Friday, 12 June 2009

• Chapter 1 - The Story of Michael

  My name is Michael Roggs. I am just like any other farm boy living in the outskirts of Michigan, well, Lake Michigan's eastern shore to be exact. I have a family, living with my mom and sister. It's pretty complete. The three of us have been living together in our humble island oasis for nearly 5 years now- ever since mom and dad filed for divorce. Never mind the pain and anguish my family experienced in its 'adolescent years'. The three of us have created a strong bond ever since, and right now we're just living life to its fullest extent.

  By now I'm sure you would have quite a few questions to ask me. Who am I really? How old am I? What kind of life am I living? What am I here on planet earth for? What do I do everyday? Do I go to school? Well, the reason why I'll be sharing my experiences with you and answering some of these questions you have in mind along the way. I enjoy writing, journal-ing, musing and I have a huge passion for photography, and since I've figured out that my life's a little out of the ordinary- I mean usually you'd get a sci-fi or thought-provoking story done by bestselling authors like Dan Brown or Sophie Kinsella of the Shopaholic Series (my sister has a whole collection of her books). That's precisely why you should read my story because it's regarding a real human being's life-my very own life, not one who goes around encrypting symbols or head goes gaga upon spotting clothes and shoes. And yes I would love to share my story with you. Yes you, you right there reclining on your chair in front of this book reading its pages.

  Well let me start by reassuring you that even though some of you may think country life is completely boring and an utter waste of time, that you'd rather spend your life splashing your cash on apartments and penthouses at the heart of New York City, cheese that's such an old mindset or paradigm as some scholars would call it. Trust me, when it comes to natural beauty, you just can't beat living in the country.

  5 years ago, while riding with my mother on the property, my sister commented that "whoever buys this place whenever it goes on the market would have to be nuts." And some repairmen later wondered out loud if the place had been abandoned. However from then on, we've come to enjoy the peace and serenity of country life. The family never really enjoyed the hustle and bustle of urban life, especially with so massive number of events uncovering- the other day I was watching on the news about North Korea or something, the two journalists that were sentenced to ten years of labour IN the country. Oh dear, I'd certainly stay in the country journal-ing about my experiences rather than going 'out there' and being caught by some authoritarian regime.

  Anyways, another draw was the sheer beauty of the oasis. “It is very hilly and full of evergreens. Instead of hearing car traffic or sirens, we hear leaves rustling in the wind and birds singing." I remember her words vividly, that was the main reason why we chose this place. And it's very true, for me, it was nice to have spent sort of lazy, quiet evenings outside to take in the sights and sounds, sometimes we even spot foxes, deers, wild turkeys, and packs of coyotes that we see and hear quite often. 

   

  That's ... not our house. It's our neighbour's. Come to think of it, I've never taken photographs of my own house...

  “Michael!!!” - oops that was my mom shouting my name, guessed I've been too engrossed in my writing for the past half an hour. That was my 44 year-old mother calling out to me. Her name is Helen. She currently works in a dental clinic at the nearby town. Every morning, we would ride our bicycles to the town, and that is where my school's at too. My mom's a lovely and vibrant lady. She used to tell us stories of when she was young and beautiful (she still is at her age), she was the school belle. I went through a couple of photographs of mom when she was much younger, oh dear she was certainly enchanting. Later in life she went through the hardships of a violent and cruel marriage. But I'm glad to say she's come out of it much stronger, with two of her children giving her the needed support and love to continue providing for this family.
  

  “What are you doing, my dear child?” she asked as she walked right into my room. "Where's your sister?" My sister is Jess. She's 19 years of age and she just completed college. Right now she's waiting for her acceptance letter into university. She's an avid reader and she loves watching the 70's show on Channel Lo.
  

  "You've not answered my question, young man!"
  

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