"Some people say good things come to those who wait" said Marcus, the employee who works at the Starbucks across from my high school. He was brewing while speaking to me behind the register in the newly furbished café; its smooth wood walls glistened with light from the bulbs above.
"But the truth is, good things come to those who work." He then paused to hand the customer her drink. "Here you are Miss. One Caramel mocha." The lady said thank you and walked out the glass door into the night. "Listen. I know where this is going." I interrupted.
Earlier today I messed up. BIG TIME. This is my first job, aside from repairing electronics for my neighbors, and might be my last. I had used the public restroom and wouldn't you know it, that spicy Mexican food I ate last night had it in for me.
As I stood up I heard the sounds of gurgling. I looked back and saw the toilet overflowing with my... Deposit. I was clueless on what to do, so I grabbed the plunger and rammed it into the bowl repeatedly. That resulted to a ruptured pipe that was coming out of MY paycheck, which I haven't received yet.
"Oh, no", Marcus said. "I'm not firing you." 'Did I hear right?' I thought. 'He's NOT firing me?' "But...the toilet." I said in disbelief "It's okay." he replied. "In fact, my first day was worse." His act of sympathy relieved me, but I still felt guilty.
"How did yours go?" I shamefully asked. "Well apparently, you can get sued for mixing with a wooden object without customer approval." he answered. If you ask me, that sounds pretty stupid, but people are people.
"So bottom line: Your not firing me." "No." Marcus answered in his ever so kind voice. He was always kind. Aside from being the manager of the only Starbucks in the entire county, he never showed any sort of stress. Especially for a black guy, not that I'm racist.
"All I'm saying is go home, relax your mind, and come back in tomorrow. I guarantee you'll be fine." he said with a bright smile and his hand on my shoulder. He was right. I can't let this incident get the best of me. I'm only a beginner anyways.
We closed up at 10pm. Marcus went his way in his car, I went my own with my bike. Along my route I saw my friend Eric riding his bike. Convenience? Probably. He was accompanied by my other friend Robert. We greeted each other and chatted while riding down the street.
We rode up to my driveway. "Is it alright if we eat dinner with you?" Rob suddenly asked. "I'm starved!" "Sure. But I'll have to check with my folks." I grabbed my house keys and turned the lock. "Mom, Dad! I'm home!" I called out. "Is it okay if..." I trailed off to the sight of both my parents standing together in the living room. Between us was an assorted stack of luggage.
"Oh, hi Honey." my mom said in an atypical way. "Were you saying something, Son?" my dad questioned. There was a long pause. "Um..." I said breaking the silence. "...What's all this?" there was another period of silence. They both spoke at the same time; "You're moving out."
"Excuse me?" I questioned. But then it slowly came to me. I should have seen this coming. They had done the EXACT same thing to my brother.
It was unexpected, and random. When it happened, he went into his room, seeing all of his belonging packed in boxes, and cried.
I don't know. Maybe something had came over my parents that made them think they're old. They do have some grey hair, their medications for God-knows-what, but the same personality.
Becoming old does mean the kids move out. But this was, well, harshly kind of them. It's probably best to say nothing and gather the luggage that laid before me.
Moving wasn't something that I was eager to do. I know before I graduated it was, but now... I guess I should come clean. The house that I was to live in might be the WORST in the entire city.
Somehow, some way, those relaters pulled a fast on me. What made it worse is that I let them. I swear they threw fake fractions and numbers at me.
I now stand in front of crap. Well, not crap, but thats what best describes this place. It's old, and almost all the paint is peeled. I'm not sure if this place has plumbing or electricity, but I wouldn't count on it.
I'm glad it's dark. That way I don't see anymore unattractive features this place has in store. At least, until morning.
"Don't worry, man..." Robert exclaimed. "We'll order a pizza." Eric and him, after overhearing my eviction, had helped me carry my luggage while on their bikes. Honestly, I would have expected one of them to have a fumble with the heavy load. Well, no. They surprisingly managed.
As I stepped inside the house, I could feel the hair on my arms tingle. I hated this. It just reminds me so much of... her. Now that I think of it, this entire neighborhood reminds me of that girl.
Another reason why I hate this place is because it's relatively close to Angie's house. We had dated recently. I don't know what came over me to actually LIKE her. Over all it didn't last. She cheated on me. Since then I sort of felt depressed. Maybe not like the people who are suicidal, but I was less happy.
She lives on the south side, this house is on the south west side. I just pray we don't cross paths once more. I haven't spoken to her since the argument, and that's how I want it to stay.
We unpacked. My parents had the decency to pack my mini flat-screen and laptop. The guys were practically dying of hunger so I pulled out my phone and placed my pizza order.
