Thank You, Harris Burdick

The House on Maple Street “It was the perfect lift off.” “We’re ready in 3-2-1, blast off!” dad said. It was the perfect lift off I thought. We were finally heading for space, and we were leaving all of our worries behind on earth. I couldn’t believe it. After 14 years, dad has finally succeeded at making the whole house shoot off into space. Mom and I never believed that he could do it. I mean he has been working on this since I was three years old. Mom would always tell him that he needed to get a real job. I guess she was wrong. I remember one night, when I was about 8 years old, my parents got into this big argument about how dad will never accomplish anything in life, and that mom wanted a divorce. They were down stairs in the living room; I was sitting on the middle of the stairs. Awhile later mom got laid off at work. Now we had nothing. Dad almost went to jail buying illegal parts to make the house rocket, and both of my grandparents died on the same day of the same thing. A heart attack. “How are you feeling son?” my mom asked me. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine mom, thanks for asking.” My mom is always worrying about me. After she found out that I was getting severely bullied at school, she has always made sure that I’m doing okay. “Well do you need any water or food?” “No I’m fine right now mom.” “Ronald Bruise you better let me know if you need anything,” she told me. “Mom, I don’t need anything, I’m fine.” “Honey, if the boy says he’s fine, then he’s fine. Give the kid a break,” my dad told her. “I just want to make sure he’s really fine.” “He’s ok, and if he needs anything, I’m sure he will tell us about it.” One thing that I hate the most is when my parents sit there and talk to each other like I’m not there sitting with them. “When will we get to the moon?” I asked my dad. “We should be there in maybe an hour or so, why? Do you need something?” “No dad I’m fine.” “Okay, just making sure.” And in goes the music. The longest I can go with listening to my parents is about 45 minutes until I put my music in. Have you ever had those kinds of parents who just talk too much, but they really don’t mean any harm to it. Well those are my parents. They don’t think you mind when they talk a lot, they think that you are okay with it. Ahhh…sweet peaceful music. BOOOM!!! I pulled the headphones out of my ears as I jump up. “What was that? What’s going on?” “Calm down son we’ve made it,” my dad says. I relax back into my seat, and sighed. Thank God, we’re finally here. “So what first?” I asked both my parents. “First I say welcome home Bruise family, welcome home,” said dad with a big smile.