Chapter 2: Home Grown

"Alright Arphelius I'm gonna chop the wood and you prepare dinner think you can manage?" my father calls out to me in his deep southern voice "You'd think after all the cookin I've been doin you'd think I'd have it down by now dad" I reply prepping the meat for dinner "yeah I know, but it's still *grunt*good to ask son*grunt*you never know what'll happen" he states between chops. I finish my preparations for the ingredients as my mother walks into the house with a basket full of laundry "oh son… tomorrow's your big day, how do you feel?" my mother caresses the right side of my face she has that distant look in her eye I can tell that she's recalling a memory of when I was younger I was barely at her hip and new I'm a whole head taller than her, not that that'll stop her from trying to whoop me when I step outta line but I take the good with the bad. "Ma not gonna lie I am a little nervous I gotta say I'm circling the region!" confiding in my mother has always been easy for me, not saying that I can't confide in my father it's just that with my mother it's easier. "The house is going to be a lot more empty when you leave your father was talking about it all this week, he's worried about you Arphelius put him at ease over dinner will you" finishing her thought my father comes into the house an arm full of wood "will this be enough? Or are we gonna need more?" my father asks a little out of breath his age is starting to catch up with him I guess.

Over dinner we each take turns telling the other about how our day was and various other topics once the pleasantries were out of the way we get into the meat of what we all really want to talk about: my inevitable departure. "Now son you're of that age now where a boy must take that journey to find himself and become a man, but at the same time if things get to rough for you and your stuck without much options you can always come home. Ya hear?" the amount of concern is palpable in his voice I can tell that part of him wants me to stay home and the other part wants me to see the world for myself and have new experiences. "You came early into this world Arphelius we were scared that you weren't going to make it and look at you now… my big strong boy I'm going to miss you" my mother says tears are welling up in her eyes. "Awwww ma if you start cryin then imma start cryin you know I can't stand to see you cry mama…" I can feel the tears well up in my eyes as well my mother gets up from the table and hugs me, that's it here comes the waterworks from me and her "we're going to miss you Arphelius, but I am happy that you are leaving a man ought to find his place in the world but don't get lost in it you hear? I want you to promise me that you won't get lost out there it's a dangerous place but I trust your judgement you've got a good head on your shoulder it surely didn't come from your father*chuckle*but take care of yourself" my mother ends the hug she gives me a conflicted glance before she sits back down in her seat.

We finish dinner without further conversation I retreat back to my room to which is mostly empty save for a large open camping backpack rests in the center of my bed, "the sooner I finish packing the sooner I can get to bed and the sooner tomorrow will come" I say to myself I can't help but feel the anxiety rise up within me "I am going to be leaving home circumnavigating my way across the region hopefully finding a place to lay down some roots I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't scared it's a big world out there and I'm just one guy can I actually do it? I don't even have a starting point the only train that comes here goes to Nimbasa City I am already familiar with Nimbasa so I guess I can start there and head north I guess to Driftveil and continue from there and I can end my journey at Nuvema although there isn't much there based on what I heard it's a quiet rural town so that seems like a good place to end, then I'll have to double back and head on home hopefully before I make my way home I can find a nice place to set up shop" I manage to close the zipper on my camping bag as I hoist it around my shoulders getting a feel for the weight that I am going to be carrying along with me it's the right mix of heavy and light I can hear the light clanging sounds of my cast iron skillets banging against one another from the force of me swinging the bag on my back

"those shouldn't be too much of a problem, nothing a little twine can't fix" setting the bag on the floor near the foot of my bed I turn to go downstairs to go fetch the twine I need to tie the skillets down so that they won't bang and make noise. I make my way to the top of the staircase but the voice of my father stops me in my tracks "I'm scared for the boy Winona" my father says his voice is shaky like he's on the verge of tears, "William you shouldn't be he's a good boy people will like him you see how popular he is here in Anville he won't have no shortage of people wanting to help him" my mother comforts my father the only time I've ever heard my parents call each other by their first names was when the situation was serious and they needed to have a talk. "I know Winona, but every time I look at him all I see is that young boy barely clinging to life as I held him in my arms…" my father begins to cry the very emotion in his voice can shake the heavens if he so wanted to I find myself tearing up at the words he said, "But when I see him now I can't help but feel proud of my son I no longer see the frail baby he once was but an eager young man ready to take on the world and I can't help but feel content and feel that he's going to be alright when he leaves" I see him get up from the chair he was sitting on and tenderly hug mama silently telling her that he doesn't want her to leave either she returns the hug as the soft sounding sobs fill the quiet house. Wiping tears from my eyes I make my way downstairs my parents turn their heads to me knowing that I heard every word they said I open my arms as they pull me into their loving embrace.

I wish this moment could last forever...