Keesha knows that she has done something wrong, just not what exactly. It is not always easy to do the right thing, especially when rules are unclear. Keesha is old enough to know that running away will only lead to more scoldings from her mother and a hard, stern look from father. Dramatic parental signals remembered well into next week. Running away is never pretty. 

When I got home from school today the tree in the backyard was ready to fall. It had been struck by lightning God knows how long ago, and now a windstorm was challenging its vertical life. Last weekend we pulled our tent out of the garage and set it up under that old tree. The tent's cover was blown half off, and the blankets inside were wet from the rain that had soaked through the mesh window. I knew I'd have to dismantle the thing before dark, before starting homework and making dinner for my girlfriend and me. It is amazing what a little nature can do to itself and man made structures alike. 

Running away from home has a few desirable qualities. Like the freedom of going where your heart takes you, and doing that which pleases your days and nights. Particular tastes deciding preferences. Such are the simple ideals of a run-aways life. Making your own decisions about when to go, and where (wherever where is), is the whole point to running away. The problem lies in that there is always someone else depending on the comfort of knowing your whereabouts; what it "is" exactly that you're up to. 

It is not Keesha's fault that she's too stupid to be aware of the hand that feeds her. After all, following your heart, no matter how big or small it is, it is very personal. Instincts dictate the roads we choose to follow. It is either yes or no, happy or sad, up or down, black or just plain ole' white, for some people. Once you've decided to run away, there is no use in considering why. It is best to just go. Smelling flowers far away isn't an everyday event for Keesha. Sometimes she forgets about her own garden to be tended, and must be let go to smell another version. 

Aimee had a meeting on campus after class so she wasn't going to be home right away. I was hungry so I made nachos and listened to music while perusing over a story by Alice Munro, thinking to myself that I'd rather be attending to our garden, or out watching time drive by from a bird's eye view. Nachos gone, I shaved, showered and changed into fresh clothes. Maybe it would be a good night to watch movies instead of doing homework, I thought.