So much for the dramatic entry” said Andrew.
“At least I didn’t ‘accidentally’ open the girls’ room and having a melodramatic presentation like yours” I replied.
“You want liquid nitrogen with that?” laughed Taya.
“I don’t know why” I said, reviving from my chuckles. “Folks just call it that way, and I also call it too. The name fits right though. I mean, ‘Diverse City’, doesn’t that name make this neighbourhood somehow cool and unique?”
“Well, it does kinda make it distinctive though. Anyway, when will we walk around this ‘Diverse City’?”
“You choose.”
“Well, there was one reason I came here. Yes, I wanna see my little brother but also I’ll be bringing you to Seattle.”
“Seattle?” I and my roommate both looked at each other. “What for?”
“To visit your old uncle.”
“Wait” I said, so shocked by the news. “Uncle Adam is still alive!?”
“What made you think he’s dead?”
“I thought he was bombed during World War II?”
“Well, he was bombed but he managed to survive.”
“Well what are we waiting for!?” I was so excited to see my good old Uncle Adam. My Aunt Jamie told me that he was dead during World War II. I can’t believe he’s still alive after all these years.
I quickly packed everything up: my clothes, my cellphones (I have five of them and I don’t know why), some food in case we get hungry on the way, and other stuffs like toothbrushes, etc. I even packed all of Andrew’s stuffs into my bag. (I have no idea how it fitted there and will never know how.)
“Whoa, what’s with all the bags?” Taya asked.
“You know what they say: ‘Never come unprepared!’” I answered.
“You also brought my things?” Andrew said.
“Well, yeah. Why?”
“Has Josh been this enthusiastic since birth?”
“You don’t say” Taya answered.
“Well what are we waiting for?” I said avidly. “Uncle Adams cannot wait you know.”
“Well, you can’t leave this place without something to ride” said Andrew.
“We can use my car” said Taya.
“You have a car?” I asked as we both went out and we saw her bright, violet car. It’s a bit small but it’s still cool.
“Wow” I said. “I mean, since when did you bought this car?”
“Just last month” she replied.
“Really? Is economy this fast-growing these days?”
“You will never know” said Andrew.
“So, are you gonna get it inside the car or not?” said Taya impatiently.
“Just wait a minute” I answered hastily. “Just gonna put this bag behind the car.”
After some minutes of placing the bag we then went into the car. The moment we do so, Taya suddenly stepped on the gas as we travelled so fast.
“Wow” said Andrew. “Your sister sure is in a rush.”
“Uhh, Taya” I said. “Do you know that there’s a thing called ‘Speed Limit’?”
“See no speed limits here, then no” she replied.
“But don’t you think you’re going too fast?”
“This is how I drive. Got any problem?”
“Well, we will have a problem if we run into some cops.”
“Just buckle your seatbelts. Everything’s perfectly under control.”
I just rested my back against the leather seat as I gazed at the speedometer.
“Forty-five kilometres per hour!?” I said to myself. “I just hope I won’t see any flashing red and blue lights and sirens around.”
After four hours of worrying and anxiety we finally made it to Seattle.
“Alright, we’re here” said Taya.
“Already?” both Andrew and I exclaimed.
“Well, yeah. I told you everything was under control.”
I opened the door and went out of the car as Andrew suddenly threw himself to the ground and hugged and kissed the cemented road.
“Finally, land!” shouted Andrew. “Thank You, dear God for the land!”
“See? I told you to drive carefully” I said.
“Well, how else will you get to see your uncle if I haven’t ‘stepped on the gas’?” said Taya.
“So, this is Uncle Adam’s house?” I asked
“Yeah, why?” she replied.
“Nothing” I said as I gazed at the house. It was a two-story house with an Antique Shop at the first floor. It was somehow old but still nice to live in. The whole house was painted green with a little shade of blue around the windowpanes.
“Hey, how’s my little niece doing!?” said a tall, old, nicely-dressed man coming out from the shop (which I presume was Uncle Adam).
“It’s all fine” said Taya as she hugged the man. “Oh, and Uncle Adam this is Josh and his cousin Andrew.”
“Really?” said Uncle Adam. “That’s Josh? As in, my Joshua Young!?” (For everyone’s information, Taya’s last name is Smith ‘cause she’s already married.)
“What’s going on?” I asked them.
“Why Josh, it’s been a long time!” he said as he approached me. “You’ve grown taller and wiser I can see. I thought you were dead.”
“I thought you were dead too, but how could you’ve thought that I was dead?”
“Your Aunt Jamie told me you were dead. I don’t know what came into her mind why she said that. I mean it’s not like…wait, who’s that?”
Uncle Adam pointed at Andrew, who was still kissing and hugging the ground.
“Huh? Oh, that’s uhmm…my cousin and roommate Andrew.”
“Let me guess, Taya drove high-speed again, didn’t she?”
“Well, yes. How’d you know?”
“That’s what happen every time your older sister drives people here; her friends and some of your other brothers and sisters.”
“Really?” I laughed. “Where did you get all those driving skills?”
“Video games” Taya said, taking her jacket off.
“Wait, you play video games!?” I said with wide eyes.
“Your sister plays video games every day” said Uncle Adam. “At sunrise, during high rise, at sunset, before bedtime; there was never a minute she kept her eyes away from her TV and her hands at the controller upstairs. And as a result, well this happens. Wait, why are we outside anyway? Come on, let’s go inside.”
I took my bag from the back of the car and went inside, along with Taya.
“Uhm…’Drew?” I said before going inside.
“What?” Andrew replied.
“You can…go inside now. It’s kinda, well, you’re kinda humiliating here.”
“Oh.”