MATTHEW'S POV
I sat down in front of my grandparents, their smiles telling me they had good news. "So, Grandma, Grandpa, What is this about?" They answered my question simply by handing me an envelope with a red stamp that looked like a symbol; A rose with thorns.
This symbol looked familiar. I took the envelope into my hands and opened it, the words on the paper was written in cursive, making it pleasant to read.
'Dear Ms./Mr. Martinez, we are delighted to inform you that your son has been accepted into Golden Rose university! A school where the education of your child is guaranteed to lead them into a bright future! The only requirement is that your child needs to stay at a dorm, for school purposes like events, projects, and collaboration with other classes. For more information, please visit the school on June 17 at Mahel city. At the very center of that city lies the school.'
I still couldn't believe my eyes, Golden Rose University, my grandparents would always tell me stories about my mother and her high school days, where they said my mom was popular and at the top of her class. Now, my mom worked as a stewardess.
I was happy about this, no doubt. I could surprise mom! I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when I tell her I was accepted to the school she attended years ago. Grandma's smile never seems to fade. It was contagious.
"Now, you have only 2 days to pack. I suggest you do that now, kiddo." Grandpa ruffled my hair as he and Grandma went into the living room while I still sat at the kitchen table.
I stood up and went to my bedroom upstairs, carrying the letter I read earlier. I opened my door revealing a normal-sized bedroom with black wallpapers and a white bed. A tall lamp stood near the door and a circular clock hung on the walls. The window was blocked by a yellow curtain tied together to keep the lights from entering this room.
I knelt and pulled something from underneath my bed; A suitcase.
Packing all the things I needed for a year like socks, shirts, pants, and undergarments, I laid on my bed slightly sweating after I was done.
'Are my clothes enough? What about my underwear? I don't wanna show up to school without one. Maybe a laundry cleaner will be nearby? How much should I spend in one day? I need to limit my budget to 5 dollars a day. Wait, is it even possible? The lunches at Golden Rose Academy may be expensive. Are my savings enough? I don't want to ask grandma and grandpa for money.'
"Matthew, Dinner's ready!" Grandma's voice could be heard from the kitchen. I went out of my bedroom and towards the kitchen. Today's dinner was roasted chicken with potatoes. Nice.
I took a seat beside Grandpa. We said our prayers and began to dig in. We weren't really religious, but we weren't atheists either. I bit onto a drumstick and like always, no one could top grandma's cooking. The juiciness and tenderness of the meat made me feel like I was in heaven.
"Matthew, dear, have you packed all your belongings?" Grandma asked to break the silence. "Yeah... Are the meals at Golden Rose University expensive?" I asked out of the blue.
We weren't poor, but I have to prepare, just in case.
"Oh no, their prices are decent. You don't have to worry about anything dear, just leave it to your grandparents!" Grandma clapped her hands and continued eating. When all of us finished dinner, we heard the front door open and at the same time, someone shouted.
"I'm home!" It was my mom! I dashed out from my seat to find a woman in her early 40's dressed in a white blouse underneath a black coat and a blue pencil skirt stood by the door.
I went to greet my mom, specifically hugging her. "Oof! Miss me that much, Matthew?" Mom's blessed laugh filled my ears as she hugged me back. I was a bit taller than her so I put my chin on top of her head, her black hair tickling my nose as I nuzzled on her head.
"So glad you're home mom, when's your next shift?" I asked as I took mom's coat off and put it aside. "Early in the morning, possibly at dawn." Mom sighed and went to the kitchen to greet grandma and grandpa.
"Hey mom, I have news to tell you." I took a seat in front of her as she ate. "Yes? What is it, honey?" She took a bite of the chicken before raising her head to meet my gaze. "You know that school you went into when you were in high school? I also got in." I expected her to scream in happiness and hug me tightly, but what I got was the complete opposite. Mom momentarily stopped eating when I finished my sentence.
"WHAT?!"
Her outburst made me flinch. Grandma and grandpa peeked from the living room to see what was the screaming all about.
