Eleven

Today there is a dreary feel in the air. Last night there was murder. Sile N' Bhron was killed by Cleake. It was brutal stabbing. A murder? In this small town? First a robbery now a murder. This is the last straw I need to get out of this town. My flight leaves tomorrow just in time to get out of town from the craziness. I can't help but to feel guilty leaving at a time of such sorrow, grief, and anger. I have no choice but to leave. I am moving on to bigger things in my life, but I will never forget the people and town that made me who I am. Tonight I will pay my respects and in the morning I will be on a plane to Jamaica. Last night I spent time grieving with the town, finished packing and went to sleep. I couldnt help but feel the excitement and edreniline of the fact I was leaving and embarking on a new life. My plan was to enroll in school when I come back but who knows maybe I'll love it so much I won't come back. I woke up around five o'clock, showered and called a cab. It was so early but I didn't feel the least bit tierd. I have been packed for weeks and I finally was bringing my bags downstair. The cab ride felt like Christmas morning. I was so enthralled wih excitement that my whole life seemed a blur I could only think about the future. I got to the airport went through security, grabbed a bit to eat, and sat at my gate anxiously awaiting to board the plane. I had a direct flight to Jamaica. They finally called my don't one, zone five. I was the first in line went and sat in my seat and prepared myself for my life to change. Aolder man came and sat down in the seat next to me, didn't speak a word, sat down, buckled nhis seat belt, and set his arm o the arm rest. On his wrist was a braclet that matched mine exactly. My mind started racing, everything I had prepared for had just changed. Could this really be him? Looks like my life was about to go through a drastic change as planned just in a completely different way. It seems that I truly am going to find myself, more than expected on the this trip.b

Ten

For the past few weeks i have working extra shifts at Isabellas Cafe and i have been also doing some work for the orphanage to try and get enough money to buy a plane ticket to Jamaica. I have started squaring away plans for my trip. I have packed my bags and I have been collecting food and clothing that I am going to take with me, I haven't collected much but I think that anything will help. Being an orphan myself I know what it's like to not have many personal belongings. I really think that if I go explore the world and make a different in other peoples life I will make a huge change in my life. I want to have meaning in my life. While I was packing the letter from my dad just sat there on my bed starring at me, telling me go out into the world. The letter is like the father I never had, pushing me to make the most of my life. I made sure to pack the letter in my things, since it did inspire this whole trip afterall. I also made sure that I put on the one item I had from my father, a small tweed bracket with my birthday on it; 5/13/89. Everyone at the orphanage was always curious about my braclet, the numbers became less and less legible as the years went on. This was a prized possession of mine because of the fact that most people from the orphanage didn't even know their birthday. It was almost as if my father gave it to me knowing he would give me up and wanting to make sure I kept my identity. When I turned eighteen the ladies at the orphanage tied extra string on the braclet so that I could wear it again since my wrist had grow a significant amount since I was four years old when I was dropped off. On my thirteenth birthday one of the cooks was giving me an extra piece of cake in the kitchen late at night. She noticed my braclet and asked me what it was, I explained its significagane and she told me that I needed to keep it forever, that my birthday was a sign, all of the numbers in my birthday were prime numbers. I never really understood the significance but I always thought that one day I would find some reason to believe that my birthday was special, and for that reason I have never taken the braclet off.

Nine

So after all of the research i did on skydiving the other day i had a new idea, i decided that i wanted to go to a small village in Jamaica and bring them food and teach them. I want to experience another culture. Besides who wouldn't want to take a vacation. This could be the start of my new life, traveling, helping others, and then maybe deciding to go to school. I dont know what i want to do with the rest of my life but i know i want more. I cant make this big decision on my own though, so i decided to go to the orphanage and talk to the closest thing to parents that i have. I want to make sure that I have enough money and a plan to do all these new things. To make the money to go on this trip i will have to take extra shifts at the cafe. I went down to the orphanage and everyone was rather busy cleaning and such, so i went to talk to the cooks. For some reason they all had this keen since of wisdom. They were they ones that i always went to talk to late at night with all my problems when i lived there anyway. Of course they all encouraged me to go out and explore the world but they were all concerned that i wouldn't have the funds or a safe plan, and of course they all had my well being in mind. As i was leaving the orphanage i ran into Lucy Collins, she was the one who had her shoes stolen from her the other day. She was still rather shaken up about the robbing but she seemed okay. She was kind of upset that she didn't get her shoes back, but we were both more upset that the robber hadn't been caught yet. I let her know that the robbery had led me to my idea of travel and moving onto bigger and better things. She seemed inspired by my ambition but skeptical whether i could mangage to do it.

