My sister, twenty-something years old and a mother, lives here at my parent’s house with her husband and son. I believe it has been like this for maybe two years as I helped with my young nephew.

And they lived in the basement.

This is pretty much a tradition; one sibling, the eldest living there, gets the basement and everyone would get a turn. My oldest sister, Jordan, lived down there first with black and red walls and a plethora of pillows. Then, the middle child, Jessica, decorated it with zebra-striped walls. At first, it was just her up until she was in college and met her husband.

Now, they had just bought a house and moved out. Home is quieter now, which is welcome, but there are always ups and downs. I will miss them and that’s not the biggest downside. Maybe it’s just me seeing it that way.

The basement is open. I can claim it. Conquer it. Become its new sovereign. The reins are mine to travel as I like. It’s all here. It’s my turn, even though I don’t know if I’m ready for it.

They keep telling me to be ready for the future, but why does it have to come so fast? Elementary school has already gone by and now middle school is probably going to be finished two times faster. Then high school will be about the same. I knew when I was about ten years old that I would go to Coal Ridge, then go to Frederick, but I didn’t know this. Hell, I was sure I wanted to go to college, but where? It’s coming sooner than I thought. Why do I suddenly have to do something?

My parents and I have already fixed up the bathroom down there and they keep telling me: “That’s the nicest bathroom” or “That’s the biggest closet.” What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to do?

I thought about it for a minute and I decided that I could do something about it. I could set up my Nintendo Switch down there with the TV my dad helped put up in the barren room. It only had a few wires and was ready to play within minutes.

Everything’s not yet covered by furniture or decorations; I have to make it so.

I put everything else up over time with or without help. The bed, of course, with help, but I mostly got everything else and figured it out.

That’s just what I have to do. Time goes by and it is just one of the many things down the line. Ready or not, I need to face them.