For school, but please comment.
From The Tallest Tower.
I grew up in the City of Palaces; Mexico City, Mexico, and many a night I would find myself up on the roof, looking at the lights, at the “palaces” of the city. I’ve always liked heights. There is a sense of freedom in looking at the world from above, seeing where it curves and imagining what people are up to as I watch them from far away.
I was overwhelmed in 1999, when I had to exchange my city of palaces, for the cornfields of Kansas. It is hard to feel like you hate the world. As I learned to have peace within me again, time moved forward. I went through high school, I got my first job, and from time to time I would go back to Mexico and visit the people that became like family. Ximena, Mar, Feerman, Otto,Ek, Issac, Rodrigo, Elias, Victor, Ulysses, Chico, Toy, Sheep, Oliver, Danny and la Gorda all of them part of my old life.
The last time I was there was over a month ago. I traveled with an independent bus company called “the Bunny”. It was cramped and never punctual, but it was affordable. The month I was there went fast, and before I realized it was time to say goodbye.
We’d come from all points of the city to meet, it was my second to last night in town and the last time I’d see some of my friends for a while. Sheep’s house seemed small and cramped; there was no real division between the garage and the living room/ kitchen. I wasn’t surprised; most houses in Mexico are built a little at a time and end up having a labyrinth quality to them.
Between a horror flick, going out to find a conveniece store and playing Rokugan; Dungeons & Dragons Oriental Adventures the night had left us behind, it was time to lay our heads and sleep for some hours before joining the “normal” world.
“So Sheep, where do I sleep?” I asked my curly haired friend.
“AhÂ…well, my lady, you are to sleep up in the last room, up high in the tallest tower” I laughed.
“Ok, and who is to guide me upstairs, for I have never been thought these lands before.”
“We’ll let Elias do it, he knows his way around well.” Sheep waved his goodnights and climbed the stairs to the second floor. I sat down and watched as Isaac killed orks on the TV, while Victor, Ulysses, and Chico fought over the couch.
Elias finished a drawing, handed it to me and said.
“Here you go.” I smiled
“Thank you! I’m gonna have to put this up somewhere. So Sheep said you could show me to the empty bed upstrairs?”
“This way.” We started climbing up the rug covered, metal stair case to the second floor. He turned right into a blue tiled bathroom, out through another door to a small balcony, and pointed to a small, cylindrical metal staircase.
“Up there, just go straight through the doors. I have to leave at 10 this morning; do you want me to wake you up?” I started to climb warily up the shaky stairs, looking down I noticed that these stairs went all the way down to the garage, and I could see the TV lights flickering against the silver Chevy C2.
“Sure, that gives me 3 hours of sleep. Whatever.” Elias laughed, said goodnight, and disappeared back through the bathroom into the hallway. Turning upward I climbed the remaining stairs, opened the door, and found myself in a small room with two doors. I opened the door right in front of me, it led to slightly bigger room with a single bed, a desk and a closet. On the wall next to the closet, almost on top of the desk was a window. I sat down, took my torn up sneakers off, walked up to the window and pushed it open.
A small cement patio was on the other side, surrounded by a little ledge and dawn was just hitting over the wall of my room. I stood there in amazement, watching dawn creep into the city, hitting the windows, the sidewalks, making the street lights pointless. Yellow and orange rays crossed the indigo sky converting everything with the glory of full morning. I found myself ecstatic. God was letting me know that everything is cyclical, never ending, but temporary. A pivotal moment, where it became clear to me that just because I was leaving the city the next day didn’t mean I wasn’t coming back. Even if it took me another 6 years I would come back. I was where I belong, high up in the tallest tower of a palace, looking down at the beginning of a Mexico City day.
I LOVE IT. AAANNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDd, i was the first one to read it, without reading it here! yay. ooh, and im the first note! I WIN!!! love, Jaimie
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Great stuff! Oh and thanks for wishing me a happy birthday.
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Great writing, and I can understand the emotion involved. This makes me remember all the things i miss about england. I’m glad you got to go back, there’s nothing like visiting one’s long lost home. Lucky girl, I’m glad you enjoyed it. much love, nandini
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Good story! I’m glad you got to visit Mexico City again. Sorry you had to move to the U.S. Was it because of your parents’ job or school?
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