🚆 Grandma's train
Part 1 : My name is Dan, I'm 9 years old
⚠️ This is a work of fiction
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My name is Dan, I'm 9 years old, and I live with my parents in the Paris region. I have a pretty cool life with lots of friends. School is going well because I am a good student. I like to act silly in class to make my classmates laugh even if last time it got me in trouble with my mom at school because my teacher thought I was going too far.
My parents and I live in a small rented house. We have been living there for a long time since I was born. I often hear my parents say they would like to move and buy their own house but it's too expensive. I have no desire to move, I like this house even if it's not very big. I also, and most importantly, have all my friends who live nearby. Moving means there is a strong risk of losing my friends.
Mom works as a bank adviser and Dad fixes elevators. He often tells us stories of people getting stuck and it's usually pretty funny.
"Dan, is your travel bag ready?" Mom asks as she enters the room. We have to leave in five minutes, I don't want to drive fast and definitely don't want to miss grandma's train.
"Almost," I reply as I see her while I put my game console in my bag.
Mom and I go to the TGV station so that I can go on vacation for two weeks to my grandparents' house. I have a rolling suitcase with clothes and this small bag that I will keep with me during the journey with things to keep me busy inside. Dad is not here because he had to go on a tricky job with one of his colleagues.
"Go pee," mom says passing her head through the door frame, "and put on your shoes."
I'm pretty happy to go to my grandparents' house because I meet my cousins there. In fact, I go there every summer and I have a lot of fun memories to share. Yes, I write a book. It's kind of my diary, except it's not private. I love to write, to recount what happens to me. I also love to reread it. Maybe someday I'll publish it. Clara, a friend I've had since kindergarten, tells me I write well and that one day I'll become a successful author.
But back to my vacation. Usually it's with mom and dad that I go by car to my grandparents' house, but this year it's different: I take the train alone! Since this was decided, and I'll come back to it, we call it: "Grandma's train." It came from a phrase of dad's telling us a story of grandma also taking the train alone when she was a teenager.
I come back to this decision to have me take the train alone, which is not my decision at all. Dad recently changed companies and doesn't have any days off. Mom, on the other hand, is pretty tired because... drum roll... she's pregnant! I'm going to have a little brother in three months. As for my grandparents, they are too old to make the trip and come pick me up, plus they already have cousins with them. So the decision was made for me to take the train. I'm somewhat reassured because it's the first time I will take it, at least alone. My parents have explained to me several times that I won't really be alone since there are always a lot of people in the train, and also that mom will drop me off on the train and that grandpa and grandma will be on the platform at the last stop.
"Are we ready?" Mom asks as I put on my shoes. "Are you ready? I hope we didn't forget anything..."
"I'm ready," I say smiling at her.
Shortly after, we are both in the car. Mom, just before starting the engine, asks me if I have taken my phone. I tell her I have. Yes, at 9 years old I have a phone but it's for a good reason because it's to communicate with the people around me as I am hearing impaired. I say hearing impaired, but I prefer to say deaf. I have been this way since birth and have learned to communicate in sign language. With my parents already, my family, but also my friends, at least some of them. And for others, I use my phone where I write messages.
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