An MK's Life

Chapter 2: The Plunge

When Brad woke up, his sister was asleep and his brother was playing with the toys his mom had brought along. Brad blinked a few times and then looked out the window as they drove through downtown of PT (Piotrkow Trybunalski will be referred to as PT from now on). He looked and saw that most of the stores that lined the roads were very small. Most were also partly apartment buildings, with shops on the ground-floor and living space up above.
“You haven’t been making much noise.”
“Yeah!” Butted in Mr. Thompson. “I was afraid you had died and we would have to put you into the trash when we got home. It would have been a bummer of a way to start your time here in Poland.”
“I wish I were dead. Then I wouldn’t have to be here, so far away from my friends.” Came Brad’s sulky reply. His dad and Mr. Thompson exchanged knowing looks and resumed a talk about the house that had been found for the Discroll family to move into. After a while they arrived at the Thompson’s house. Brad got out of the van, he helped his dad and Mr. Thompson unload the bags and then went inside to meet the Thompson family. They were a family of seven with three boys and two girls. The oldest was a boy named Chris, followed by his younger siblings Audrey, Erin, Drew, and Zach. Chris was a year older than Brad and Audrey was Brad’s age. Their mom, Lynn, was as nice as could be and got drinks and snacks for the tired Discroll family.
“Mrs. Thompson,” called Brad. Could I have another glass of water?”
“Of course you can but fist you have to call me Aunt Lynn.”
“Ok. Aunt Lynn, can I have another glass of water?”
“Here you go Brad. You can call my husband Uncle Jerry. That’s what we have the kids call the parents in other families. It helps remove the formality of Mr. and Mrs.”

 

“Ok.” Brad drank his water and then went to Chris’s room.
“What are you doing?” asked Brad as he entered the room.
“I was just reading a school-book,” replied Chris looking back down at the book in his hands. Brad looked the room over. There was a book-case to the left of the door and it ran until it hit Chris’s bed. To the right there were shelves bolted into the walls and they were filled with memorabilia from his life, hobbies, and explorations throughout his life. Farther on there was a desk with books papers, a lamp and a pen cup. Also, since the room was under the sloping roof, there was a skylight which was positioned above the bed. The thing that caught Brad’s attention the most was the similar layout to his old room, although Brad’s hadn’t had the sloping roof or so much on his shelves. Apart from that, the resemblance was striking. Later, Brad would use the room to remind himself of the past. Brad walked over to the desk and turned the chair that was sitting there around and sat down and looked at Chris.

“What do you like to do?” asked Brad
“Lot’s of things. I read, watch TV, play outside, ride my bike. Pretty much what anyone does.”
“Oh.” Brad stayed for a few minutes, but when the conversation didn’t get any better, he left feeling discouraged and rejected. Then, it hit him. The stress and busyness hadn’t given him time to feel much, but now it was over - and his feelings washed him like a flood. He missed his friends, his family, his country, and most of all, normalcy. He ran to the bathroom and the feelings poured out in tears. It was the last time he would cry about it, but the feelings didn’t go away. They just seemed more manageable after that.
Brad heard his mom call that it was bedtime. He brushed his teeth and then went to the room he was sharing with his family. He lay down on the mattress that was his temporary bed and was out in a few minutes.

                                                         ****

Brad looked up from the computer at the latest picture from the Poland field. His friends Chris and Audrey were in college, just like him. So was Alex Prescott, his best friend and his sister Jennifer. “Time to meet the Prescotts,” he thought.