Joey’s hands trembled with fear and anxiety as he clutched the pen tightly, his heart racing as he began to write his goodbye note. It was for his mother.

“Dear Mom…” it began as Joey’s eyes slowly filled with tears.

Several thoughts plagued the 16-year-old boy. He was still two years away from his 18th birthday when he would legally be considered an adult and have the option to move out and live independently.

But Joey was too ambitious to wait until turning 18 to chase his dreams. He wanted to break free right now and go in search of a future away from home.

He pressed the pen onto the paper and continued writing:

“By evening, you’ll be back, but I won’t be home. No, I wasn’t kidnapped. I’ve just finally made the decision to run away.

No matter how far time takes me, I’ll always love you, Mom. I’m so sorry. But I have no choice. I have to go. Take care.

With Love, Joey.”

Joey penned these heartfelt words in the letter he placed on the table next to his mom’s old sewing machine…

Joey’s mother, Flora, was out on the farm. That morning, she had even asked Joey if he could help her with uprooting beetroots and carrots in the fields.

But Joey had already planned to say goodbye to his country life that day and lied to Flora about joining her later. Flora trusted Joey.

It was already noon, and there was still no sign of the boy. However, Flora was least worried because she knew he would always eventually come.

As she continued to toil in the fields under the blazing sun, Joey was busy packing his bag back home, ready to bid farewell to his hometown.

The loud squawking of the hens and ducks and the sight of the tall peach trees that surrounded the little farmhouse were sights Joey knew he was bound to miss. He sighed painfully, and each step started feeling heavier.

Joey knew that nothing, not even those childhood sentiments, would stop him from taking his first step toward the unknown. His backpack was packed and strapped to his back as Joey gingerly walked outside and stood still for a moment, basking in the pleasant outdoor scene.

He inhaled the farm’s familiar scent, a mixture of manure, hay, and vegetables, and watched the ducks and hens leisurely foraging in the lush green pasture.

Unbeknownst to him, tears started brimming at the rim of his eyes. The old farmhouse stood still and quiet as Joey looked up, his heart pounding in his chest like a trapped bird.

This house was where he grew up. It was where he took his first baby steps, learned to talk, and was raised under his mother’s wings. And now, he was prepared to leave his cozy home and world behind for a better and unknown tomorrow.

After taking one last look at the house, he turned around and walked away without once glancing back, his footsteps growing more distant.

Joey could feel his eyes tear up again, but he balled his fists together by his sides and continued walking away. Deep down, he feared his mother would catch him on the way and find out he was running away. So he scurried faster.

Joey sighed under his breath and kept going, almost on the verge of arriving at the highway where he had planned to hitchhike to the city hundreds of miles away.

As the road ahead stretched into the unknown, his mother’s words echoed in his mind. The last thing he remembered was her telling him she would make his favorite chicken pot pie for dinner. Flora was so happy when she said that before leaving for the fields.

Her voice echoed in Joey’s head as he pressed forward.

Joey knew his mother’s world would turn gloomy and dark after he was gone because she always told him he was her brightest ray of sunshine and that she lived only for him.

Flora never married again after his dad’s passing and pulled herself together for Joey, who was her sun, moon, stars, and beyond.

As the highway drew closer, Joey wished he didn’t have to run away like this but knew there was no other choice.

At first, Joey had tried to convince himself that living with his mother in the countryside and managing a farm was enough for him, only to realize that it was not the life he had wanted.

Joey didn’t want to get stuck working on the farm and rearing farm animals when all his other friends would go to good colleges and pursue their dreams.

Joey dreamed of becoming a doctor and giving back to society and thought there was no way he would achieve it if he continued to live on the farm surrounded by poverty, endless hard work, and scanty resources.

He had even tried convincing his mother to sell the ranch and move to the city, where she could buy a small store she could easily manage, but she refused.

Instead, Flora often talked Joey out of the topic and insisted that memories of his late father were attached to the farm, and it was something she wanted to cherish.

Flora hesitated to make the big move to the city because of the lifestyle and people there. She grew up on the family farm, and her world was limited to the green pastures, livestock, and simple life.

Not that she dreaded the city culture, but she loved the country life more.

Moreover, this farm was a trove of memories, and she didn’t want to leave any of that behind and move to the concrete jungle.

So whenever Joey brought up selling the farm and moving to the city, an argument would spark between them. However, Flora had her ways of dealing with Joey’s temper and calming him down.

Joey tried convincing her again…and again. When nothing changed his mother’s mind, he decided he needed to go even if he had to leave her behind.

A thick gust slapped Joey in the face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

After what felt like an eternity, he managed to hitchhike to the bus terminal in a truck. He boarded a bus that would take him to the city and cozied himself by the window seat, clutching his backpack.

As the bus rumbled forward, Joey watched his cherished town, the green pastures dotted with grazing cows and toiling farmers, fade like a dream through the window.

Gasping heavily, he counted and recounted his money, calculating how much he had and how quickly he had to find a job once he got there in the city.

