Chapter 2
I checked my pencil case.]]
All
my important documents were there, pl
plus a few h
hundred bucks Mom had stuffed in there this morning for “brain food.”
My suitcase was stuffed with a random jumble of clothes–clearly she’d been too eager to get rid of me to pack properly.[]
I took a quick look, snapped it shut, and headed straight for the bus station.
If I wasn’t welcome at home, then fine–I wouldn’t go back![]
I bought a ticket on the next available bus and started my working life.
Before this, the farthest I’d ever traveled was from home to downtown for shopping.
Running on pure spite, I bought a train ticket heading south.
The whole trip was over 1,200 miles–the regular train would take 15 20 hours and cost about $15, while the high–speed rail was 9 hours but over $85.]
After weighing my options, I went with the regular train–coach seating.[]
Lugging my suitcase, I didn’t dare close my eyes the entire trip. Every person who walked by made me nervous.]
The train car was packed with students going on post–graduation trips, chattering away so loudly my head was pounding.
Even after we reached the station, my ears were still ringing.
During the entire journey, I had zero contact with either parent.]
There were tons of places hiring summer workers, so I picked one with decent pay and filled out the application.
When my SAT scores came out, I took time off to hit an internet café, filled out my college applications, and changed my acceptance letter mailing address.]
After getting all that sorted, I logged into my WhatsApp account for the first time in forever.
Le
The second I came online, messages started flooding in.
I’d done pretty well–top 10 in my class, top 100 in my grade. I’d applied to a southern university.[]
My teacher had sent tons of messages asking when I’d be back for graduation ceremony.[]
That’s when I remembered–I’d changed my phone number ages ago, so they couldn’t reach me and had to leave WhatsApp messages instead.
But…
I checked the date.
Graduation ceremony was long over.]
The class group was full of ceremony photos and videos–classmates grinning like idiots, all youthful energy and excitement.]
I looked down at my wrinkled work uniform and closed the group messages without expression.]
Felt like my youth had ended early.[]
Buried in all those messages, I spotted one from an unfamiliar WhatsApp number.
“Delia, it’s Dad. Are you okay?“]
“Where are you now? Why’d you change your phone number?”
“Your mom’s sick. Aren’t you coming home to take care of her?“]
Could these two come up with something more original?
Like Dad had no clue Mom kicked me out?
He was calling me back because their housekeeper was probably sick, and nobody was there to wait on him hand and foot. He needed his little servant–me–to come back and fill in.||
I didn’t respond to any of it–just blocked the account.]
If Mom was like a stick of dynamite ready to explode, Dad was the guy holding the lighter.
For as long as I could remember, I’d never seen a penny of his paycheck
Every month, the second his salary hit his account, he’d send two–thirds back to his hometown family. What was left barely covered his own expenses.]
His whole heart belonged to his nephew.]]
Me, his actual daughter, felt like I’d been picked up from a dumpster somewhere.
I quietly logged off WhatsApp and sat in the internet café for a long time, trying to pull myself together.]
My family was like a saw blade–every back–and–forth motion left my heart raw and bleeding.
Before I could wallow much longer, my supervisor called.[]
“Overtime tonight. Get hack here now.“[]
I wiped my face and rushed out of the café
Maybe Mom was right–after 18, I needed to make my own way in the world.]
I still didn’t have college tuition and living expenses figured out.[]
