nano's house and the unknown

It was a chilly morning. He wrapped the towel tighter around him, his arms around his chest. He felt a warmth rising in his chest as he thought of the fireplace downstairs. How they would sit around it for an hour, habitual, as his grandparents watched tv and in between, peppered him and his brother, two years his junior, with questions. He got ready and checked the time on the old clock on the wall. He had fifteen minutes. He turned on the television. He could smell the smoke wafting from the kitchen. Eggs being made for breakfast. And toast. Crispy toast. The runny yolk of the eggs. His mouth watered. It was December. He flicked through the channels, looking for Disney or Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. They were all adjacent to one another but he couldn’t find any at the moment. “Bachoun, nashta!” His grandmother called up from downstairs. He ran down. His brother was still in the shower. She tousled his hair. He looked out the windows. The dawn was a deep blue, the sun had not yet spread its light across the sky. He grabbed his plate and rushed upstairs, trying to leap two stairs at a time. His brother had just left the shower. He sat on the bed in front of the television and switched to Nickelodeon. A catchy theme song. The wild thornberrys. They were building up the show. It had just begun. Nothing on Disney. He moved to Cartoon Network. He almost screamed in excitement. The Pokémon movie with the unknown. There was Entei jumping from an attack. Then the Unknowns gathering together. Entei stepping in front of the girl. Taking a full hyper beam to the face. Fainting. He watched, entranced, even though he’d seen this movie before. He would go to school as fog swirled all around. He’d come back, and in the evening, they would gather around the fire and talk as his grandparents watched tv and spoke to the two of them. But for now, he watched. The wind outside was chilly, inside, it was cold. The glass was frosting up. The lawn outside was shivering. The old house stood still, but it probably also felt the effects of the weather. For now though, none of that was his concern. He sat and watched, cross legged. Rapt silence. As the pokemon show played out in front of him. As he ate his eggs. The toast was crunchy and crispy. The eggs runny. It was a moment, about fifteen of them, of pure bliss. He was so happy and content.

I look back on it years later, and there’s so much memory can do. I understand that it could have altered this small memory of mine. I understand that is likely. But I look back on that memory, and something so simple is so joyful. I was content. I was happy. I was unafraid. Do you know what a powerful feeling that is? We rise above our darkest fears. And for years after, those would be with me. For years before, they had been. But in that moment, I ate eggs and toast. I watched Pokémon. Nothing could disturb me.