Alone In The Wilderness

Four-year-old Jimmy sits on the porch in front of his house holding firmly onto a pen and a notebook in his hands. The sky is blue and the air is warm. A woman and a boy, maybe he’s two or three, in a carriage, walk by. Jimmy smiles, bends his head and writes,  “Mom and Dad, I want to be a teacher.”

Six-year-old Jimmy lies down on his bed thinking. He sees a shadow, he gets up, grabs his pen and notebook and writes, “Mom and Dad, I want to be the president.”

Eight-years-old Jimmy sits by his window to catch the sunrise. The house is soundless. But, he could hear his mother and father’s footstep coming up the stairs. He gets up and runs toward the door, then he realizes, it was only in his head. He grabs his pen and notebook and writes, “Mom and Dad, I want to be rich, living in a white house with a cherry tree, like the one we once had.”

Ten-year-old Jimmy  sits at the table late afternoon. There is a thundering sound coming from above his head, he gets up and runs to the window, the lightning is going hard. He runs to his room, grabs his pen and notebook and writes, “Mom and Dad, there’s a lightning in our house. I am coming to your room. Are you here? Please, let me in Mom and Dad, the lightning is going on strong,” He stops and feels the tears coming.

Twelve-Year-Old Jimmy, there’s a knock at the door, “Mom and Dad are here,” he gets up and runs toward his door, but there wasn’t  anyone there. He walks up the stairs, grabs his notebook and pen and writes, “Mom and Dad, I heard your voice once again. I miss you. Please hurry back” he closes the notebook, drops his body on the bed thinking there were only coming in his imagination.

Sixteen-Year-Old Jimmy is now grown up. Grows enough to run the barn. Grows enough to bring in food in the house. Though at times, he steals Apple’s from the neighbor’s tree next door at night, he has no choice, times here are tough, he says. The night comes early, he sits by the window, looking straight ahead, his head pounding. Still, he grabs his pen and notebook and writes, “Mom and Dad, I’m almost turning seventeen. I’m old now. Old enough to be an engineer.”

Eighteen-Year-Old Jimmy is now taller, skinnier like a skeleton, still strong enough to climb the trees at night for apple picking. There are men on horses in a line running toward him. His heart pounding so loud that it echoes in his ears. He runs into his house, locks the door, runs up the stairs, grabs his pen and notebook and writes, “Mom and Dad, you should have seen me running from those men on….” he stops. He cries. The air in his room feels heavy and suffocating heat. He continues, “I want to be a doctor”

Nineteen, twenty, and now thirty -year-old Jimmy gets up early morning, gulp down a cow milk from two weeks ago. He walks up and down the hills. Though the wind is on his face, he keeps walking until he reaches to the other side of life.

Daily Prompt: Nervous Vivid Nuance

Photo Credit: Pinterest Photo.