MY LIFESTYLE TRANSITION Selena Scarborough
Astounded: That’s what I felt when me and my mother were finally moving into a brand-new apartment of our own. A new journey was starting to be set in motion. On a bright, sunny, windy day at 8:00 a.m. I suddenly awakened from my sleep to start getting ready and pack all my clothes. “Today is the big day. Are you ready to get out of this hellhole?” said my mother. I said, “Yeah, I am.” Honestly I was so eager to leave this homeless shelter that I have been living in for seven and a half months. The shelter was very small and was located in the Bronx. It felt as if I was indentured in a black hole that I couldn’t get out of because I had no way out. After I finished packing my clothes, I went inside the bathroom to take a refreshing shower. The bathroom was miniature but had enough extended space to get yourself together. So I closed the door and got inside the shower. When I was in the shower, I felt something change inside my physical body. I started to feel chest pain and my stomach sank like a rock in the sea. This was because I was very nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t know what would happen when we got there. I overheard my mom talking to Mrs. Kimberly but the sounds faded. Mrs. Kimberly was the housing worker in the shelter. She had long, black, straight hair, light complexion, and usually wore a formal women’s suit with black shoes. “SELENA, HURRY UP AND GET DRESSED, WE ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE!” my mother yelled to me. “Okay, I will,” I said. So I suddenly dashed out of the shower and dried myself off in 367
