From Their Eyes

by moviemaster8510

Departure, From Her Eyes

I sit with my legs trembling as my eyes lock on to the second hand on the clock above the doorway as it makes another rotation every minute without fail. As it passes the 12 at the top of the face, the shivering makes its way to my stomach as I see that the minute hand is right above the 11 and the hour hand is about to point straight up in just five minutes time.

Then, my name will be called, I’ll go through my final briefing and wellness check, and I’ll finally be off to planet Earth! I almost want to cry, perhaps not as much as Mom is probably going to. She sits on my left as Dad sits to hers. As much as I want them both beside me, I can at least keep my bag with all my papers there in the meantime.

I know they’re both dreading this in their own ways, and in a sense, I do to; well, at least the same as Mom. For the first summer since before I was born, she’s going to be harvesting our garden with only Dad to help her, and I know Dad partially resents me for it. Not for me leaving him alone with her, of course, but for me to leave my world, my home that I’ve known all my life, for a place “infested” with these humans he’s read so much about.

I’ve read plenty about them too, which is why I am so excited about going there.

In my final reflections, I barely notice the door open as a smartly-dressed aide pops out halfway out. “Leaf? Lettuce Leaf?”

I nearly shriek as I sling my bag over my neck and land on my hooves in a single, joyous motion. Mom’s waterworks are already going, and I suddenly feel terrible about feeling so happy. Though I know deep down, she is too.

“Don’t forget to write to us!” She hugs me with all the might her right foreleg can muster as she presses the bottom of her chin on the back of my mane.

“You know I won’t!” My grip is just as tight on her. I can’t believe I suddenly feel an urge to call the whole thing off!

Dad, out of respect, stands by Mom until I finally let him have the last hug he’ll have from me in who-knows-how-long. “Don’t let them change you.”

“You won’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll be just fine!” The realization hits him too, and he slips his arm across the base of my neck.

Mom throws herself onto me, desperate for one more. “We’re going to miss you so much, Letty!”

“I’m going to miss you so much too!” Darn it, Mom, now my tears are going! “I love you both so much!”

“We love you too,” Dad sighs; is he finally okay with it now that it’s all said and done?

I feel my mom nodding as her mane brushes my back. I don’t want to keep my sponsor waiting any longer, and I pull away from them just quick enough before my doubts turn to a change of heart.

“Bye, guys!” I walk backward toward the doorway and wave them off, realizing I have only seconds left to see them. “Love you!”

Mom presses her face into Dad’s neck, and as he holds her in the most modest show of comfort that my Dad can possibly provide, I feel that it’s time to turn around and look ahead, the aide leading me through the door and into a long hallway with many doors on either side.

Once the door closes, she feels alone enough to speak privately. “Congratulations, Ms. Leaf. I’m sure you must be over the moon to have an opportunity such as this.”

“Mmhm!” I’m still not quite over the ever-growing distance between my parents. “How much more time until we go?”

“Before we send you off, we just need to get you some final things, a couple of last signatures, and you’ll be all set!”

“Excellent! Thank you so much for your help.”

“Don’t thank me! I’m just taking you to an office.”

“Still, I wouldn’t know where to go without your help!”

She nods, beginning to look to the next door on the right. “Okay, and you’ll be in here.”

Charging her horn, she pulls the door out for me to enter, and as I step in, I instantly freeze to see a human in a plain black suit behind a sparsely-decorated desk. I haven’t even set hoof on Earth yet and I’m already getting to meet my first human face to face!

“Mrs.… Leaf was it?” He checks his notes to be sure.

“Have fun, you two!” The aide steps back and closes the door to leave us be.

I nod, acknowledging his question. “Yes. And please, you can call me Letty.”

“Letty.” He gets up out of his office chair and walks around to allow me to shake his hand.

His smile is pleasant and sincere; already a good sign for what’s to come.

“Alright, Letty.” He gets back to his desk. “I just need to see your birth certificate and your photo ID.”

With even-more vigorous nods, I reach into my bag and slip both forms out from the front of a folder where I keep everything else I’ve determined was the most important for me to bring that I was allowed to. Glancing between the two originals and the photocopies made before my acceptance, he confidently nods as everything seems to be in order as expected.

“Thank you.” He slides my things back and I place them in the same spot in my bag. “Now, let’s go over some final things, first and foremost, your sponsor during your residency on Earth.”

From one manilla envelope atop a short stack of others, he pushes it my way and opens it for me, showing me a picture of another human male that appears a bit younger than the one across from me. His skin has the same mild tan as well, and his hair appears to be super short along the sides while the top part is much longer and styled-up. Interesting.

Paperclipped beneath the pictures are photos of an adorable-looking city whose downtown divided by a small river and a plethora of shops and eateries that I’m no doubt going to need to patronize while I’m there.

“Your sponsor is David Becker. He lives in Batavia, Illinois in the United States of America. Lucky you.” His voice apparently means it, but his smile begins to fade. “Your new home address will be printed on your new ID that I’ll provide you in just a moment.” He takes the next folder off the pile and flips it open before setting it down. “As I’m sure you’ve been informed, you will have dual-citizenship while living with your sponsor and possess the same rights as every other citizen. Inside this folder you will find your very own social security card, pamphlets regarding your new government-issued health insurance.”

His spiel rolls on, and I know exactly what I’m signing for, but he still has David’s folder open with some of his hometown’s pictures still visible. It looks like they have a street that they close down for…

Is that a farmer’s market?!

I’ll sign anything at this point! Celestia, just take me there now!