Moving
by Monika Delp
Mom and Pop hope for a new start—in the country.
Tired of city noise
Tired of city crowds
we gamble on this dirt road
where dust billows like rain clouds.
Father got some important job—in the city.
We have to go, too.
I beg to stay—This is home!
I spurn.
I tantrum.
It's no use.
Late one afternoon a company car
whisks us away like a sleek black cat.
"Fresh air," Mom says, will do me wonders—
I cling to that hope
but as I look at the remote landscape
I feel hollow,
like one of those plastic dolls that when you pull off its leg you see
that it has nothing
inside.
I sleep until I wake in a traffic jam
Mother strokes my hair as
giant beasts rumble by
puffing smoke into the skies
outside the car window.
I miss the trees,
the serene country pasture
and I cry.
The city—at least where we lived
was full of things to see and do and hear—
and, you never had to feel alone,
friends were always close.
Mama loved the city, that's why we stayed so long.
Now she's ready to move on, make a change—
Pop decided it was time to go too.
Later, Mother informs me
That our building is tall enough to have an elevator.
"It has a roof garden," she says with a hint of disbelief,
And there is a park for dogs, across the street.
Well, maybe Rufus will like the city . . .
but, a garden on a roof?
We used to have a garden in our backyard.
It is late, so we pull off the road.
Pop and I sit on the hood
staring at the sky.
My chest swells as I breathe the fresh, earthy air
and it feels good
the stars feel good
and right.
It is midnight when we finally arrive.
A note and flowers sit by the door,
from a man and woman at Dad's new job.
He says he told them about me.
I read the note:
"The city is magical. You just have to find it."
"Can we have grass?"
I ask Pop as I stare at the Big Dipper.
"Anything else?" he asks, smiling.
"Maybe a puppy?" I try
like I have a hundred times before.
Pops laughs, but he doesn't answer like usual.
Putting his arm around my shoulders he says:
"We shall see."
And it is enough.
The key goes in the lock, it turns, and we are home.
Mother beckons.
In my new room she turns down the lights
opens the shades
and
reveals:
Magic!
6
Read the lines from the poem.
"I beg to stay—This is home!"
"I miss the trees,
the serene country pasture
and I cry."
Which conclusion is best supported by the lines?
A.
The speaker is sad that Father is going to work in the city.
B.
The speaker has negative feelings about moving to the city.
C.
The speaker feels that a new home will be dull and boring.
D.
The speaker feels uncomfortable during the journey home.