Chapter 4: My New Friend

When I was a young girl…

Alex's essay astonished and surprised me. During the summer, he traveled to a variety of regions and countries. Was his family excessively wealthy? What was he, a mafia boss's son? Was he the president's son? I'm joking, of course. To be honest, I was envious of Alex. Aside from being out of town and abroad, I'm sure he's never gone hungry or gotten into debt because he's never run out of money. His lifestyle was rich, not merely comfortable.

I've never visited Nightshade City, but I've heard it's gorgeous there, even if it gets very hot in the summer, according to my cousin. You'll be transported back to a time when people still rode in horse-drawn carriages along cobblestoned roads. The brick buildings and other establishments there are extremely old, but they made sure to have them refurbished to keep the place's beauty and charm so that many people visit it on a regular basis. The citizens are believed to be content since the government is well-run. It's a very lovely and clean place.

I’ve never been to Hawaii yet. I usually only see it in movies and television shows. The beach is lovely, and many women are performing ethnic dances. Their lengthy hair is adorned with flowers. Hawaiians have a diverse cultural heritage. Ethnic dancers are known for their vivacity. The native cuisine is also delectable and distinctive. Hawaiians have a beautiful complexion. The animated film Lilo and Stitch comes to mind. They swim there frequently, most likely due to the beauty of their beaches.

Most people's bucket lists include a trip to Hong Kong, and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It's mostly due to Disneyland. Disneyland is one of the world's most popular theme parks. Aside from the exciting rides, the vistas are also stunning, thanks to the castles and other lovely and attractive attractions. Of course, I've never traveled here before. But, according to my wealthy cousin, that place is enjoyable. You can pose with your favorite Disney characters for pictures. When you're there, it's like if you're playing all day. This is an excellent location for kids and the young at heart.

Paris, France is one of the world's most romantic cities. You can bring your sweetheart there, especially if you want to propose to her. The tourist attractions are breathtaking, particularly my beloved Eiffel Tower, which I had only seen in movies and photographs. It has always been a dream of mine to visit there. But, realistically, at this point in my life, that dream seemed unlikely to come true.

I've heard the food is great there. Sweet and tasty dishes are served. The French people are fond of cheese. Nonetheless, the French keep their superb health because they like exercising and eating a well-balanced diet. They prefer to eat slowly so that they can relish every mouthful of good cuisine.

Listening to their language is incredibly lovely and romantic, and it makes me want to learn it.

Iceland lives up to its name, as the country is literally surrounded by ice. It was still freezing there in March. It's not just cold; it's very cold. I've always wanted to witness the Aurora Borealis, often known as the Northern Lights, in person.

My family and I did not take a lavish vacation this summer. I spent most of my time assisting my mum with home duties. My father is usually not at home because he is working as a fisherman. Because my younger siblings were too little to look for themselves, I took care of them.

When there's a brownout (when there's no power for a short period of time), I sang and played guitar as hobbies. My father purchased the Song Hits magazine for us. My siblings and I shared the magazine. I learned to sing popular songs and play the guitar through that magazine.

We watched TV when there was electricity. We don't have cable and only have a little TV. We kept ourselves occupied by watching local channels. When the channels were not clear, I adjusted the antenna. We have a console system called Family Computer. It was an ancient console that belonged to my father. And, yes, it still functioned.

Even though the graphics were outdated, we had a good time playing it.

To pass the time, I read novels and comic books. Every night before they went to bed, I read children's books to my younger siblings. My siblings and I played pretend games like Cooking and Restaurant, in which we shaped soil in our backyard into clays and cooked them in our plastic stove. When we completed cooking our "meal," we placed it on our plastic plates and gave it to our pretend guests. We didn't eat the soil, of course, because that would be foolish and unsafe.

With my younger sister and our neighborhood friends, we played Beauty Pageant. My sister, along with her friends, was one of the contestants. They dressed themselves in blankets and pretended to be wearing gowns made of those blankets. My friends and I were the judges of the competition. Everyone was awarded a title.

My sister and her friends pretended to be members of a girl group, and we, the elder players, were the managers in a game we called Girl Group. Their group was named Wild West Girls and they sang pop songs. We also played Barbie, and we even had a male friend who was playing with his Ken doll. My rich friend invited me over to her house with our other rich friends and we watched Friends. Yes, I'm the only one in our group who isn't wealthy, yet they enjoyed playing and socializing with me.

We also played Heaven or Hell, in which the devil would drag the other players down from "heaven," which was the steps in front of my friend's house. The "it/devil" stood on the ground of "hell." The devil would be replaced by the individual who was dragged down into hell.

