Chapter 2: Alfred - Beginning

Year: 1934

"Are we almost there?" I asked my dad, who was driving for the past five hours. I think we've been on the road for five days to get to some place in New York, but not the city area. He said that the city isn't the greatest place to live in at the moment, so we're going to live in a place that's a bit out of the ways of the city.

"We're almost there."

"You said that an hour ago…" I said, obviously bored out of my mind.

This of course was followed by silence. I looked back to see most of the boxes filled with clothes, books and small stuff while the truck behind us was hauling our larger stuff, such as a couch, beds, and other such things a truck can hold.

"Is this the last time we're moving?" I asked as I heard him sigh, which always means a he's not sure and wishes I can just be quiet for a few minutes. Well I've been quiet for hours, thank you very much. "Hey! When we're done moving in, can we play catch?"

"Sure Alfred." He said, not once taking his eyes off the road.

Again, his way of saying that he probably won't have time to do something as simple as that.

My dad is a military man and my mother died sometime after I was born. I've never seen a picture of her, which is why Dad is a bit uncomfortable around me. I remember some people mentioning that I got her eyes and her free spirited and bold personality, but I hardly resemble my father, which makes him a bit more uncomfortable about raising me, I guess. I don't think I'm anyone else's kid, but sometimes I wonder if the man beside me could call himself a father to a son who needs at least five minutes of attention that isn't a military standard procedure.

Why we're moving to New York is beyond me, but I think it has to be because he's going to be teaching or something like that. Like I mentioned, it was beyond me and I'm not going to pry about it.

"You got everything ready for school? You'll be going there as soon as we move in."

"Yeah…" I said as I stared at my bag at my feet, along with my baseball glove and ball. Then once again we were in a thick silence before houses started to come up and a small street.

"We're here." He said as he drove up the small driveway, the truck parked alongside the sidewalk. "You think you can carry the boxes inside?"

"Yeah." I said as the engine died and I opened the door, put on my bag on my back before opening the other door to grab the box labeled 'Books' and headed inside while Dad and the guy were carrying the couch in. I set the box down on one corner of a large room before heading to my supposed new room and placed my bag in the closet, from there I grabbed another box when another car drove up to the smaller house next to the one I'm going to be living in and saw a strange looking man and what looks like a woman, who's a bit pretty.

"Looks like you got a Jap renting out of that small house." Said the guy as he and Dad came out to get something else from the truck.

"I was notified that the small house is part of the property, but I don't have a need for it. I placed an ad to be rented out and someone took it." Dad said as the man laughed.

"You'd be lucky if he pays on time."

"We are living on hard times." He said as he and the man lifted a table, which will go to the kitchen. "I'm just surprised to have anyone suddenly take up the offer."

"Well! If he doesn't pay, let me know, alright?"

For some reason this guy was being mean to the strange guy. I looked back to see that the odd man was walking out, speaking some odd language to the lady, and went to the car and drove off.

'Isn't he coming back?' I thought as Dad called me.

My name is Alfred F. Jones. I'm thirteen years old, and this is the start of my story.