Growing up as an only child, I was surrounded by people who were much older than me. My parents were often away from home due to work in the capital, so I was raised by my grandparents in a small, quiet town.
Although some may think that I wouldn't be satisfied without parental love, I was content with my life. I had kind neighbors who would greet me happily in the morning and friends I could hang out with.
Most importantly, my grandparents worked really hard to make sure I grew up in a loving environment.
"Dear, why don't we go out for a walk in the park?" My grandma used to say, on days I was feeling down. "I've prepared your favorite snacks."
And my sweet grandpa would somehow, always notice. "What about me? I wanna come too!"
That was enough to make me smile.
But it took just one day to change it all.
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It was a day I was going to meet my closest friend, Kylie. Our town doesn't have a lot of people my age, but I was lucky enough to have made a friend who goes to the same school as me. Unlike our usual hangouts where we visit each other's homes, today was a bit special.
"Kylie!"
Upon hearing my voice, a young girl glanced at the direction it was coming from and smiled.
"Eli, Are you ready?"
I nodded in reply, grinning.
Because today, we're going to meet my favorite author, "Shula"!
If you don't know who the author is, don't worry. I'll explain.
In recent years, there has been a huge trend of selling art in the form of comics, novels, or even posters. Paintings and portraits of family members were no longer as popular-instead, what people needed was...entertainment!
Drama, tragedy, fantasy-you name it.
And the person I'm looking forward to meeting today, Shula, is a mysterious author who suddenly appeared. She would travel and share her works in various places, without revealing her face. With no family name, no one really knows her identity.
"I really didn't expect her to come here…there's not much to see." It really came as a surprise when one day, Kylie rushed into our home, her hand shakily holding a newspaper in hand.
It was news of Shula's latest work being released, followed by details of a fan meeting.
A fan meeting!
Kylie thought for a moment before nodding at the truth of the words.
"Yeah, it's unexpected."
Our destination was about half an hour's walk, but it didn't take long for us to reach there. Maybe because it could be our first meeting with a famous person, I was excited.
Once we arrived, we were greeted by the sight of a long line. It was long to the point that I could barely see the top of the stall booth.
From young to adult, fans of all ages, especially teenagers were lining up to see the author.
I got worried. What if we couldn't meet her? I could hear the complaints of people lining at the back.
Seeming to share the same thought as me, Kylie frowned.
At that moment, someone at the front held a large cardboard that were written with the words "The meeting will end after fifteen minutes."
The voices of the angry fans got increasingly louder.
"Hey! Why is the meeting so short!"
"I've already waited an hour for this."
Along with the thoughts of disappointed ones.
"In fifteen minutes? I thought the meeting would last longer…"
"Sigh…let's go home. Maybe next time."
Understanding the feelings of the fans, we could simply watch as the ones lining far behind leave one by one, disappointed looks evident on their face.
"Next!" I could hear the staff call out.
Just a few more people, and it was almost our turn.
Before long….
"Thank you for coming."
The voice of the person I waited for, greeted me with a smile.