Twenty Four Seven || Adam Park

two

My grandmother woke me up at exactly five in the morning as if I were going to school. My instructions while she was at work today were to clean the house top to bottom, do my homework, and sit at the kitchen table until she returned home. Easy enough I supposed but I was anticipating it to be very boring. At least she wouldn't be in my hair all day about it, so I would be fine most of the day.

I was seated at the kitchen table, my eyes barely open, and two textbooks and four sheets of paper were set in front of me. They had given me all my work for the next three days in advance so that I would be able to keep up with my work. I could get it all done today if I really focused my mind on it, but right now I was just too tired. Maybe later on this morning I could get the motivation to do it, but we'll see when that time comes around.

"I expect this work to be done by the time I get home." My grandmother demanded. "If you even think about leaving this house, you have another thing coming. The only time you may leave is at four o'clock for your violin practice and I will be there at exactly five p.m. to pick you up."

"Understood." I nodded.

"I didn't tell you to speak." She glared and moved forward and inch. I flinched out of instinct because I thought she was going to hit me. She didn't this time, but I never knew when it was going to happen.

I was going to apologize but I was afraid to speak again. Instead I just lowered my head and waited for her to leave. How was she going to know if I sat at the table all day? What if I wanted to do my work on my bed or the couch? Who was she to really tell me that I had to sit at the uncomfortable table all day. It was hard listening to her since I barely knew her and most of the time she just yelled at me if I even breathed wrong. She was the definition of a wicked witch and I just wished I was eighteen already so that I could move far, far away from her.

I yawned when I heard the front door close behind my grandmother as she left. I surely wasn't starting any of this work until I got some breakfast in me. I got up and walked to the cupboards, pulling out a can of oatmeal and reading the directions. It was easy and quick to make, so after just a few minutes I returned to the table and started to work on some of my papers while I ate.

Before I knew it, it was twelve o'clock and I had already finished the day's schoolwork. All there was left for me to do was clean something and then sit my time at the table until it was time for my violin lesson. I took my time deep cleaning the bathroom before getting ready for my lesson. Playing violin was something I loved to do and I was thankful that my grandmother was still allowing me to take lessons since I moved in with her. I had been playing since a child and it was honestly just one of my favorite things to do.

Getting ready for my lesson was easy. I just threw on a jacket since it was windy and a little cold out, slipped on my shoes, grabbed my violin case and then was out the door. Grandmother had driven me past the Youth Center where my lesson was, so I remembered how to get there even though I was only walking. It was a quick ten-minute walk that I didn't mind.

I wasn't going to lie, I was pretty nervous about my first lesson with an instructor that I didn't know. I was never good with meeting new people and it made my anxiety flare up so when I reached the Youth Center, I felt myself shaking as I reached for the door handle. All I knew about this instructor was that her name was Ms. Maria and the played violin herself. When I stepped inside, I looked around. She had told my grandmother we would meet inside one of the private rooms within the Youth Center. After looking around for a few minutes, I spotted the room in the back of the building and headed straight for it.

The door was already propped open, so I walked around and spotted her setting up a music stand and placing a few sheets of music on it. I set my case down on a chair and then rubbed my palms on my jeans as I walked closer to her.