Remember: one foot in front of the other

I hate it here! I've always hated it here, but my entire family lived here for generations. Well, they lived here together until my parents divorced a few years ago. It wasn’t a normal divorce, as it wasn’t a normal marriage, as they are not normal people. If during their marriage, the sun rose in the morning and set in the afternoon, just so that moon could take its place, now a few things changed and I have to adjust with it as we go. The robotic voice announced the next stop. This is where I drop off. 

Well, I should get prepared to go to visit my mom. I took my sunglasses off and put some goggles on. I put a sweater over my floral shirt and a nice coat it top of it. The lady next to me smiled at me for a few times and a small laugh left her lips as she saw me struggling to pull up my zipper. Time for boots then. I got them out of my backpack and took off my sandals. I was ready. Wait! Something wasn’t right. That’s it! I forgot about my hat. Great! Now I look like a 5-year old that wanted to go outside during the winter. I look ridiculous, but I love my parents so I have to deal with it. 

The train slowed down and stopped eventually with a loud noise. Time to see my mom! I got off the train, but not before I smiled back to the nice old lady that sat next to me the entire time. She blushed as I winked at her – at least I hope I was the one who made her blush, not that awful wool scarf around her neck. As the doors opened, way flower than I wanted. I kept moving my weight from one foot to the other. The air the came out through those doors felt like needles on my skin. Damn it! I forgot the gloves. If I don’t put them on, my fingers will probably turn blue. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the train. 

It isn’t such a long road, but the air around me stiffen up and kept pushing and pushing, preventing me from walking foreword. I pushed my legs into the ground and as I put one foot in front of the other, I got to the bottom of the hill. There is where it always gets worse. The air, like it had a biff with me, switched the approach, and instead of pushing me, now it got much stronger and grabbed me by the collar of my coat and kept pulling me. Because I was used to its previous trick, I ended up with my face in the white puff beneath me. I hate it here! 

I should remind myself that I should get my own place so that I won’t have to go from a place to the other. But now I’m here. Also, how bad can it be? I pulled my hat lower down the ears. The air is way bitter now, making me feel like I’m swimming in a pool filled up with ice. 

Remember, one foot in front of the other and you’ll get there, just a few more steps, I was trying to remind myself. Hopefully, my feet won’t come off, all black and blue, at least until I get to my mom’s. I started laughing to myself, sorry, bad joke. Did you know that people say that a good laugh can cure anything? Well, not my case, but still. As my body shook from laugher, my scarf moved a few inches and I could feel all those terrible needles pinching on my neck’s skin. I took my hand out of my pockets and I damned myself the moment I felt that pressure in my fingers. I put my scarf back in place and I started using my breath to cure my fingers. Great! Now they turned a shade of yellow. 

Finally! I could see my mom’s house. The air helped me now, even if it was strong enough to blow me out of the road again, it kept pulling me foreword. I knocked and entered. It’s partially my house, after all. I mean, I hope so! My mom smiled at me and I felt my whole body melt, coming back to its usual color. Inside, the air was calmer and just as it greeted me, it got rid of all those painful needles. 

The visit didn’t take that long, just a few days, but I couldn’t resist being there any longer. After all, I know my mom. If I stayed more with her, she would ask me to stay there with her, but all those needles sent me shivers down my spine. I smiled at her as I left and told her that I will be back in a few days. I’m such a hopeless romantic, you have no idea! The road back was even worse as before. I took the train again, but this time, there wasn’t any cute old lady, only a gentleman with grey hair, mustache and eyes. He looked as he was made out of silver – one of my mom’s relatives, for sure. I smiled at him too and I laid my head on the train’s window. It was nice that the needles were gone, but now I had to prepare myself for the flames that I’m going to feel on my skin, once I get to my dad’s.

I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe! My lungs were screaming. Sweats were coming down my face and my neck. I opened my eyes, I’m still on the train, but why can’t I breathe? I look around me and down at my clothes. Why am I so stupid? I started to strip down my clothes. The gentleman next to me was gone. A man across from me gave me a curious stare, I frowned back at him “what are you looking at?”. 

I took off my boots and my coat and my sweater. I breathe with difficulty because of the heat and kept wiping the sweat off my face. Wey too hot! I hate it here too! Why can't we live in a nice place where I couldn’t feel the flames or the needles? So annoying. And I'm done! I got my t-shirt and a pair of shorts with my sandals. This should do the trick. The voice announced the next stop. I was still dizzy when I hopped off the train. Why can't I get a car like other kids? I have to remind myself to ask dad about it. 

The sun seemed way too close to me, and just like at my mom’s the air stiffened up, now even more violent. It didn’t push me and it didn’t pull me either, it started putting pressure on me, wanting to push me onto the ground and to make me stay there. Remember: one foot in front of the other... 

Sweats appeared on my forehead, going down, lingering down the cheeks, the nose and the neck. Maybe at mom’s it was better! The ground underneath me felt like it was burning and I felt the flames through my sandals as if I was walking barefoot. A little bit more. The air was burning too and flames went down my trough. I need to drink something, but then I damned myself for forgetting to get water. Why do I always forget something? Maybe next time I’ll forget myself so that I won't have to go visit any of my parents. I laughed once again. Bad joke, again! This time, laughter wasn’t one of the bad ideas, as I moved, my t-shirt let the flames tough my skin. You know what?? I'm so done with all this visiting thing. Why can't they visit me? They were the ones why decided they can't stand each other – why am I the one who has to stand both of them?? 

I looked around me once again, I didn’t realize that I stopped in place and fixed my gaze on this girl with her orange and red hair braided into nice and long braids. Her cute little dress, all red and orange hanged down her frame. She looked at me shocked and lowered her gaze once it met mine – one of my dad’s relatives probably. I gave her a small smile in the corner of the mouth. She gave me a bright smile, waved at me and after a few seconds, she left me there. I took off my t-shirt. I knew I was getting close to my dad’s house because the flames were getting more and more violent – I didn’t want to check, but I was sure my sandals were already melting. I put my t-shirt on my head so that the big flaming ball on the sky won't take the chance to damage my brain too. Why can't I find some good jokes? By the time I found my dad’s house, the flames too over my shoulders and my back. I hate it here even more. The flames are more violent as they used to be, or maybe I got too sensitive. No, it has to be the flames. 

I'm in front of my dad’s house. Remember: one foot in front of the other, you got it. One of my dad’s friends opened the door for me and let me in, just like I was one of the guests. I really need to find a place. Dad greeted me, shook my hand and I little bit after, he passed me one glass with a dark brown liquid – one of the reasons my mom left him, he drinks and drinks, and even it's funny, it's not the right thing a dad should do. I smiled at him and took the glass, it tasted good and it sent more flames down my through. 

I left him there with the joy of his life and went upstairs to get some rest. As I got there, I realized that that’s not going to happen – the flames took over my room. That’s it! I had enough! I took my backpack and took the only clothes that I had there. I was a little sad that I only had a few clothes, but it was enough, enough to leave. 

I went down the stair and walked silently past everyone so that they won't feel me. Am I going to miss my parents? Yes. Am I going to miss my parent’s houses? Definitely no, but I needed to do that. They choose their life and I needed to do the same. Remember: one foot in front of the other, and so I left.