I smoothly opened my silver Mac, which was still freezing cold from the air conditioner from the night before. I opened it and the blazing light hit my eyes directly and felt as if my cornea started to melt. Those couple of seconds felt like an eternity; my eyes got accustomed to this new beam of light abusing them, and I regained my sight. I was checking my email the same way I had done for the past two weeks. As my internet slowly loaded the Zimbra website.
However, this time it was different. In black text were the words “Offer you a spot at the American University roster.” As I read the email my body turned pale. It seemed as if my soul left my body and all I could feel was “Californication” moving through my stomach. I stood there motionless. I couldn't react. It all seemed too good to be true. I stopped, took a deep breath and as my body finally broke from that unexplainable state of trance. Once I was back to normality and the truth finally hit me, I dropped back and fell on my bed. As my body dropped towards the goose-feather duvet I started weeping like a baby.
Nevertheless, this was different than ever before. This was pure joy-- not pain, not amusement but true happiness. After five minutes of laughing like a maniac, crying, pinching myself and shouting alone in my room, I finally stood up. Once on my feet I quickly ran towards the exit and opened the towering wooden door of my room. In shouts that according to me were beautiful, but later told by my mother they resembled those of a dying sheep, I let the news out. Once I finished shouting like a maniac on the tight corridors, I stood still and saw my mother on the other side of the hall. She looked at me and started crying the same way I did. I smiled and nodded, her dream had also become a reality.
My mother and step-dad had always wanted me to go to American University; however, as every teenage kid I never listened to them. After all, I wouldn't be a teenager if I would not rebel against what my parents wanted or told me. So after the offer arrived and I accepted, it was the first time I had really said what I felt. Deep inside it had always been my dream to go to American, I just hadn't said it because of rebellion. I had always been the disparate one in my family and with the university it wasn't going to be any different. Nevertheless, once my dream of playing soccer there was met I had to finally confess to them. It had been my dream all along, my hidden dream that allowed me to stay connected to my youth.