"How? Wait, don't tell me..." She gritted her teeth. "You enrolled there?"
If I nod, would she kill me?
"Y-Yes...?" It came out more as a question. She gripped her hair like she was stressed. I thought she would be excited about it.
"Why would you do that, Matthew? What's wrong with the school I chose?" Mom sighed tiredly.
I felt sad and worried. What was wrong in wanting to go this university? I was sure other students went there too! And all the comments were good, so what was the problem?
When mom noticed my silence, she apologized. "Sorry for acting like that, Matthew. You're almost an adult now. You should be able to do whatever you want to do. I respect that. There's just one thing I ask of you..."
I gulped and prepared myself for what was about to come. "What is it?"
She balled her hands into a fist. "Whatever you do, don't talk to people that has a red button on their sleeve. And don't stay out past nine o'clock, if possible." I was confused on why she would say those things. But I wouldn't lose anything if I obeyed her.
I slowly nodded, a sign that I would do the things she told me.
Mom bit her thumb and a worried expression was visible on her face. It also made me worry. My mom was a carefree and joyful person. Seeing her so worried just meant bad news.
After that, I could only watch her eat in silence. I looked down at my lap before I spoke. "Why? Will something happen when I do one of those things?" I looked up to my mom, her expression unreadable. "Just... Do what I say, Matthew. It's for your own good." Mom ended our conversation. I was left there, confused.
This was the first time mom acted like this, sure she would warn me about some things, but her tone this time made me uneasy. Mom came back and took my hand in hers, her hazel eyes still carrying the same intensity from 5 minutes ago.
"Please, I don't want to lose you too. I still refuse to believe it." Mom's hand tightened around mine. Her bangs covered her eyes and I knew she was trying hard to hold back tears. I went up to her and comforted her. "I won't leave you, mom. I'm not going anywhere." Her arms wrapped around me tightly as she started to sob.
I knew what she was talking about. Dad died when mom was 3 months pregnant with me, though she didn't want to say what the cause was. Mom had me at a young age, maybe still around her college days, so it was hard for her to get by. Mom wiped her tears and excused herself. She went upstairs and I went to the living room, saying goodnight to my grandparents.
The next day came so fast. I continued to check my stuff and if I packed everything already, it was so early in the morning, around 6:30 but I had to get up to see my mom leave. "Matthew! I'm off! Don't forget to wake grandma and grandpa at 8 o'clock to take their medication!" Mom reminded me before I heard a door close. I kept checking my stuff to ensure I didn't forget anything.
'That seems to be everything, maybe I could go for a jog.'
I changed into a blue sleeveless t-shirt and black jogging pants. I put my headphones in before leaving and locking the house. I would jog at least 3 times a week at a nearby park. Mom was always strict about my health, and so, jogging became a hobby. I would also join the track and field at my school, sometimes competing in tournaments.
I had been jogging for 15 minutes now, so I went to take a break by sitting at a park bench. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand before seeing something move behind the tree - just a few feet beside me. I slowly stood up and went to investigate, but I hesitated at first. I got closer and closer. When I was near the tree, I spotted a silhouette of... Something. I couldn't make out what kind of animal it was.
So when I was finally in front of the tree, the figure ran through a bush. Since the creature was rather small, I didn't follow it any further and made my way back home.
A day passed by.
It was already the day when I was about to leave for university. My grandparents were in front of the house with me, a taxi waiting by the fence. I said my goodbyes and before I could walk towards the taxi, a voice shouted from afar. "Wait!"
Mom came running from inside the house holding a black scarf with white yellow horizontal stripes on it - the one she got when I was 10 years old. "You can't forget your lucky scarf now, can you?" My mom laughed as she draped the scarf over my neck. I wore this scarf when I first joined the track and field. Ever since that, I always labeled it as my 'lucky scarf'.
She looked at me lovingly and sighed before caressing my cheek.
"I have to let go of my baby boy now... The boy who I still remember carrying in my arms is now going to the university I went to in high school." Mom's tear-filled eyes also made me emotional as I held her hand, the one she put on my cheek. "Don't worry mom. No matter what happens, I will always be your son. Nothing can change that."