During his journey toward the unknown, Joey’s only hope was his childhood friend, Dan, who lived in that city.

Dan had promised Joey a better-paying job than any he could find in the countryside, and Joey believed him. He was also one of the reasons Joey dared to run away from home, and there was nobody else he could trust better.

Several hours later, the long-haul bus stopped at Joey’s final destination. Stepping into the city, Joey’s eyes widened with awe at the towering skyscrapers and bustling cityscape.

Life here starkly contrasted with the simple countryside life in his hometown, where folks would return to their cozy homes before sunset and spend time with their families.

Clutching his backpack straps tightly, Joey marched down the road to the payphone, thoughts of his mother haunting his mind. Joey knew she would have returned home from the fields by now and gotten her hands on his goodbye letter.

“I’m so sorry, Mom,” Joey whispered. “I promise to see you once I achieve my dream. I will come to you as soon as I become a doctor.”

As Joey sauntered along the sidewalk, he was utterly enthralled by the bustling city. Wearing a pristine smile, he gleefully watched passers-by cross him.

Joey hurried to the payphone and called his buddy, Dan.

“Oh, you are finally here…Welcome to Downtown!” Dan chirped on the line.

“I’m so glad you took my advice seriously and made the move to the city! Alright, just do this…go there…yeah…you’ll find quite a lot of them. Just get into one…my address is…”

Following Dan’s instructions, Joey hurried down the street and instantly hailed a taxi the second he saw one.

“How much is it to Central?” Joey politely asked a taxi driver, beyond shocked at the response he got.

“Thirty dollars, Sir,” the taxi driver replied.

Joey’s six senses instantly blared, thinking he was about to be scammed the moment he heard him reply. He had heard of scammers who tricked people for money, which, according to Joey, was common in the city. So he knew he had to be careful.

“Thirty dollars? That’s too much…I mean…how far is Central from here?”

“It’s a ten-minute drive from here,” the cabbie said. “And the ride will be thirty dollars. Ready to go, sir?”

“Thir-thirty bucks,” Joey spat in shock, trying to hide how ridiculous he thought the fare was. He wasn’t used to spending so much on a taxi ride before and thought $30 for a ten-minute ride was unreasonable and expensive.

Moreover, $30 was more than a quarter of all he had. Joey was not ready to spend so much money when he barely had enough for the rest of the things he needed for his stay at Dan’s place.

“Wait, stop…I’ll get down,” Joey said, fabricating a quick lie. “My friend’s on his way. I almost forgot. I’m sorry for wasting your time.”

He immediately got down, watching the driver as he sped off, scowling.

Joey was stranded and came up with a quick plan. He decided to hail five different taxis for a short two-minute ride each. This way, Joey thought he didn’t have to spend $30 and still reach his friend’s place.

“To Central, please,” Joey instructed the fifth taxi driver, following a string of four shorter rides across the city.

However, five taxis later and on the edge of being drenched in the sudden downpour, Joey realized that he had spent thirty dollars on all the rides combined anyway.

Joey was quite disheartened. He calculated an approximation of the remaining money in his pocket and marched to the posh neighborhood where his friend lived.

A row of nucleated houses adorned the treeline roads as Joey looked for the brown-beige house with a maple tree on the porch. It was Dan’s.

When Joey arrived outside Dan’s house, he was on the edge of tears, realizing he barely had any money left after spending a quarter of it on taxi rides and the remaining on buying a hotdog on the way.

Joey rang the bell and nervously stood at the doorstep, scanning the houses and neighbors surrounding Dan’s modest, suburban home with a white picket fence. Moments later, the door creaked open, and Dan was so excited to see Joey.

But to his surprise, Joey wasn’t as excited.

“I came here with such big dreams, pal,” Joey settled in the living room as the two friends started chatting over coffee.

“At this point, I really don’t know if what I did was right. If it was even a good decision to leave everything behind and run away from home…”

“Relax! I was the one who promised you a job that could help you earn money. You don’t have to pay rent until you’re a few months into the job, okay?” Dan consoled him.

His words lit Joey’s face with reassurance. “Are you sure, man? Thanks! This is going to be my first job…I’m so nervous,” he exclaimed.

Dan shook his head. “You’re going to work in a retail store, and the pay is pretty good. You won’t have any problems paying rent and buying food,” Dan informed Joey. “Once you get the hang of it, everything will be sorted.”

“That’s great, man, thank you so much! When can I start this new job? Is it a good place to work?”

“Don’t worry, pal. It’s an excellent job, and I’m sure you’ll make a decent chunk of money!”

True to his word, Joey began working in the retail store a few days later.

The job was a little hectic.

As days passed, Joey shuttled between his job and newfound life in the city. Although the sales associate gig demanded more of him than his quaint small-town work in the fields, the generous paychecks outweighed the challenges he faced.

A few weeks later, as Joey held his first hard-earned paycheck in his hand, an overwhelming urge to call his mother consumed him.