The man at the parlor kept trying to correct my address. "Sir, no one has lived there in 7 years." he said. That fact gave me goosebumps. I informed him I just moved in. "Well, you better watch yourself." the man warned. "Cash or Credit?"
________________
Everything is falling into place, slowly. It's been a rough week with moving in. I've had the cable guy and the Internet guy come over and hook me up. They charged me extra because of the condition of the property.
I've also discovered some pests on the residency. That cost me a visit from the exterminator. According to him, it was just a swarm of crickets passing through the county. They left, but I had to pick up their mess.
The house isn't that bad. After getting a good look, well, it could be better. Despite the dead grass and the half broken windows, the remaining white paint was the most unattractive thing, so I bought some paint cans and put them in the garage for when there's time to kill.
If anything, I consider myself lucky that didn't end up with a house in the downtown district.
I still have my job at Starbucks. The mishap taught me to watch what I eat. I found out it was a kind of chili that I didn't ask to be put with my plate at a restaurant.
I'm working the late shift on Mondays and Tuesday's and the Weekend shift. I've only been a high school graduate for what, 2 weeks now, and I've already began my official adulthood.
Overall, it's been exhausting. But something I've taken notice of has got my head in a spin. Eric recently sent me this link. I was registering for classes when my email alert beepped. I was peeved over the college's slow web page and its crappy listings so I WANTED a distraction.
I clicked, and then, that darn tune played... "My little pony, My little pony. Ahh ahh ahh ahhh..." The intro was girly, and why wouldn't it? ITS A LITTLE GIRL SHOW! The stuff I ignored along with Barbie and tons of others when I was younger.
But something was different, no. Something was wrong. Those weren't those ugly-ass horses that spoke total nonsense. These were actually good characters. Yes I watched the episode. There goes my masculinity out of the ballpark.
Don't get me wrong. It's just that, well, it was something. To be quite frank, it was okay. It wasn't the absolute worst show ever. Believe me, I've seen worse.
I have to hand it to that Lauren person because the story had a really nice, um, plot. Only at the end did I realize it contained a life lesson. I could have used a show like this when growing up.
Listen to me, talking about how good a pony show is. But it's so, interesting. I found the name. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Yup, could have definitely used a show like this. I ended up watching four more episodes later on.
What kind of game was Eric playing with me? Is it some sort of thing to do now? E-mail people a link to My Little Pony?
I also couldn't help noticing the colorful and happy background of the show. Everything about it, the cheerful characters, their lifestyle and everything seemed so pleasant that I almost want to... No. I'm insane. I feel I should... go there.
I came to my senses. "What am I thinking?!" I shouted. This mushy sensation was overcoming me at a rapid speed that I threw down the screen of my laptop and walked away.
_________________
Today, nonetheless, I feel like riding. There's a ton of work to do online but I'm in need of a break. My clock states its 8:30 am. Perfect. I'll be able to smell the morning dew, if theres grass that's not dead.
There was an overcast with no chance of rain. I grabbed my bike and rode off, not dressed appropriately for the weather with my thin shirt and oversized shorts. The air was cool. Any remains of fog from the night before was slowly retreating. Some leaves were blowing in the wind as I make a right turn at a sign that reads: "Bike/Nature Trail.”
I had found it difficult to ride on the city sidewalks, both physically and mentally. So I looked up a small bike path on the Internet that was suitable.
Along the sides of the stretch of pavement is dry dirt and dead bushes, all between two small hills. Beyond that were tall trees. The path lasts for about a mile until you'd hit the abandoned train tracks.
On rides like these, I think about how my life is. How I'm doing. And anything I can improve on. Let's see, I forgot to take out the trash this morning along with my absence to do my laundry. Mom wants to know if I can attend uncle Calvin's birthday party. I probably won't. That's when I start the summer course for college.
*thump* I've crossed the train tracks. Gee, time flies. I wasn't even thinking that hard. This is where the trail ends: in front of a abandoned lot of fraught carts. Time to go home and do my crap. I swing my bike around to go back. As I do so, I see my shadow on the ground. "Hm, the sun is out" I thought. I look up to a bright glistening light above me. It felt welcoming. As I looked closer, it seemed to be getting... Bigger?
I could feel my hands shaking at this now terrifying sight. The bright orb was expanding at a fast pace. "What the fu-" my voice was cut off by a earth shattering BOOM. It was like a miniaturized supernova about five stories above me. The force was so great it threw me off my bike. The aurora of light disappeared into thin air followed by lightning running through the dark clouds.
