It was a chilly and dark evening in December of 2014, and I was nestled in my room, playing with my beloved Legos. Suddenly, my dad called out to me from the dining room. As I walked in, he showed me a picture of a woman and announced that it was my grandma, and I was going to be living with her in Hawaii. I was speechless, but he handed me a black leather suitcase and told me to start packing. As I trudged back into my room with the suitcase, I began packing up all of my clothes and toys, hoping that this was all just a bad dream. Exhausted, I fell asleep with my suitcase half-packed.
The next morning, I groggily made my way downstairs and into the kitchen to eat a small bowl of cereal. Afterwards, I returned to my room and finished packing. As I looked around, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness wash over me. I knew this was the last time I would ever see my room again. I walked down the stairs with my suitcase and told my dad that I was finished. He then informed me that I would be staying with my mom for the day, and that she would be taking me to the airport later. We walked out the door, onto the porch, down the steps, and into his white Dodge Ram truck. As he drove me to my mom’s house, he casually said goodbye before we parted ways.
Upon arriving at my mom’s house, I knocked on the door with my suitcase in hand. She greeted me warmly and let me in. Her boyfriend and she quickly retreated to a room, leaving me alone in the living room. I turned on the TV and watched cartoons until it was time to leave for the airport. The three of us climbed into their gold-colored Cadillac, and I dozed off a few times on the long ride to the Portland airport. Once we arrived, my mom and I stepped out of the car, and I clutched onto my suitcase. After waiting for a while, our flight was finally announced, and
we made our way to the plane. As I stepped onto the plane, I noticed that the interior was a welcoming beige color, and I was grateful to have snagged a window seat. I stowed away my suitcase and sat down, peering out of the window. The feeling of liftoff was exhilarating, as I felt the rush of adrenaline and excitement course through my veins. As we soared higher into the sky, I watched the world shrink down to tiny specks below. Eventually, my eyes grew heavy, and I drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
When I awoke, we had arrived in Hawaii. I grabbed my suitcase and waited for the other passengers to disembark. As we made our way out of the plane, a beige-colored Ford truck was waiting for us, with my Grandma behind the wheel. We tossed our luggage into the back and hopped in after exchanging greetings. It felt a bit awkward, as I didn’t remember her from the picture, but I knew she was supposed to be my Grandma. The drive was long, but we finally arrived in Paauhau. We turned left, drove straight, and then took a right into a driveway leading up to a wide-light beige house with a red roof. My Grandma dropped us off and told us to go inside. As we walked through the door, an old-looking woman was waiting for us. She introduced herself as my Great-Grandma, and we exchanged pleasantries. In the living room, I noticed two couches that could fold into beds. My mom sat on one, and I took a seat on the other, wondering what my new life in Hawaii would be like.
