R1

Homesick

By Rosehill

6:30 am. I have to get up now. Another day in Central City. What could go wrong?

I feed Kitha, I shower and I go to the kitchen. The boys are busy feeding themselves. I say hello and they all jump.

"Stop doing that!" Rick says angrily.

"I'm sorry?"

"Stop being so silent! We didn't hear you entering!"

"So?" Kshin asks, laughing. "I wish I could be that silent, I would prank everyone at school! Jedda, could you please teach me?"

I'm confused. In Bengala, everyone walks silently all the time because it's the obvious thing to do. If you make noise in the jungle, you're dead. What's wrong with being silent?

I grab a bowl and a spoon and I start eating. I feel I could become addicted to these honey cereals. They're so good! I'm just wondering what our parents are doing right now. I guess they're probably still fighting Ming the Merciless somewhere.

Then Ricks drives us to school and I feel a bit lost again. There's so much concrete and I miss the trees, the smells and everything. Also, there are too many people walking and talking loudly. Why do they say I'm too silent?

The bell rings and now I'm sitting in a classroom and listening to the teacher. I feel ok. This is not the most enjoyable part of my day but at least no one is telling me I'm too silent. Everyone writes and listens (or pretends to). A few hours later, I'm in the cafeteria with Rick and LJ. It's lunchtime.

Now I feel awkward again. In Bengala, there are no tables, no chairs, no forks and no spoons. Everyone sits on the floor and eats silently. Meals are not just about feeding yourself, its about meditating and thanking Goddess Earth for Her gifts to us. The cafeteria is so loud and I'm lost again.

We're having lunch with a girl named Kate. She keeps asking me questions and I just wish she could just shut up and let me eat and meditate. The worst thing is, she's nice and friendly and I think I might like her.

"I bet everything is different in Bengala!" she said. "What's your favorite thing in Central City?"

"Honey cereals."

Everyone is staring at me. What did they expect? I cannot tell them I love the noise and the concrete, that would be a lie! Then Kate smiles warmly.

"Yeah, honey cereals are great! And do you have a favorite dish in Bengala?"

"Gabo Maso, I guess."

"What does it taste like?"

"It's roots. Spicy roots."

She's frowning. Great. Now I'm a weirdo for talking about my favorite dish.

"Technically, carrots are roots," Rick says. "We all ate roots at one point."

"Yeah!" Lj says. "You know, Kate is a great volley-ball player. Maybe we could all play together one of these days."

"What's your favorite sport?" Kate asks. "Base-ball? Basket-ball?"

I don't know. I don't even know what these sports look like. What to do?!"

"I guess I'm a decent swimmer," I say randomly.

"I love swimming too!" Kate says. And I love going to the beach! Maybe we could go shopping for bikinis together next week, what do you think?"

"Yes."

Why did I say that? I don't even know what a bikini is! Thankfully, the meal is over. Soon we get back to class. I feel terrible because I was awkward and cold with Kate. Hey, maybe she's a bit annoying but she's so nice!

A few hours later, we return to Monitor. The first thing I do is cuddling Kitha, who had been waiting for me patiently. I feel drained. I want to climb a tree. I want to swim in a river. I want to run away from this place. I won't be able to cope for long.

No. the world needs Father and I to stay here until Earth is safe from Ming again. I cannot run away, that would be so selfish! But I feel lost. I feel so lost...

---

The adults come back from Mars a few hours later. My father is his usual self: silent and serious. No one blames him for being silent. It's dinner time and we bring microwaved food to our cave under Monitor. We sit down and we eat silently. I'm thanking Mother Earth for this meal that came in a box. That's weird. Well, the silence feels great again. I missed it so much...

We still remain silent for a moment after eating, and then Father asks:

"How was your day?"

I don't want him to worry about me. I'll tell him that...

"It was ok, I guess. I… think I made a new friend."

"Did you?"

"Yes. She's a volley-ball player and she would like to go shopping for blinis one day."

"Shopping for..."

"Blinis, or something like that. I don't know what a blini is. How was your day?"

"We were nearly burnt to death by Ming. Thankfully, we escaped."

Now I really feel horrible. I was complaining about food when my beloved father nearly died! I need to get a grip on myself.

"I hope we'll be able to catch him soon," I say.

"So do I."

"Father… do you miss our home?"

"Of course, I do."

Does he? I wish I was as good at hiding my feelings as he is.

"I'm going for a walk," I say. "See you later."

I walk out with Kitha. Then I start running. I need to run as fast as I can. I imagine I'm running among my beloved trees and I stop thinking. It feels great.

I feel much calmer when I walk back to Monitor. Maybe I should run every day. Maybe I could ask Kate if there's a school sport that involves a lot of running. It would help me cope with homesickness and I might make new friends.

Central City will never be my true home but I think I can manage. Together, we'll make the world a better place. And maybe one day I'll forget about all the sounds.

The End

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