Personal Narrative: Guess Who

Everyone remembers a time in their lives when their mom came through and saved the day. Mine happened to happen at 1:30 AM on a Saturday morning. To fully understand the story I’ll give some background.

“Who are YOU?” I believe it would be impossible to answer this question without first explaining who my brother is — it is only through him that I have truly found who I am, and the person I want to become.

By the time I knew what I was getting myself into, it was already too late.

This is the story about me. It is a very weird story which, no, I didn’t even want to do. Why am I doing this? It’s because of this school thing I have to do. Well, let’s get this over with.

Hiro didn't attend school that day, emotionally and physically drained by the past few hours. The pattern repeated the in the two following days until the week had come to a close. One day of wallowing in grief was turning into a weekend affair. This was the kind of anniversary no one wanted to remember, but the squeezing pain of loss made itself known regardless.

“What I do isn’t easy, what I do isn’t safe… It’s me, it’s the way I am, I will ride my hardest… I will not quit even though the world tells me to stop, I will not stop. I will hold it wide open till I die.” This quote was written by Garrett George. While most people find their happiness in painting or video games or even common sports like basketball, soccer, and baseball, I find mine in motocross. It’s music to my ears. It’s a way of life, a passion… it’s everything to me. Life is about finding what you love and letting it kill you.

The sparks fly in the air, there are marshmallows in your hair, and you’re with your favorite people in the world. This is called the best place on earth, for me at least. I enjoy camping so very much, you meet new people, experience different things, make new memories, and have a blast. You also see new sights, smell some things, and always wake up to the birds singing and not the bustling streets of the city. Camping is my go to activity.

That morning had begun just like any other, or so I believed. It was a cold winter morning, a school day, and I was 14 years old, getting up to get ready for school. It was while I went about my routine that I realized my parents were nowhere to be found. I was immediately concerned and searched the entire house for them before frantically running to our neighbors and beating on the door, desperate for an answer. When I managed to explain that my parents were gone he told me to come along in his car. Concerned, and fearing what was about to happen, I went with him, feeling even more frantic when I realized we had arrived at the hospital.

Unfortunately I won't be in class today I'm stuck in the hospital once again with an upper respiratory infection and the flu my throat closed up Saturday night so there keeping me the until Thursday to make sure I'm okay. But just to make sure today in class where going over Russia and China right? And I'm not sure because I don't have my paper was there something about extra credit?

It's been months of not hearing word of my boyfriend, I don't know if he's alright or not. Last time I’ve heard about him was when the army mailed us the incident on one of his missions and they can’t find his team. That was four months ago when we heard from his family and the army commander. People started giving up if he’s alive or not…. but I know that he is alive, and he will come home.

13 ½ Hours I hugged Bruno, our bouncy boxer, goodbye as he headbutted me and doused my face with his sloppy, sandpaper tongue. Then I hugged Bruno’s sidekick, Edi, our just-as-bouncy Jack Russell Terrier. They didn’t know this would be the last moment we would be together for a long time.

I open my eyes. My head is buzzing, my eyelids feel as if they weigh a thousand pounds; every inch of my limp body aches with an unbearable pain. My surroundings are hectic; acrid fumes are filling the air and blue and red neon lights pierce my eyes. Unfamiliar faces gather around my body talking a million miles an hour, but I can hardly decipher what they’re saying. Someone kneels beside me and faintly whispers, “sometimes you have to go through Hell to get to heaven.” I shut my weary eyes, unaware that they would never open again.

I hope all is well. It has been two weeks since your email, so I thought I follow-up with you, give you some info for my siblings and update you about my new certification.

My release was under the cover of night in the empty parking lot of an abandoned business. When my blindfold was taken off, I saw June’s car already waiting for me in the lot. As the men who released me climbed back into their van, the last one on board pointed an outstretched finger and said, “Twenty miles, east,” after that I was alone in the pitch black.

“Life isn’t all cupcakes and sprinkles’….this sentence stuck with me until now, it made me remember why I don’t see the world as I used to. My mother had told me this simple sentence when I was a 10-year old, the day my delusional 10-year old eyes were pried open