Example Of A Story About A Boy Creative Writing

Lionel Ortega sat at his desk in his air-conditioned dorm room overlooking the parade ground and beyond it the sports hall, from where he could just hear the sounds of a ball game in progress, thinking back to exactly one year before, to the day his old life had ended and this new life was just beginning. It already seemed so long ago, and he sensed that the old Lionel was no more – he had already changed so much, and all for the better.
Having spent his whole life until then in and around Albuquerque, the young Lionel knew with absolute certainty that he would sorely miss those beautiful mountains; the canyons carved out of red rock and the seemingly endless and remote plateaus of his beloved high desert in northern New Mexico, but also knew that he must leave. That high, mostly barren terrain around his hometown had a special magnetism that repeatedly drew him there whenever he had free time. He had always tended to be a loner, someone who was happy in his own company, and never more so when he was out there, feeling at one with nature. In Lionel’s heart, he felt that although the path he was now taking would take him away for the time being, he would dearly love to see this very special part of his homeland remain free from change, its beauty preserved for future generations. There was also a part of him that wanted to see more of the world than the high desert. Although he loved it, Lionel had an almost unconscious need to prove himself in the wider world – to show his family that he was not just a hometown boy, but could make his mark just about anywhere he chose.
His interest in pursuing an army career had been triggered some years earlier. While out on one of his solo treks into the high desert, Lionel had witnessed the impressive sights and sounds of units of the New Mexico National Guard racing across the desert terrain in their sand-colored Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The area was regularly used for maneuvers by these units which had traveled up from Fort Bliss, and Lionel still remembers envying those Bradley commanders standing up in their turrets, directing their drivers and gunners below.
He had resolved long ago that if he was going to realize his dreams to be successful and to break out of the poverty trap that his parents and their parents seemed to simply accept as their lot in life, he had to get away. While the prospect of striking out on his own and turning his back on Albuquerque was daunting, he knew that working hard in high school to graduate with the best grades (which he’d managed to achieve) was just the first step in getting a good college education. That – he was absolutely convinced – was the only sure path to a successful army career that in the years ahead would make his parents really proud.
Lionel had – with his plans firmed up a long time back – saved hard from his vacation jobs and whatever weekend work he could find during term time, building himself a small nest egg to support living away from home for the first few weeks. After that, when his savings of a few hundred dollars ran out as they surely would, he knew that he’d have to find part-time work near the college, There was no question of his family sending him money – they had precious little themselves. As he thought about that, Lionel subconsciously touched the money belt his Mom had insisted he wear under his shirt. She was convinced the world outside their hometown was populated by gangs of vicious pickpockets who would leave Lionel penniless unless he was scrupulously careful.
Recalling the emotional farewell from his family – especially his Mom who hugged him so tight he could hardly breathe – Lionel could still hear his Mom saying:
“Lionel, you make good and sure you come back safe! And don’t take that money belt off unless you’re certain there’s nobody watching. Folks aren’t as honest as they are here!”
Trying not to chuckle at his mother’s over-concerns, Lionel had set out on foot, weighed down by his backpack containing what would now be his worldly possessions for the foreseeable future. The two-mile walk to the bus terminal gave him time to go over in his mind his immediate and longer-term plans once again, pushing away the doubts and negative thoughts that whispered to him to give up and just go back home. Wiping away the unbidden tears that reflected the strength and depth of his conflicting emotions at this critical stage of his life – the end of his childhood and the beginning of his future and transition into adulthood – Lionel strode on and into the downtown part of Albuquerque.
Although in his quieter moments as a schoolboy he had often pictured himself as some sort of super hero – sometimes as a virtually invincible Marine storming enemy positions dug in along the craggy canyons that he knew so well in the stunningly picturesque landscapes around Albuquerque – Lionel had matured somewhat as the time to leave home had approached, and now accepted that whilst he can see himself as a successful army officer through working and studying hard, his dreams of becoming a super hero are realistically most likely to stay simply as dreams.
At the Alvarado Transportation Center, Lionel had waited patiently in the shade in the Greyhound waiting area until his bus arrived – ultimate destination Roswell, NM. He had not relished the prospect of that dusty journey of over eight hours, changing at Las Cruces from the 9251 bus to the 7317 bus for the second part of the ride. The one good thing was that he’d paid the $55 for an advance purchase ticket, so did not have to eat into his precious savings.
Although he’d caught an early bus from Albuquerque, it was late afternoon by the time it rolled into Roswell. Then he faced a walk of about 20 minutes up N. Main St., via a convenient Starbucks to steady his nerves, to the buildings of the New Mexico Military Institute. The complex was set back from the road behind lush green lawns and large shade trees – a sharp contrast from his poor neighborhood back in Albuquerque. This was to be his home for the next two years along with all the other officer cadets in the new intake, and at the end of that time – if all went well – he would be the proud possessor of an associate degree and for Lionel the most important prize – a commission in the U.S. Army! After that, the next objective is a transfer to a good university to study for a bachelor’s degree. Lionel hardly dared think that far ahead, but knew that would not just be the fulfilment of his hopes and dreams, but those of his oh-so-proud family, too.