• Chapter 1: Leaving Chico Village

    It was unlike any other day, any other day where the sun shines brightly or the rain falls heavily followed by the thunder and wind, or the cloud covered skies during winter's day. Despite it being winter and around that time of year for the rain, the grey skies and the tiny bit of sunshine, today made a different for the first time in many years. Snow had risen and fell over Chico where I was born and raised, where I lived a quite normal life. My life wasn't perfect or was it bad either, it was the average life of two loving parents and a slightly annoying, yet kind, carrying younger sibling. Now as much as I loved my family, there were parts of the family I didn't like, say example my Uncle and older cousin Daniel. Something about those two made me feel uncomfortable, just by the way they acted, looked or even spoke. I suppose thinking about it made me paranoid and a little crazy, but you can't help but to think of these things from time to time, especially if you get so worried about them. Yet the more I thought about them, the more I realized that time was being wasted, precious time that was used elsewhere. I remembered today was special...well not special, it was something new considering the risk I was taking. Leaving Chico, which in fact had been the reason for today felt like leaving my entire life, it felt like Death took my soul and sent it off into the Underworld. I hated the very thought of leaving, yet I hated the thought of staying. For a long time I wanted to be out there travelling, to explore and discover new places, meet new people and gain that sense of freedom. I had to do just that, I had to go out there and let myself be free, let myself achieve things that no other could achieve...let myself…"Nicholas are you awake yet?" There it goes, my daydreams, my thoughts, my feelings left by the sound of my mother calling. I had forgotten about her and my family, then I realized I had also forgotten the time and went over. "Yes mother I'll be down in a minute." Remembering my mother was waiting me as I check the time, seeing how it read 9:30am and my train was at 11:20. I could hear mother's footsteps walk down and disappear off into the kitchen, followed by the noise of my sisters voice and my father talking to her. There words were mere mumbles from far away, until racing down those stairs and into the warm, welcoming atmosphere that was the kitchen.

    We all gathered by the dinning table and ate quietly, not a word was heard from each of us. The only sound being made was metal touching plates and rustling of the newspaper, the newspaper father read every morning. With the quietness setting in I was about to leave, until father's voice spoke behind his newspaper. ''So your leaving today Nicholas?'' Straight, simple and to the point had always been my fathers way of speaking, yet by his tone sometimes he said things seriously, questionably or with a sense of wanting to understand something. ''Yes, why you do ask?'' ''Well...because, your mother and I have put a lot of thought into this and we think it be a good idea for you to leave Chico.'‘ Father words surprised me, they were uncommon and it had not been like him to suddenly agree with mother, unless father agreed mother was right about things, however I was forever grateful father accepted this opportunity for me. "I...I don't know what to say?" Speechless as I was, happiness overwhelmed my mind, the sort of happiness where you wanted to jump around for joy, stamp your feet and run around bragging about how happy you where. Doing that however was weird, so I didn't even think of trying, instead I looked towards father giving him a hug, thanking him as I did so.

    After the hug was received I look to the time on my watch, reading 10:45. Deciding from there to leave, I made my way upstairs back towards my room, where the suitcase was laying closed and packed with everything. Stepping towards that suitcase made me realize this was it, this was my chance to get out there, get out there and show the world Nicholas Declan was here. With time running slow I left my room and headed downstairs where it was time to say goodbye, firstly giving my sister Rachel a hug, then my mother, followed by father. All three waved goodbye as I stepped out into the snow making my way towards the train station.

    The walk there wasn't as far as I thought, about a five minute walk as I looked back at my watch. The time read 11.15, meaning I had five minutes to wait for my time, but while waiting I noticed the empty platform and the even emptier cafe. Usually the train station was always full, especially around this time or later on through the day but perhaps no one had anywhere to go? If that was the case, then it was just me. Now as I my mind thought about leaving Chico and where I should go next? The train appeared before me with both doors wide open, beckoning me in as I stepped inside the train with the doors now closed. To my surprise the train was half full, everyone now staring at me as I took a empty seat near one of the windows, gaining a nice view of the outside world. The train then set off once more towards the unknown and here was I, Nicholas Declan sat on a train heading towards the unknown, but I knew for a fact that the next stop would be my first destination and so…this is where I say goodbye to Chico, goodbye to my family, good bye to my old life, as from today a new life and journey began.