I laid on the ground, staring at the sky. I was in shock, my breathing slowing while I didn't move. My mind was full of questions like "What on earth was that?" "Was it just my imagination?" "If it was, then how did I fall off my bike?"
About thirty seconds later, I got up, my spine shivering. The blast didn't toss me that far, which confused me. I remembered a story on our military testing weapons on abandoned land. "Well then, they've obviously forgotten about us." I thought.
I looked to my bike. "Damn it!" I hollered. The front wheel was laying next to the frame, detached. I guess my bike IS that old, considering it hasn't had any type work done on it at all since when I took it upon myself to fix it those years back. My excuse would be always: i'm too busy with my life.
Wait, past this hill. It might be still... My thoughts were halted to something. A noise, of some sort, coming from a distance. As quickly as I heard it, I brushed it off as my mind toying with me.
The small shed me and my old friends built is just over this hill. Well... There's a small chance it's still standing. After all, all these years... Once again I am stopped as I hear the noise again. I can hardly make out what it is. It sorta sounds like, crying. Infant cries.
I am now convinced that this sound is real so I walk towards it. From my view, all I see is light-colored dirt. I take my tenth step and stop. "What in God's name is a baby doing out here?" I think.
"If that were the case, who in their right minds would leave on here?" I hear it again, only louder and clearer. I look to my right to see... something. I run now, clouds of dirt lifting up upon my feet. I could feel my pulse rising faster and faster.
I come to a halt to an unimaginable sight. My heart felt like it stopped cold. Laying in front of me covered in brown dirt... a small... blue... pony.
********************************
This story is still in works. I'm not sure when it will be finished. Also, as time goes on, I might make some changes in the story.
It is crying. It's mouth opening and closing with every whine it makes. From my guess, it's very young. Probably a baby or, filly, as their called. I watch tears roll down its small blue cheeks. It's red colored mane, no, blue, no... RAINBOW mane? The hair sprouting from its small head possessed multiple colors from red to purple. It's tail was no different, also containing an aery of colors.
I stand here, possibly close to having a mental breakdown. A pony. A little blue colored, rainbow mane pony, was in front of me. Wait. Is this some kind of joke? I mean, what are the chances it's just an animatronic toy that's programed to squirm and cry?
I kneel down to get a better look. "Well, I can't just watch it cry like this." I think to myself. I gently extend my hand to its face. As I touch its forehead, It begins to open its eyes. Slowly, I see violet rimed pupils all watery looking at me.
My heart explodes, or breaks apart. However that meme goes. ITS SO FREAKING CUTE! The most adorable thing I think I've ever seen in my whole life. I keep my emotions to myself. It does sort of look alive so I don't want to scare it. "Hi there little fella." I softly say. The filly instantly stops sobbing and gives me a confused look.
"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" As I said those words, it starts to back away from me, showing a scared look. "No no." I take a more comforting tone. "I'm not goanna hurt you." I'm not sure what possessed me to, but I picked up the small, colorful bundle. It struggles and tries to jump from my arms. I pull its face to mine. "You're safe with me." I say with a smile showing it that I'm not a threat.
I'm still not quite sure what kind of situation I'm getting myself into. All that I'm aware of is that this thing is so goddamn adorable.
My efforts pay off. The filly is calm now with its body brushing up to my DC t-shirt. I just can't help but smile at the sight. It’s been a while since I've smiled like this. Since the incident with Angie. Since me moving out. I can only say that I'm happy.
Just then I feel something hit the tip of my nose. Another to my shoulder. It leaves a small spot on my shirt. Rain? One even lands on the little pony. It looks up with a dumbfounded look.
"But there were no chances of showers today." I think. Then again the prediction of the weather is never accurate. And it's summer. Not a time for showers. Could it have been the blast? THE BLAST! Did it... Now I've gone bonkers. But how is there a better way of explaining this pony? I make the assumption that the filly came from the otherworldly explosion.
As I'm still thinking, It begins to sprinkle. I walk to recover my bike, the rainbow filly in hand. "Common. Let's get you
somewhere dry."
By the time I'm over the hill, it's pouring rain. I'm prying through my memory to try and guess where the hut should be. Looking left and right, I found it, but no as one would think.
"Well." I say into the pony's small ear. "There goes our shelter." We both stare at a pile of dirt and rotten sticks. This IS the hut. Well, what's left of it. I set my eyes on what looks to be a box. The tool box.
I set down the filly and retrieve the mangled box. You would expect stuff like this to be found by someone by now. Everything I need is in here. Wrench, bolts, screws. In no time my bike is in working order again.
