Up and down. Up and down. The ball rocketed directly above Clark and he casually caught it on its way back. He needed to think and the ball helped. Whatever else was going on in the world you could rely on the ball coming back down. Thus far in life ma and pa served as his bedrock but you cannot rely on your parents forever. Everyone should choose their own way to happiness, pa told Clark so himself.
Mr. Reynolds gave them an essay assignment today: "What do you want to achieve in life?" Of course, it was just a school essay, he could make up something for a single page but he wanted to think it through. What did he want to achieve? What did he want to do when he grew up? Everyone needed a career, a person has to have a livelihood so Clark didn't really ever think about it. The days simply passed him by, he hung out with Pete, helped around the farm, attended to the animals. There was something special about taking care of cattle. Whether it was calming them down when they felt stressed or giving them feed, Clark could feel their gratitude. It never failed to bring a smile to his face.
Maybe he could become a veterinarian then. Here in Smallville would be enough work and he would spend his days making others better. Of course, he could also become a doctor and in that case the others would be people but cutting into people and operating on them… Clark teared up just thinking about it. Yes, it was to help them but Clark could not imagine hurting someone, even accidentally, and now that he thinks about it, the same applies to animals as well. Maybe being a veterinarian is not the right fit after all.
A light fluffy cloud was passing over resembling the cotton candy that Miss Sullivan sold at the meteor shower celebration. His mouth watered just thinking about it. Wind played with Clark's hair and the sun caressed him like ma's hug. In the morning, he was dreading the day. The anticipation of all the work waiting for him weighed his shoulders but he finished with time to spare and didn't even feel tired. It turned out to be a beautiful day after all.
Why couldn't he be like Pete? He was always so sure he would do great things. After class he immediately retold Clark with all the experiences that awaited him, all the places he would visit, reciting his Odyssea before it even occurred.
Clark's mind raced through the various professions, nothing resonating, nothing feeling right. Unlike others he could not feel any path calling to him. Maybe the simplest answer was the correct one. The one thing Clark knew he wanted to do was to help people he loved and the ones he loved most were Ma and Pa. The farm had been in the Kent family for generations and he was sure carrying on the tradition would make pa happy. Yes, Clark was drawn to the outside world. Experiencing the various places of the world seemed attractive but life on a farm seemed great in it's own way, quiet and safe. Being pulled between these two desires Clark could not make up his mind.
Oh well, it seems he'll have to think about this for a little while later but it will have to wait till tomorrow. The sky started to shine gold with the setting sun and he needed to get home for dinner. Like every time Clark threw the ball one last time with everything he got and scrambled to get up before the ball hit him in the head. But this time when he looked up, waiting for the ball to be gunning for his temple he was confused. The ball was gone.
"Pa!"