Zoe K.'s Memoir

Stumbling into Connecticut

"Hurry, get your shoes on," my mom whispered to my brothers and I as we scurried down the steps into an open foyer. My dad and grandparents waited downstairs by the door.
"Quickly now," my mother reminded us as we zipped up our jackets over our pajamas. I slid on my sneakers, confused. My thoughts curled around me like smoke so that I couldn’t see ahead. Theoretically, I was blindly moving forward. Where are we going? I kept asking myself. I needed to clear the smoke… the problem was that I didn’t know how.
"We’re moving to our new home in Connecticut," my dad explained. We had been staying at my grandparent’s house while my parents were house-hunting for a few months, but I had never thought about leaving. Where was this so called Connecticut? Could it be far? I was a racecar, heading into a new lane. I had been moving along, speeding up as I went. The end was far in sight, but I knew where I was headed. Suddenly the wheel turned itself around in a new direction, and I couldn’t see the finish line anymore… Where was this car taking me? Why couldn’t I stay and finish? Was this a good thing? I was a racecar, heading into a new lane, I repeated to myself, not sure if I was comfortable with the change. Why couldn’t we just stay there? My body shivered at the thought of leaving everything I knew, everything I grew up around.
My dad began carrying suitcases out to the car as my mom brought out blankets, pillows, and a few toys. This I knew meant we couldn’t be staying on Long Island… no, we were truly leaving. I tried to speak but my mouth refused to open. Say something! I commanded in my head. Ask someone where we’re going! What we’re gonna do! I couldn’t break the barrier, my lips were sealed tight. My mom looked down at me and for a second I could swear it was mother daughter telepathy. My eyes widened and my lip began to quiver but her smile lighted the way.
We said our goodbyes to my grandparents and I felt like I would never see them again. Noah and Cole were too young to understand so they toddled towards the car without hesitation. How could they not care? Or be curious? I asked myself as we hurried across the outstretched yard, holding my dad’s hand. I scrambled across the grass, trying to keep my balance. Noah turned his head around at me and smiled before he fell face first on the ground. Then, he giggled and pushed himself up on his feet, continuing his wobbled march. Maybe he wasn’t so clueless… maybe he was just braver than me. At that moment I wished for a boy’s courage, something I never thought possible. I shook the thought out of my head, thinking that wanting a boyish trait was silly. Slowly I climbed into the car, sinking into my plaid cars seat. The car had a mysterious black color like camouflage in the shadows. I took one last look at the beige, one story house with a cherry tree in front as we slid away into a new life. The sky was dark but the stars seemed to dance, which made me smile as I whispered a thanks for the encouragement.
Soon my brother s drifted asleep and all was silent. Now I was alone with my thoughts. Sometimes I wished that the racecar would stop… just so that I could catch my breath. But then again I couldn’t let the other cars pass me, I HAD to win. I had to keep moving forward. I was going to fight my fears with hope; it was the only way to win the race. Happier, faithful, and most of all tired, I wrapped myself up in a blanket and dropped into a world of dreams.
My eyelids fluttered open to towering buildings; scraping the clouds… sometimes I wondered if it hurt! Noah and Cole were fiddling with their feet silently. I pressed my nose against the glass window, amazed in what I saw. Flashing lights twinkled in the distance. That’s when I realized that we were on a bridge.
"We’re passing over New York City," my mom explained.
"You’ve been here before, but you probably don’t remember." She added. I couldn’t imagine forgetting such a glorious place. I stared at the lights, the brightness, the happiness of it all and wanted to reach out to it, but I knew it wouldn’t do me any good.
"This is the Throg’s Neck Bridge," Mom continued.
"Frog’s neck? We’re in a frog?!" I exclaimed. Cole burst with laughter. I laughed along with him gleefully. Soon enough we passed a sign that said,
"Welcome to Connecticut!" I realized that I wasn’t scared anymore. My hair stood on end as a smile stretched across my face. The fright melted away, leaving room for excitement. I couldn’t wait to get home… my NEW home.