Chapter 2

Marissa

2 years later

The sweat is running down my back as I carry a heavy box from my room. Today we’re moving to some small town dump a few miles from Chicago. I have no idea what has gotten into my parents but last week they told me that they had bought a house and that we were moving. It’s such a short notice that I haven’t been able to find myself my own place to stay, not that I would have the money to live on my own anyways. 

The last two years have been tough for me. It takes a lot to study at the college and then work as a waitress. Then there is the fact that both mom and dad have started drinking and gambling more. At first it was every weekend, but soon they started coming home on weekdays drunk. 

And then the last couple of months they have seemed to run out of money. I think that my dad lost his job but he hasn’t said anything. I guess it’s not very fitting to work at the hospital drunk, even for a janitor. Last month they didn’t even have enough money for electricity or rent. Even though I gave them all of my salary from my waitressing, we ran a little low.

The shortage of money is not the only strange thing. Recently they have been paranoid, looking over their shoulder when we go out and when I’m with them they ignore phone calls and messages they receive. They even asked me to quit college so that we can move to the other side of the country. I refused to do that so instead we’re moving to some dump. At least they are pleased that I’m moving with them.

“Marri! Hurry up. We have to get going as soon as possible.” My mom calls from the bathroom as she shoves down everything she sees into a box. She doesn’t care to place them down carefully and I’m sure something will be broken or have leaked out in the box when we arrive at our new house.

I roll my eyes. “On my last box, mom.” I place the box in the hallway outside the elevator and return to our apartment. “Do you need help with anything?” I look at my mom who now has moved on to the kitchen.

“Yeah. Take the box in the bathroom. This is the last one.” She keeps shoving down everything she sees in the kitchen into a box. I walk to the bathroom and carry the box out to the other ones in the hallway. My dad steps out of the elevator as I place the box on top of another.

“Is everything here?”

“Mom’s doing the last one in the kitchen right now.” I answer him and start moving the boxes from the hallway to the elevator. Dad goes into the kitchen to help mom and soon they both come out and lock the door.

Reaching the bottom floor, mom goes to the landlord to return the keys to our apartment. An apartment we’ve been living in for the past seventeen years. It is sad to move and I will miss this place. The last box is loaded onto the rented truck as my mom comes out. She has tears in her eyes and she gives me a hug as we turn to look at the apartment building.

“This has been a good home.” She says and I hug her closer as I feel the tears burning behind my eyes. We get into the truck and drive away from the home that we have known for so long. I sigh and try to think positively. We are still together and healthy and no one is drunk today. We are only on our way to a new adventure in life.

It takes almost three hours for us to reach our new house, because dad takes the wrong turn. I have never seen the house before today, and it is not a sight worth seeing. I frown as I stare at the sad excuse for a home. It’s a small bungalow that is hidden behind overgrown bushes and a neglected lawn. The color of the house might have been white in its youth, but now it is more dirty gray and the paint is peeling off the walls. Dad walks up to the house and unlocks the door and disappears inside. I on the other hand is not in a hurry to go inside so I start unloading the boxes instead.

I grab a box for the kitchen and my mom does the same and we enter. The air inside is stagnant and I can smell the faint smell of mold. Dad has gone around the house and opened every window to let the crisp fall air in from outside. The kitchen is small with enough space for a small table. The cupboards are a yellowish white and two of the doors are hanging on their hinges.There is a backdoor that leads out from the kitchen and an arched doorway that leads to the small living room.

The living room is not much better than the kitchen. The wallpaper is peeling and even the brown carpet is visibly dirty. There is a doorway that leads back to the entrance hallway. My dad comes out from the room closest to the front door. “This is your room. It’s a little small but I’m sure you’ll fit.”

He has an overly cheerful smile on his lips. I walk into the room as he goes outside to get some boxes. The room is very small. More like a wardrobe than a bedroom. I will be happy if I can fit a desk in here. At least I have a small closet for my clothes. I think as I inspect the built-in wardrobe in the corner.

The room between mine and my parents is the bathroom. It is dark and I can see mold in the corners. There is a showercubicle that has certainly seen better days and there is a large crack in the sink. This whole house is really a dump. It’s disgusting and cramped. I walk outside again.

“Mom. You can’t be serious. This house is the worst I have ever seen. How could you decide to leave our apartment for this?” I whine.

My mom’s eyes are tearing up. “We should be happy that we could find somewhere to live on this short notice.” My dad’s curt voice comes from behind me. “Hopefully everything will work out, but for now this will have to do.” His voice takes on a softer tone and he gives me a hug.

“Okay.” I hug him back, feeling guilty for my spoiled behavior. 

“With a little work I’m positive that we can make this into a home.” My mom smiles towards me behind her tears.

“I’m sorry.” I hug my mom. “Of course we can make it a home. As long as we have each other. We just have to work hard together.” With our tears silently falling down our cheeks all three of us hug.

We work hard the rest of the afternoon cleaning every surface of the house. I started in my room, dad in their room and mom cleaned the bathroom until it was as clean as it could get.  Then we ordered pizza and put in our beds and other furniture we could fit in the bedrooms. The furniture for the living room and kitchen is still in the garage until we have cleaned out those rooms and there are a few of my boxes there as well with things that didn’t fit in my small room.

I was able to fit a small desk in my room, but it is too cramped to fit a chair so I have to sit on my bed. But I am able to open the door to my closet and with force I was able to fit my clothes in there. The room is not much but I have to admit that it came out cozier than I ever could have imagined with little fairy lights around the window and a few pictures on the wall of me, my friends and my parents.

As I lay down on my bed in my new cramped room I wonder why all this happened. I have tried to ask my parents what’s going on? Why are they out of money? Why do they seem so scared? They refuse to answer and say that it’s nothing I should worry about. They are the parents and will sort it all out. It is like they don’t see me as the twenty year old woman that I am.

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