Hide and seek, dodgeball, hopscotch, traffic cop, Chinese Garter, Marbles, Tag, Freeze Tag, and Heads Up, Seven Up, and Trip to Jerusalem were among the other outdoor games we played. We also went for a bike ride around the neighborhood.

We had a good time in the playground. We put a tire swing alongside the brook and took turns riding it. We bathed in the brook with our clothes on when it got too hot. It rained a lot in May. We took a shower in the rain. For additional money, my mother and I would make iced candies and shaved ice and sell them.

Alex was my first friend at my new school. What was my initial impression of him? Handsome. As in, he's quite attractive. If he so desires, he could pursue a career as an actor or a male model. He was tall and thin, with a chiseled face and dreamy blue eyes. Isn't he a real dreamboat? I'm sure he and his friends had a lot of girlfriends. He could have made a lot of girls cry.

He exuded confidence without being arrogant. He was a decent guy. He was a gentleman to the core. I could see he had a lot of friends because everyone waved to him as we walked down the corridor, through the cafeteria, and through the halls. He was well-known by all. Everyone was overjoyed to see him, and their greetings were genuine.

When he asked about the book I was reading, Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, he listened intently to all I said. He wasn't just polite; he was genuinely interested. I was glad since he was the first person to question me about a book and he listened to me carefully. So when he was listening to me, I felt like I was on a TED Talk, discussing an important book and imparting wisdom. It's exciting to meet someone who would truly listen and pay attention to what you say.

Many people just like to keep quiet while waiting for their turn to speak. Which is unfortunate since I believe that if everyone listened to and respected one another, the world would be a better place to live in. Yes, I believe there is a greater need for Alexander Pierce in the world.

I admired him from the beginning because he was such an angel. I had the impression that he was also a smart individual. I told him that he was also broad-minded. Perhaps he inherited many positive characteristics from his parents, who were likewise nice, polite, and intellectual. He was well-off, and life was easy for him. I could tell he wasn't spoilt in any way.

Rich people can be haughty, look down on the poor, and be spoilt, but he is not one of them. He wouldn't have talked to me if he were like that.

He is not one of those rich people who are pompous, look down on the poor, and are spoilt. If he was like that, he wouldn't have talked to me.

I was already at ease in his presence. I tried to see the good in people as much as possible, so I hung out with individuals from all walks of life. But, to be honest, I've been finding it difficult to establish friends with people that have strong personalities lately. My neighborhood friends were an exception because they've known me since I was five years old. Alex was also an exception since he was exceptionally nice. I was already happy to have him as a friend.

I had the impression that we would be close friends for a long time. He offered to walk me home, but I declined. Perhaps he was taken aback by that. He was only trying to be helpful. I didn't want to say no, but it was too sudden for me, and I felt ashamed of my home and my level in life. I might let him walk me home another day, but not now.

When I got home, I took a shower right away because I knew someone would use the restroom at any moment. We only had one bathroom in the house, as I previously stated, and my family and I were battling over who gets to use it. I used sachets of scented shampoo and antibacterial soap from my next-door neighbor, Harper, who managed a variety store. After a fast bath, I quickly dried myself with a towel and changed into my regular house clothing. I was just impoverished, and the clothes I wore were low-cost and quickly shredded due to their poor quality.

So, for such an easy challenge, I decided to sew these clothes by hand. Even though we studied sewing in Home Economics, most of the girls my age didn't know how to sew. My mother sewed a lot, so I enjoyed it, too. After all, she made a living as a seamstress. I was using my allowance to save money to purchase my own sewing machine. Did I wish to follow in my mother's footsteps and become a seamstress? To be honest, I wasn't entirely certain.

I didn't have grandiose ambitions since, for impoverished people like myself, dreaming big was a waste of time. All I wanted to do was finish my studies. I'd do everything my parents wanted for me. Instead of following my own dreams, I was willing to follow theirs.

I sat down in front of the television and switched it on. I adjusted the antenna because the local channel was not clear. It was time for Yu Yu Hakusho. It was my all-time favorite anime, so I was overjoyed. Hiei has always been a hero of mine because he was a badass. He was lightning swift and incredibly powerful. He, too, was a lone wolf, an introvert like me.

I turned off the TV after watching Yu Yu Hakusho and kept reading Breakfast for Champions overnight. I finished the book because, aside from the fact that the tale was compelling, I needed to return it to the library. The book was out of my price range at a local bookstore, so I couldn't afford it. I also borrowed books from the library the majority of the time. It's so hot so I ate ice scramble in between breaks.