“Mom! I’m coming.” I called down the window. Everyone was loading the jeep with bags and luggage. We are moving out to Las Vegas. Because there was no one to take care of grandma when grandpa had recently died. My grandma is not allowed to travel so she couldn’t come here.
I know I had to go, but the last thing I want to do is say goodbye to this two story house I had lived for the past fifteen years. It is so hard to leave someplace when there is so many memories buried underneath it. Even this room contains about a zillion memories.
I remembered the fight, when I and my sister argued about the two beds. We both wanted the bed by the window but neither of us wanted to give in. Due to that, we didn’t speak to each other for weeks. My father couldn’t stand it much longer and said,” If you don’t settle this, by tomorrow, no phone, no computer and no fast food!” We were so horrified at the thought of no junk food that we settled down quickly. She let me have the bed by the window.
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed out, turning once more just to see my tie-dyed curtain I made at art class. I thought of leaving that because I wanted to leave behind a memory of me in this house.
I walked down the stair case slowly, taking one step at a time. I suddenly remembered the time when my little brother fell from this stairs. He was still screaming when he was being carried to the hospital. Poor guy had to be in a wheel chair for two months.
When I landed on the last step, my eye caught on a crepe paper stucked to the kitchen door. It was from last week’s farewell party that my friends had thrown for me. My eyes welled up in tears as I thought of my best friend Ashley and my other classmates. I wasn’t going to see them again. But they had assured me they would video call me every day.
Feeling a little better at that thought, I walked out through the backdoor. I almost tripped from the doorsteps, which once again triggered another memory from my past. Although it was nine years ago I remember it as it was yesterday. I purposely fell down from these steps and pretended that I had hurt my ankle, so I could skip school that day. Because my favorite TV show “Barney” was coming that day. But later when my mom found out I got into a whole lot of trouble.
I laughed at the memory, but soon stopped when I saw my pet Mittens’s grave, which was on the left side of the backyard. Immediately tears poured out from my already tear filled eyes. I ran to the grave and started crying. “Oh, how I wish I could take you with me.”
I got Mittens for my sixth birth day but lost her last year. She once followed me to school and hid inside the teacher’s desk drawer. What a shock it had been to the class and to poor Miss Keene who ran out screaming at the top of her lungs.
I was still sobbing when someone came and placed a hand on my shoulder.” We can’t take everything with us dear.” My mom said as if reading my mind. “Some things are meant to be left behind while others are being replaced. “I got up and whined like a small kid. “But I don’t want to leave here. I don’t want to lose the memories that are here.
My mom said,” Just because you are leaving here doesn’t mean you are leaving the memories. Come, your father’s getting impatient.” She led me towards the Jeep. I cast one last long look back at my house. My mom’s word just sank in and realized she was right. I wiped away my tears and thought. “Bitter or sweet it could be, the memories of my home sweet home will always be right here with me, forever.”