"So, what now." I ask myself. "You just found a pony. A BLUE PONY!" As I’m talking, I see the filly staring at me while sitting sort of elegantly on the ground. "No, no, no!" I hollered. "I am NOT taking you home with me!"
Isn't my life already filled with enough responsibility? My classes. My job.
Taxes. I don't need any more distractions then I already have. Besides, I have no clue what so ever on how to take care of horses.
"Well, bye!" I blunted. My foot is on the pedal. All I need to do is push... Here I go ...Any minute now. Something, I don't know what, is holding back. My leg muscles went stiff like stone.
"I'm weak." I think to myself. The thought of gilt by leaving this filly all alone was mind racking. It got to a point where you'd have to tie me to a 747 in order to even budge me.
Immediately I feel something rubbing my leg. I look to see the little pony brushing up against my ankle. The sense of cuteness took control of me. "Okay, okay. You can come with me."
__________________
I sat it on my couch, me in my recliner. We both stare at each other for some time. "Common, seriously," I said. "Do something. Anything! Unless you're just goanna sit there all day."
The little blue filly does nothing but
stare at me with those big eyes. "Oh, wait! You need food! Right?"
I'm going to be honest. I've never had any pet experience. When I was about three or four I begged my parents to get me a puppy. Their excuses where mutual: we don't have the money, they're flee bags, they're vicious. That somehow convinced me into not wanting a pet. Even though I grew out of that stage, I didn't put any though into me having a pet later in life.
I know for a FACT that horses don't carry any flees, or are vicious. But the cost for care, ugh, I can't even imagine. "So, am I really goanna KEEP this thing?" I asked myself as I offered the pony a carrot.
"Here. I wasn't planning on eating this anyway." As it leaned closer to the orange veggie, FOOM, it's little wings popped out. I jumped back a little. "Wings?! As if this day could get any weirder." I thought.
It nibbled on the carrot. It. "Why do I call it an 'it'? Then again, I'm not sure exactly
what it IS." I turned to my laptop. "Time for some research."
I Googled "pony with rainbow mane". In that instant, my mouth hung open. "It's," I began to think, "one of them?" The screen displayed dozens of images from that show I watched days before.
The hair, the eyes, the color, everything matched the description of the little filly siting on my couch in my living room. Well, everything except that she, yes, I got the gender, is MUCH younger than portrayed on my computer.
"So, how do I deal this this? I mean, isn't there a guide on how to raise a Pegasus? Of course not! They're mythical creatures, right?" I made a sigh and plopped on the couch next to her, my OBEY cap falling off.
Rainbow Dash. That was her name from the show. According to it, she's sort of a dare-devil and has the element of loyalty. Whatever that is.
"So," I say. "Rainbow." I paused. 'Rainbow' doesn't seem to fit. If she's goanna live under my roof, well, my
hardly-standing roof, I suppose I could abbreviate her name to make it sound less lame.
"How's about I call you 'dash', huh? You like that?" Surprisingly, she nodded in agreement with her little ears perked up. "Okay then. Dash it is." I flip on the TV to watch some news. A man behind a desk was giving information about a local fundraiser.
I felt like scratching Dash's head. You know, something to comfort her. It's unclear how old she really is and I'm not sure what she's been through to get here.
So it stayed like that, me scratching Dash's head while I watched the news. I didn't bother to think about the strange anomalies that took place. Then again I don't normally think a lot about strange things that happen to me.
The scene was stirred up when the morning talk shows started. I couldn't bear to watch a second of it, so I changed the channel. “And Magic makes it all complete." Those were the lyrics from My Little Pony. I had unknowingly changed it to The HUB station.
In that instant, I had a quick thought. "What if this triggers a paradox of some-sort? I don't want to stand by and watch Dash turn inside out." Immediately, I pushed the off button.
I then proceeded to continue to work on my laptop. That's how the day basically went; sitting at the computer while, at the same time, watching over Dash.
Afterwards, about noon, I got up to use the restroom. By this time the temperature slightly escalated. My back almost stuck to my desk chair. I looked to Dash. She was curled up sleeping in a pile of clothes next to my desk.
I just can't stop saying how adorable she is. The way she has her hooves together and the tiny little breaths she made. It was enough to make a small tear fall from my face. I'm not sure why, but I didn't question it.
I picked up the filly once more, laid her on my bed, and just watched her. After some time, about ten minutes, I felt a little drowsy. I guess watching someone sleep makes another sleepy. I slowly climbed onto the bed and laid next to Dash.
A feeling came over me. A warm feeling. Something that touched me very deeply. For the first time, since the absence of my brother, I had a companion. Then I felt something on my shoulder. It was Dash cuddling next to me. All I could do in response was smile.