Eight

Last night I went to work as usual. We had a slow night only a few customers. This morning I woke up and all I could think about was that letter from my dad and how I had been completely okay with the life I have had. But now all I wanted to do was go out be more than I have been. People always talk about how they want to "fly the coop" when they are ready to leave home. Now I know what they mean, lately all i feel is how stuck i am, doing the same thing over and over again. That letter from my dad really sparked something in me. All I want to do is leave and experience the world. Im tired of old men looking at me because they have nothing better to do, well i do i have the world to see. It's time for me to fly away. I had always been inspired by friends of mine that had left home and gone out, done adventurous things; like Clara Kate Holloway. Clara Kate had gone sky diving when she was younger, which made me think that before I go out into the world to "fly" maybe i should literally fly. Maybe I should try skydiving as a way to just let go and change my pace of life. Today the air in the sky was so still. I decided that I would go to the library and research skydiving and possibly colleges. I had this fleet of determination that overwhelmed me. As I walked out of my building I noticed that there were few people around town, thats when i realized it was only 6:30 in the morning. The fact that i got up before nine was amazing in itself, maybe i really am making changes in my life.

Seven

Today I have off from work and i have decided to clean out my room. I havent gone through my stuff since I moved in several years ago after living in the orphanage. It's been storming for three days but i finally have today off and I want to be productive. As I was going through boxes and boxes of the few belongings I have, a small envelope floated to the ground. It was a letter from my father that I received just before i turned 18, this letter explained how much he loved me and saying sorry for leaving, but not why he left me alone. I had never attempted to write back. I have done well on my own and dont need a man coming into my life now trying to be my father. I can't say im not curious about him, what he's like, if we look alike, or if hes even still around. In the letter he also never said anything about my mother, so I always assumed she was dead or that she left before he did. Having parents is just something that I have never experienced, nor missed. This town has always functioned as my family. Growing up in the orphanage was great, not like in Anne. Growing up in the orphanage meant that everyone in the town watched you, and treated you like a child of their own. My childhood didn't give me everything, I wasn't spoiled and I was always part of a large family atmosphere.  Because I never had parents to rebel from or go out on my own college always seemed to big of a step and unnecessary since I already have made a life for myself, but reading this letter from my father has made me want to go to college more. It would give me a chance to see something new and meet new people. Theres gotta be more out there than a 5 o'clock shift at Isabellas Cafe.

Six

Today, when I went into work, the boss announced that we were all taking the day off and going to get a little culture in our lives. He was taking us to see a Mid-summers Nights Dream at the theater. Well after the first hour or so of the play I was having a hard time staying awake so i walked out to the balcony of the theater where all the workers take their smoke break to get some fresh air and wake up. I had been standing out there for a few minutes when I heard a man screaming about his shoes. At first i thought it was some stuck up rich man that stepped in gum or something but then I looked over and saw that some guy had just robbed him of his newly purchased, still in the box shoes. At first I thought it may have been the guy who had clearly just spent the night in jail. He had hangover written all over him, he tried to run after the robber but after about three strides he fell to his knees in exhaustion. You would think that a robbery right next to a police station wouldn't get very far, but besides the hungover fella no one even attempted to catch the robber. The guy who's shoes got stolen proceeded into the police station with a pouty face to go report the robbery to the police. So stunned by what I had just seen i proceeded back into the theater. Our town had never been one where robbery and crimes were large, witnessing this crime gave me the feeling that this robber was not going away and our town was going to be on high alert.

Five

This morning I woke up to a yet another snowy day. This time of the year is the worst in this town, everything is cold and grey. I have always been partial to the warm sunny beach type not the snowy city type.But of course we participate in all of the christmas shenanigans to try and spice up this time of year. Today started off an ordinary day. I woke up, bundled up and headed off to work. The Casa de Waffle had a hot chocolate stand outside so i stopped by there first. I got to work and the inside of the place was covered in lights and christmas decorations. The boss called all of us girls in for a little meeting. Apparently, this year the boss decided that we would participate in the christmas theme. He bought me and all the girls santa and elve costumes. So we all proceeded to put on the costumes and start getting ready for the day. I ran out to get all the girls lunch before our shift started and when I came back the homeless man thats always wandering around town was dressed up like santa and had a bucket and a bell. So i walked inside and asked the boss if he had paid him to stand out there and collect a little extra cash, he said no. I guess the guy just assumed anyone coming into the Cafe would have a little extra cash on hand. The funny thing was that he was not asking for money he was just shouting lines from holiday movies. That night, me and the girls were going about our business, literally; when all of a sudden all of the lights and decorations from the celling fell all at once. I had to leap from the stage into a customers lap just so i didn't get smashed by the plastic reindeer that the boos had hung from the celling. If that wasn't bad enough, when I stood up all the money I had earned that day were gone. The customer had taken all the money I had. So much for holiday season, it almost killed me and robbed me.