AN:SO,HERE'S MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO ACTUALLY PUT SOMETHING DOWN IN WRITING,SO...YEAH,TRY IT!

AND I AM SURE I MADE LOTS OF GRAMMAR MISTAKES BUT KEEP IN MIND IT'S NOT MY NATIVE LANGUAGE AND PLS DO NOT POINT THEM OUT TO ME..THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY :)

TNX!

WARNING:SLASH(LATER ON)

Chapter I

My name is Adam Popescu, and I am romanian and a 23 years old may think I am too young and that my child is a young man's mistake. Well...he's not. He's only a year and a half old and I love him as if he's really mine. You probably guessed...I adopted Chris a year ago and it was the best day of my life, when I got to hold him in my arms. Now, our happiness is threatened.

The story goes like this...

I lived in the countryside with my parents, in a village that was home to no more than 214 souls. Our house was situated at the top of a hill,somewhat separated from the rest of the village.

Every morning I used to get out of the house and look down into the valley where I could see the houses,the road,the village stirring to life. The church's bells ecoing through the morning air, the sun drying the wet grass and me...sitting there and taking it all in like I've just been given a new chance to life. Let me tell you...until I reached the glorious age of 18, I felt like this was my heaven, the only place I wanted to be, and never in my life I have imagined I would find myself so far from that place.

My parents are farmers, and growing up I was used to hard labour around the house and working at the fields. In the morning, I always woke up before dawn and went outside where it was waiting for me, my beloved fountain of youth. That's what I called it, the fountain in our yard, because man, after washing my face with that icy cold water I always rose to live like a recharged battery. After that, I went to feed the animals. We had chicken, cows, pigs, geese, ducks, two dogs and two horses.

Every morning, the shepherd gathered the cows from the village and took them to the green fields beyond the forest. At sunset, the herd returned only to gather the next morning.

The villagers paid the shepherd with a small amount of money paid once and with an unlimited amount of milk and cheese. After sending the cows to graze, I would grab something to eat and head on to school. Coming home after classes, depending on the season, I would work in the garden ,or the fields, or just doing the housework.

At night, us kids from the village gathered in the center of the village where there was a little park and hang out. It was a simple life,that is until I had to go to highschool. The closest one was at an hour away by car and so, my morning routine was changed. Of course I didn't had to do this, but my parents insisted that I become an educated man, capable of making my own future, and not become like them, as my father put it "living at the cow's tail".

Life of a farmer was indeed hard, you lived only by what nature and animals produced under your care.

When I went to highschool, it wasn't my first visit to the city, I often used to accompany my father to the market where he would sell apples, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables. I still remember my first experience in marketing... I was a pretty difficult year, the prices were low and the competition tough. It was autumn and dad was selling apples and potatoes. We needed something to highlight our products from the rest so I made a robot using some wire that my father used to seal the sacs of potatoes. I tied the wires so that they formed a skeleton and then pierced apples and potatoes, and on the top I tied some carrot leaves. It was hideous really,but it stood out with that green hair of his and all the kids that entered the market spotted it on our display table and wanted to buy from us. It was then when I really felt proud of myself, of something I did with my own mind that helped my folks. It was then when I really realized that I wanted to do something different than relaying on my own body to be able to survive.

It was the day that I finished highschool that I set my mind to embark in the greatest adventure of my life.

Behind our house was our garden and orchard and then a hundred meters from the orchard's fence began the forest. I had my special place there, a hidden glade. After a half an hour of walking throw the old pine forest, there it was, a patch of grass, green in the spring and golden in autumn. The terrain is getting higher until you reach the old oak tree. It's roots run deep and it has a tall puffy coat of leaves and even when it rains, a single drop of water won't touch you.

There I was on that day,the day I had to decide what to do with myself. As I reached my special place under the oak, my breath caught in my throat, as it always did. I was in the highest place on the hill and yet I felt so small. In front of my eyes were only hills covered with trees, forests with patches of grass, hidden places just like mine. Only the sky, the clouds and the wildness of the woods.

The hills are like dunes covered in different shades of green and brown sand, and in the far horizon you can spot the Carpathian mountains, covered in snow, our country's oldest heritage. There I sat,thinking for hours about where I belong in this world. I loved my parents, my village, my friends, my beautiful place in the woods but I wanted more, more than this. I wanted to be a man who could support my family, I wanted kids and and a home of my own. I wanted to earn enough to be able to help my parents too. I'm not blind, I can see they are getting old and there will come a time when their bodies won't cope with the hard work a farmer has to do.

And when that time will come I want them to feel no hardships, and enjoy the years of retirement without the fear of dieing of hunger.

That's when I made the decision of leaving all that I knew to seek another way of life.

As I made the journey back to my house, I would like to say that I felt like a real man, ten years older than I really was but in truth, my legs began shaking and I felt a sense of dread sprout inside my body. I didn't know how my parents will react to the news of me wanting to leave home.

I tried not to think of their reaction and before I knew it, I was at the fence. I jumped over it, like I always do and crossed the orchard and garden.

When I entered the yard my mother was pouring water from the fountain into a bucket, probably to give it to the animals. My father was chopping wood, not far from her, something that I should really help him with.

He turned his eyes to me and I think he was about to say something to that respect when he noticed the expression on my face. Mother must have felt something too, cause now all four eyes were on me.

,,Ma, Pop, we need to talk", I begin, not trusting myself to speak further without bursting into tears.

,,What's wrong, Adam?" my mother asked.

I turned to look at dad, Pop as I called him, and I saw his grip tightening on the axe's handle.

"He's leaving home, Maria" said dad and before I have a chance to express my surprise to his words I realize I am my parent's child and of course they can read me like an open book.

My mother looked at me with teary eyes ,,We always knew you would someday, but we never thought it will be this soon. You deserve better than this life. You're a good child, I just hope you forgive us for not beeing able to provide for you better..."

My mom burst into tears and I say it again, I am my parent's child so I did too...,,No, mom, I had the best childhood anyone could ask for, and for the most part, is not even about the money.. I just feel like I'm incomplete ..'' I said while holding Ma in my arms, pressing her golden head at my chest. I never realized how lithe her body was until now...

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt my father's arms around me and Ma, I opened my eyes I saw my eyes staring back at me, and he was nodding at me in acceptance and I swear I could see his eyes holding back tears.

We sat like that in our little family hug for a long time, each enjoying the comfort until Lala, our crazy dog began barking and we woke from our thoughts. We went inside the house and began making plans for my departure. I was to leave the next day for Timisoara, one of our coutry's largest cities where I would stay at some distant relatives of ours until I would find something to work abroad.

That night, as I laid down in my bed I began to worry. Will I make it?will I catch a lucky break?What will the future hold?

My bed is a traditional one, with no actual mattress, just hay covered with blankets. I knew it was old fashioned but I didn't have any complaints about it until that night. It felt like sleeping on needless.

I was excited about the next day, about seeing my distant relatives. The only thing I remember about them was a visit they made about eleven years ago,and I remember a little girl, Anca about my age. My Ma said she's like a third rank cousin of mine. I just hope I don't impose on them...

Lost in my thoughts, my vision darkened and I had a dream about me, looking down at the woods at my feet, from under the old oak...