The Elements

WABI-SABI ROSE

I awoke with a pang of anxiety in my stomach. Of course I know why. My Grandparents. They would only come for one reason. Not for my fathers sudden death, not because my birthday is in 8 days, but because they want something. What they want, I don't know. Honestly I'd rather them stay in Japan, where they can drink their fancy tea and host dinner parties every other day. But no.

I swing my legs over the bed and sit there contemplating my life. As usual. Then I go to stand in front of the mirror to see what I have to deal with today. Not that I ever do anything with this mess.

I see my caramel, curly, frizzy hair. I don't know where I got it from, but I actually don't mind it. My skin is a light brown, got that from my dad. I like looking like him. Then I have my mother's Japanese eyes. Small, and chocolate brown. I'm rather short, and a bit bulky. Oh well. I always think.

I head down to the kitchen, after I dress in my usual skinny jeans and sweatshirt. French toast, syrup, and french vanilla coffee is sitting on the counter.

"Mom?" I ask, in a half shout. After a few more shouts and a trip around the house I found a not that reads:

Out to get some groceries for tonight. I'll see you after school. Enjoy breakfast.
-mom

At least I have food.

After I eat that amazing breakfast, I head for the bus stop in the cold, rainy, weather. As usual I meet my best friend Pastelito there.

"Hey, Rose." She says in a happy tone.

"Hey." I reply most cleverly.

"Whatcha doing tonight?" Pastelito says in a childish voice, swinging around the telephone pole.

"I've told you so many times, dork. The Grandparents thing."

"Oh your still going to that?" she stopped swinging on the pole. "I just assumed you were ditching and your mom would make a lame excuse."

I have said this so many times. Can she comprehend anything? I love her, but really? "Pastel, my grandparents coming is a really big deal, even though I don't want them here, they've come all the way from Japan." Just talking about it gets me a bit mad. I turn around looking in the direction where the bus should come. "I mean, why didn't they come when he died? Why wouldn't they come a few days later for my birthday? What the heck do they want?"

"I don't know." she says like I was asking her where she wants to go and eat. "We'll find out later."

                       ~~~~~~~

Nothing really happened in school. Me and Pastel ate lunch together as usual, and basically never left each others side but for different classes. Those were the most boring classes.

During the last class the teacher was the worst of them all.

"Wabi-Sabi. Are you listening to me? What did I just say?" she said in a horrific, witch like, voice.

"DNA, mam. Thymine and adenine link together, and guanine and cytosine links together."

"Well I guess you have paid attention for once." she says in a superior tone. After that, she gives me dirty looks the whole time. It was probably the first day of school when I called her a stickler for taking my pen, because I doodled a penguin on my homework. Ever since then, I start to get anxiety everytime she asks me questions.

A ray of sunshine, isn't she.

When me and Pastel reach my house we go separate ways after she gives me her "pep talk".

"At least try to be nice. They don't need much of a reason to pick on you. You shouldn't bring up school either. Yeah, don't do that. Okay, have a good night." She hugged me and then parted.

What a great pep talk.

I walk inside to see my Grandparents sitting on the kitchen couch, while my mother, in the love sofa, looks up gravely at me.

"Hello, Grandma, Grandpa." I say very formally.

Grandma looks at me like i'm a cat. Could be cute and sweet, but might have flea's and probably doesn't bathe. "Hello Wabi-Sabi."

My grandfather just stares. He can be nice, but always backs Grandma up.

"I'd like to get right down to business." She says, very firmly. "We think its best that you come and live with us." She has that same superior tone my teacher has.

"What? No. I am not leaving. No disrespect but I don't think-" She cut me off. Not my grandmother. But my mother.

"Wabi, you will do as they say." She stares at my grandmothers shoes, looking apologetic, but her voice was firm.

"Mom, I will not leave you. Not now. Plus I have friends here, I won't leave them either." I direct my attention to Grandma and Grandpa now. "You can't rip me out of my home just because you think its best for me. I-will-not." this time I'm the one that's firm.

Grandmother is standing now. "Wabi-Sabi you are a child. A child that knows nothing of adult ways, or what is best for you."

"And you do?" I ask with a high level of disrespect even I hear. But I have no regret.

"Yes. I do, child." her voice is deathly calm.

Every emotion I have is boiling in side of me. Anger, that my grandmother wants to rip me from everything I know, and live in japan. My mother just sits there accepting all of this.

Sad, that I would have to leave Pastelito, my school, my mother.

I feel warm, and then hot, then I feel like I'm about to pass out. It's so hot I can hardly breathe. I feel my heart pounding against my ribcage, the tips of my fingers burning in my balled fist.

Just when I think I can't take it anymore, everything goes still. The air is calm, I can feel a thin breeze blowing my hair in my face. Then I feel a blast of air surge from my body and it knocks everyone down.

I look at them in horror at what I have done. They are all speechless. Soon I can't take it anymore. I run to my bedroom and lock the door.

I can hear my mother knocking at my door faintly. I still have this ringing in my ear as I pack.

When I calm down, and come to my senses, I call Pastelito.

"Meet me at the bridge. Bring a bag of supplies, and don't tell anyone where your going. I have to leave."

After I quickly hang up, I leap out the window.