You know how some kids get to grow up in one house their whole lives? Yeah, well, that's not me. I think I've lived in more houses than the number of fingers I have on both hands—and I'm only ten! At least, I think it's ten… or maybe we're on the eleventh move? I lost count after the last one.
Anyway, it's happening again. I'm sitting on my bed, surrounded by boxes, and Dad is bouncing around like he just won the lottery. He always gets this excited when we move. "Another adventure, Carlo! You ready?" he grins at me, holding up a box labeled 'Kitchen Stuff.' Why he's so pumped about packing plates, I'll never understand.
I roll my eyes. "Dad, why do we have to move again? I just made friends here!"
Dad's smile doesn't falter. He's like that, always smiling, even when things get a little crazy. "Well, buddy, sometimes we've gotta chase new opportunities." He's said that before, like every time we pack up and leave. I guess 'opportunities' means new houses and schools and neighbors. But I liked my school here. And this house has a really cool tree out front with the best branches for climbing.
Mom walks in, cigarette hanging from her lips, and her eyes narrow at Dad. "Aga, we're leaving in an hour. Stop messing around and pack." She always calls him Aga, but I never do. To me, he's just Dad. She doesn't joke around like him, but that's okay. She's the one who keeps us in line. And besides, she's pretty cool in her own way. She can tell what's gonna happen before it even happens. Well, sort of. Mom's a fortune teller, but not like the ones on TV. She's better. People pay her lots of money to find out what's in their future, but she doesn't tell just anyone. Only the super important people. You know, like those people in fancy suits who come to our house in the middle of the night.
She's strict, though. "Carlo, make sure your schoolbooks are packed, and don't forget your toothbrush this time." She always catches me when I'm not paying attention.
"I packed already!" I say, even though I haven't finished yet. I shove a couple of shirts into my bag and grab my favorite comic book off the nightstand. My stuff isn't that hard to pack. Most of it's books and toys anyway.
Dad leans down and whispers, "You know we'll find something even better in the new place, right? Maybe a house with a bigger yard. Think about it!" He winks, like he's got some big secret.
I want to believe him, but I've heard that one before. The last place we moved to had a yard, but it wasn't better than the one before. And the neighbors weren't either. But with Dad, it's hard to stay mad. He makes everything seem like an adventure. Even if it's just moving again.
Mom, though, she's different. She's not about the adventure. She's about making sure we're safe. I think that's why we move so much. She says things like, "It's time to move on" or "We need a fresh start." But I don't think we're moving because of fresh starts. There's something else going on. I just don't know what yet.
A car horn blares outside, and I peek out the window to see the same van that's always there when we move. Dad grabs the last box and shouts, "Let's hit the road, buddy!" He makes it sound like we're going on a big road trip or something.
Mom takes one last drag of her cigarette and blows out the smoke. "Carlo, come on. And no more whining about the move. You'll make new friends."
I grab my backpack and follow her out. The thing is, I'm not really mad about the move. It's kinda fun, in a weird way. But I can't shake the feeling that there's more to it. Like why we never stay in one place for long. Why we don't live in a big fancy house, even though I know we could. And why Mom always looks over her shoulder, even when we're supposed to be safe.
I throw my stuff in the van and climb in next to Dad. He starts the engine and cranks up the music like he always does. "Next stop—who knows where!" he laughs.
I laugh too, because, well, it's Dad. But in the back of my mind, I'm still wondering. Maybe this time, I'll figure it out. Maybe this new town will be different. Or maybe it'll just be another adventure with no answers.
But hey, at least I'll get pancakes shaped like dinosaurs when we get there.