I pretend that I am a little girl at home and everything else has been a dream. The train in the distance sounds the same as it did back then. The approaching whistle blows as it pulls into town; enveloping me in a tranquility that makes the rest easy to imagine.
The thud from above is not my upstairs neighbor moving around. It's my brother shifting in bed one room over. The door slamming just below, on the second floor, is actually my dad taking out the trash. The footsteps in the hall don't belong to visiting strangers. They are my mom's as she comes to announce lights out.
When I wake up, the train is gone. I keep my eyes closed and savor the silence. That's when I slowly begin to realize that my neighbors aren't actually taking a break from their raucous morning lawn mowing, because my next door neighbors don't have a lawn anymore. Then I open my eyes and survey my reality.
Somewhere between watching the night sky, and hiding from the morning light the windows changed, and I grew up.
More often than I'd care to admit, I feel the same way. Well, aside from the part about feeling like a little girl - that part happens waaay more often. :D
ReplyDeleteWell, in either respect,it's nice to know I'm not alone.
DeleteCertainly not alone there.
DeleteSo I'm curious, it's been a very long time, but do you happen to remember me?
Not sure, but I remember that in high school I sold my "soul" for $1 to someone with your same name.
DeleteI'm not sure I ever gave you that dollar, come to think of it. :)
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