was about to thank him when he scolded me.

“You maybe new to our city huh? You should not brag all your expensive things here knowing that there are many people whose desperate to get things from weak rich people.” He said while looking at me intently as if I’m a lost little girl.

He has those powerful eyes that makes my knees tremble. Someone never makes me feel until I meet this guy in this poor city. Now I have many reasons why I should go back to our place and won’t stay here.

“I should thank you but it feels like it’s my mistake and not the stealer. You know what? You just make me realize that it was very wrong to move to this city and I should just go back to my hometown that’s away from disgusting people.” I said while also looking at him intently. He thinks I can easily down, sorry I’m a strong girl who doesn’t needs someone’s help.

I just swayed my hair and walk fast away from him. The nerve of that guy!

“Thylane! Are you okay?! Some people saw you running towards someone.” My mom said while hugging me.

“Yah I followed someone because he almost stole my phone.” 

“You’re such a brave girl Thylane! But you shouldn’t let yourself into danger just to have the phone back. I can buy you a new one.” My dad said.

“Tss you mean a cheap new one? No way!” 

“Thylane! You should lower your voice. You know that we’re already struggling financially so please wait, we will get up on our feet soon.” Mom said

My dad get my baggage and we go to an abandon house who looks dirty and old. My mom and dad hold my hand when we reach the gate. The house is like a mansion that was a hundred years old already. I know they are trying to make me feel okay but I’m really not. I don’t want this house, the people here or maybe everything in this city.

When we go inside, the living area have many cob webs that’s too frustrating to look at. I can’t imagine that I will live in this house. My parents put our things on the side and started to clean the living area. I wanted to help them clean the house but no I can’t. I’m too afraid to step even in every area knowing that there maybe a snake or any living dangerous creatures in this house . 

I just sit to my luggage and just watch them clean the house. My mom and dad are really not good in cleaning, I can tell. They are both from rich families so it’s hard for them to step on the lower side of life because they never been on it until now. After many hours, they finish cleaning

the living area. It’s still not completely finish but atleast it improve a little. 

“We should just stay here for a while because we’re still cleaning upstairs tomorrow. And also Thylane you should go to a school nearby to enroll.” Dad said while resting in the newly cleaned sofa.

“But dad! I’m still not ready to go to school.”

“No more buts Thylane. School can’t wait, you should enroll already because the slots of some courses here is limited compare to your school before. And you should review now because you have to first the entrance exam.” Dad said full of authority.

I know it. I was going to enroll to a public university. What a life! 

My mom accompanied me to that university that I’m enrolling. As what I expected it’s also an old building. The school was painted into blue, I mean blue crack paint. This city is just too poor to even have a paint for their public university.  

When I finish the entrance exam, I immediately go out , I don’t feel walking to this school where every eyes are on me. That’s what I hate being a transferee, people keeps on looking out on you and starts to have an image of you in their minds that’s not even you but in the end you’ll just disappoint them.

       “Thylane they guarantee me that you’ll past the entrance exam!, We should scroll to your school first so that you won’t get lost when you starts to be here.” Mom said in an excited tone.

 Well, if she’s excited then she should be the one enrolling not me.

“Okay mom” I said smiling with my sad eyes.

We got home when we already tired scrolling. 

After many days, I pass the entrance exam and I’m starting to go to school tomorrow. I was very hesitant to go, I’m already planning to ditch class even if it doesn’t started yet.

 I was wearing my devastated face while walking to the hallway. Everyone is staring at me as if I’m a lost fish in the land. I just want to fast-forward the time so that I can go home already. I look at the paper that has the number of my room. I want to crumple it and just run away. I miss being with my friends.

“Excuse me, Are you new here?!” the girl with a glasses asked me

“Do I look old to you?” I just ask her back and turned away from her. It’s just to obvious that she wants to know me for the satisfactory of her mind. Tss. Nerds. I just put on my earphones and listen to some one direction songs.

It was so boring to be in the class. When I was in my hometown back then, I usually ditch classes with my friends and go to adventures and partying. I raised my hand and everyone is looking at me as if I’m about to answer the question of the prof. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt you prof but can I go to the comfort room?” 

“Yes of course, just get back here faster.” He said while focusing on his book.

Well it’s easy to ditch classes here huh? Compared to the city back then that it’s so hard to ditch because our professors know us already. Me and my friends are just known for partying and my parents don’t mind it because they are focusing more on their business. Well they failed their business eventually and they also failed to be my parents. 

I got out from the gate when someone grabs my hands. I was so shock that I didn’t realize that we’re holding hands. I take my hands away from him and look at him with the same eyes that I look at him when he scolded me about my stolen phone.

“Why do you keep on minding my business?” 

“Cause you make me mind your business. I know you’re going to ditch classes. I am the the president of the ssg here and I can report you to the Dean if you will go.” He said with full of authority. “I know you hate this place and you ’re trying to find a way to get out of here but how can you leave if you aren’t doing better in school.” He added that reminds me of my dad.

 He walks away. I give up on ditching our class and followed him. Well I admit he’s right. I can’t get out of this place if I don’t have a degree to apply for a job in the other city.

“Hey you’re right. By the way my name is Thylane and yours is?” I asked him but he is still hesitant to answer.

“ I’m Zachary” he said then walks away again.

I just smiled seeing his back. Hmm maybe there’s a lot of things I should love about this city and not just hating it.

Years passed and I graduated in the university having a bachelor’s degree of business administration. I am able to help my parents build their business again and we already have many branches worldwide. I may hate this city but I learned many things that I never thought I learned and that makes me love it. 

“Thylane! We miss you so much!” 

My friends visited me twice a year. And even now that I’m totally okay being with this city. They even planned to also live here when they started to have a family of their own so that we wont part anymore.

“Hey Governor Zachary!” Well my friends saw him walking towards my direction.

“Thanks for taking care and changing our friend for the better the way you change this city.” My friends told him

“Well she change herself for the better and I’m so proud of her.”

My friends also love Zach. They don’t like him at first because they think he’s trying to manipulate me into something I’m not but when they realize that I’m the best when I’m with him, they started to also love him for me.

“Thylane, I want to visit the city you used to love and I want to marry you there.” He said smiling to me.