The End of an Era

Preface: It has been 15 years. 15 years since I've lived in this house I call home. But I don't know why. 15 years ago, I had a family; a family who cared. I never had many friends, but they existed. What had I done to earn 15 years of hibernation?

15 years ago:

I live in Manhattan, New York. No, not the super hotspot for the coronavirus, but the first place to go gasoline-free. That place. I'm graduating from school this year. After six long years, I can finally take my place as an adult in society. I had to stay in school for an extra year- all of my friends turned 14 before the cutoff. Sadly enough, my brother, Metias, had moved away to what remains of Chicago two years ago. I haven't seen him since. Mom and Dad work at this super high-tech facility where they manufacture Teslas. You'll see a BMW or Audi here and there, but those are old-school now. When I graduate, I'm going to UCLA. It's a really old campus, and the professors there are ancient. However, it's one of the best schools in the country for graphic design. I want to work for the largest companies- Apple2, Nike, SpaceX, and Tesla as an artist. Many people don't get selected, so it would be amazing if they accepted me.

2055:

That was me. An aspiring, happy-go-lucky artist. That day, when I got home from school, Metias was there. We were really close- he was my best friend. His expression was stern and his eyes were tired as if he hadn't slept in days. As soon as he saw me, his face softened. I ran to hug him. I was just a bit shorter than him then, even though we were six years apart. Being in my big brother's arms after two years felt like I was protected from anything. Before I could ask why he was home, he pulled away, and his expression saddened. The Tesla factory caught on fire. Mom and Dad were gone.

That night, Metias held me as I cried. He held me until I went to bed, and held me the next morning. He didn’t shed a single tear or show any emotion. Metias always kept it together, and it was just another situation. Shayda, he said, I have to leave. I need to go back to work, he said. He left for Chicago that morning and stayed on FaceTime with me the entire day. We didn't use the Teleport. It didn't seem right.

A week later, when I tried to reach him on my Teleport, he didn't pick up. He didn't pick up the next day, or the next. I sat idly, waiting for a call from him. I even got my phone number back. Metias had a number, and I thought he would call me. I stayed home for two weeks and attended school online. I didn't go in for graduation. I applied to the nearby JMU and got in. Without the presence of Metias and my parents, everything was demolished. Since that day, I haven't stepped a foot out of my apartment. I learned how to cut my own hair, wax my eyebrows, cook, and work from home. My jobs are limited to Bath and Body Works and Verizon. I make designs, submit them, and wait for a week until I get my next assignment.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of my staying home. Metias hasn't reached out to me since the day he left. I've decided that I need to come out of this endless hibernation. I've cracked a window open- and I can see the farmland past my apartment. I actually need to wear shoes today, and even though I have a couple of pairs, I wear them around the house every six months. I wonder how style has changed. Judging from Instagram, jeans are in. Florals are in. I was going to stand out anyways, and I want to do my best to blend in. I make a quick order from Express and have a new outfit within minutes. I put on my flats, grab my Teleport, and open my front door.

I haven't been in this hallway in forever. Someone knocked on my door once, I opened the door, and slammed it closed again. Probably last year? I don't know. For the first time, I step outside my house. The air smells like detergent. I'm pretty sure I've had three sets of neighbors, but have never known them. Maybe they like to clean? I go to the place where the elevator is supposed to be, but it's just a wall.

"Hey, young lady. I suppose you're new around here? Take a right, the elevator got moved over a few years ago," a man, probably around 60, smiled at me and explained.

"Thank you, sir. It's been a while since I've been here," I reply with a stiff nod, like someone who doesn’t approve, and find the elevator. My first few minutes out of the house, and I'm failing miserably, I think to myself with a grimace. I get into the elevator. It's different now. There aren't any buttons like there used to be. There's one screen, like an iPad, that prompts me to type where I want to go. Doubtful, I typed ground floor and a soft ding sounded.

"Ground Floor, Ms. Delaney," the robotic voice declared. 15 years, I haven't come into this elevator, and somehow it knows my name. Huh. I walk into the lobby. A simplistic jazz tune was playing, and a roboporter was helping an elderly lady with her groceries. Roboporters were one of those costly robots that only rich people had. Evidently, everyone has them now. 

I walk to the door, and it dissipates into thin air. For the first time in 15 years, I am outside. The breeze hits my face, messing up my hair. The essence of the Earth greets me, and I feel a rush of sentiment. Living in Manhattan and not seeing cars, different personalities, and androids was really weird. Now, I can see everything. A woman walks past me with her wiener dog waddling by her side. The bustling streets of New York are nowhere as motionless as my apartment. Vividly colored cabs dart past. It’s hysteria to see that the world moved on while I stayed in the imprisoned spaces of my apartment. 

As I take in the downtown, my Teleport chimes. It’s Metias.

I pick up. “Hello?” A worn but familiar voice greets me. “Shay, I’m sorry,” he says. 

“15 years, Metias, and all you say is sorry? Today, for the first time, I came outside my apartment,” I say with a sad chuckle. “And you’re just out there, living life. You know what? It’s not fair that I waited for a call all these years. Just today, I’ve come outside, and I see siblings laughing, best friends taking selfies. What is this?” 

“I looked for you. Every day, I come to our parents’ apartment. It’s been 15 years of waiting for me too. I turned off all my communication- got around like the old days. I couldn’t stand to drive my Tesla. I walked. You were my best friend- and I was lost. That’s all,” he’s crying now. I could hear a voice behind me- crying. If only… 

“Turn around, Shay,” Metias says. And there he is. I rush into his arms, overcome with tears of joy. My world is complete. 

These past 15 years have been a hibernation- not only from the outside world but from life. I’ve realized that I can’t shut everything out. There’s always someone out there waiting for you. You just have to find them.