I saw my mom sniffle and smile when I said those words. She finally hugged me and I returned the gesture. She let go and looked at me straight in my eyes. "Remember the warnings I told you, Matthew. It is to keep you safe." Mom's demeanor suddenly changed. I couldn't ask her what she meant by those warnings because the driver of the taxi shouted at me to get inside. With goodbyes and hugs from my family, I entered the taxi and we drove off to Mahel city.
-
It was 10:00 a.m. when I arrived at the academy. The driver was kind enough to drive me all the way towards my destination. I got my wallet out to pay but he stopped me. "Don't worry about paying, kid, your grandparents already did." He drove off saying those words and I was left there standing with my suitcases. I looked up the school and damn, it was huge. What captivated me though was the double doors made out of metal and had a design of a rose with thorns.
At the bottom of my letter, a dorm room was present. Room 123, 3rd floor. I entered the big, golden gates of the school and wandered the campus, asking directions from the workers here and there. Finally, I arrived at the dorms. It looked like a normal building. I went inside, the black and white tiles of the dorm caught my attention first. Next was the elevator at the sides and a counter in front of it.
"Hi, newcomer! I assume you're new here since I've never met you before." The lady behind the counter greeted me with a smile. I walked over to her and replied, "Yes, I am. And I assume this is the place I'll stay for the time being?" I asked to make sure this was the dorms. I sighed in relief when the lady nodded. "I'll see your letter first, please!" I gave her my letter and she stamped something on it. I saw it was a checkmark. "You may proceed. Here are your keys."
I did what the lady told me and went inside the elevator, pulling my heavy suitcase. The metal doors of the elevator finally closed, going up when I pressed the 3rd-floor button. I arrived rather quickly on the floor. The next step was to find my room. It was a few rooms away.
I opened my dorm room and holy heck, it was huge for only one person! A bed was in the middle with a bathroom door near it. The closet was placed beside a window. A small table was at the very corner with a small cup and a coffee maker. A body-sized mirror was attached to the closet. That was all, leaving me a big space to walk around.
I sat on the soft, white bed. I could not wait to sleep here. I unpacked my things and checked the time, it was already 12 o'clock at noon! I decided it was time for lunch so I went down to the lobby, a food court was present at the very end of it. I ordered a spaghetti with soda and just like grandma said, the prices were decent.
I ate then my phone chimed. I checked who it was and the person that showed on the screen was grandma. Her text said, 'How is everything?' I replied, 'Everything's fine' then went back to eating again. Grandma didn't send anything back, she probably fell asleep.
That spaghetti was delicious. I drank my soda and checked the time. "It's already 1 o'clock, the school should be open by now to give out schedules." I mumbled and stood up, throwing the soda can in a bin. Putting my hands in my pockets, I prepared my journey towards the Grade 11 building.
There were so many buildings, I didn't even know where MY building was, and there weren't a lot of people to ask for directions anymore, the school looked so empty. The only thing that accompanied me was the trees, flowers, and the wind. At least the school had a peaceful vibe to it.
Maybe after 30 minutes of trying to find the Grade 11 building, I finally entered it. Damn, it was so far from the dorms! Anyway, next was to find the faculty office. The building looked fancy, with polished walls and tiled floors, the rooms so large with tables and chairs that looked so fancy, I felt that I was a millionaire's kid or something.
The doors I walked past had letters and numbers on them, like 11-A, 11-B, 11-C, and all letters of the alphabet. The number 11 must mean the grade of this building.
I walked up the stairs and there was a sign that said, "Nurse's office, to the left. And to the right is the... Faculty office!" Finally, after this, I could go back to the dorms and sleep.
Walking through the empty hallways, I took my time admiring the place. I wondered what the school was like when mom still studied here, was it the same? Or were there things that changed? In front of me was now the faculty office.
The moment I stepped into the faculty room, I entered a life I never knew existed.