Great American Novel

Patrice Williams often wondered which she liked least: walking home or actually getting there.

Rosabella Colein read the book for what seemed like the eighth time, each word like a snowflake, passing right through her eyes and into her mind. Soon it would soon go from light snow to a full on blizzard as pictures and words swirled in her mind.

Before turning the page she took one last look behind her shoulder to see the last of what was Colorado. Now, it was just mountains. Her mountains. She wanted to run back to them and never look back. She wanted to find her old home and run inside and find all the old furniture in its place. Her Dad in his chair, her Mom on the couch, and her brother on the rug. To run in her room and see her horse collection lining up across her desk and windows. She wanted to see her bed beneath her window overlooking the ever snowy mountains of Trinidad.

Instead she was stuck in her parents SUV listening to her brother, Corey’s, favorite Backyardigans DVD. In Colorado it had been peaceful and everything seemed to have its own routine. In the morning her dad would leave for work and her mom would take her brother to daycare,only to come home to be crowded in her office for the rest of the day. For the past year Rosabella had been doing all of her schooling online. She didn't mind it of course since she could adjust the lessons to her learning speed.

All that pleasantness had stopped about six months ago. Her dad had been offered a job in journalism that involved hours that were not as demanding and a better paycheck. Her dad, of course, accepted the job. Unfortunately, her father didn't realize the job was in Macon, Georgia until further examining the contract he signed. By then it was too late. The office in Macon had been notified that he had been employed and expected to see him there next September.
Slowly, Rosabella allowed her eyes to slip down and drifted off into a dreamless, sleep.

Rosabella felt her body shake and opened one eyelid to see her father shaking her right shoulder.
“What?” she said, her words slightly muffled from her sleeve which covered half her mouth.
“Get up we’re at the house.” her dad said sounding slightly annoyed.

Rosabella strained her neck to see behind her father and sure enough he was right. In front of her stood a two story sky blue house. Slowly she stretched out her arms and undid her seatbelt. She hopped out of the old car and took a survey of the scene around her. The house was nice enough and the lawn looked freshly cut, which was an improvement from her old house which looked like it hadn’t gotten a good cut in years which was probably true with her parents having to work all the time.
“Rosabella, the moving guys are here, go and get your things.” her mother said, struggling to undo Corey’s seatbelt.
“Okay, Mom.” she said back, making her ways towards the truck where a young man was handing boxes down to her dad.
“ I believe these are your’s.” he said passing her a box with her name written neatly across it.

She reached out to take the box but her knees almost buckled from the weight of all the things crammed inside.
“Whoa there,” he said reaching reaching out to steady her,” here, hold it like this.” he said repositioning her hands into a more comfortable position.

She smiled gratefully at him before heading up to the house. She walked through the front door the living room which was full of guys unpacking. She couldn’t help but smile when two men were arguing about which way the couch should go and ended up dropping it on one of their feet. The man let out a mouse like squeak and started to hop around like he had a spring glued to one foot.

She marched up the stairs and into the first room to the right. As she opened the door the light that lit the long hallway flooded into the empty room. She dropped the box in the corner and started to rummage through it.

Throughout the day everything had to do with boxes, including the pizza that her father had ordered for dinner. The house seemed much more full after the furniture had been added, though there were still boxes that needed to be unpacked and Corey’s D. Suess books were spread all over the house.

Rosebella had meant to read, but before she knew it, her eyes shut and it was Saturday morning.