A new land is calling my name

"There's nothing much for me to hold on to, apart from high school memories, memories of a family which I ultimately never had…"
"What about your friends? Don't you have any, apart from these?"
"I do, and I can always get in touch with them. I know it. Indeed, back in Sauveterre I always told myself to be thankful for the roof over my head, for meals on the table, for everything that I've got. I'm not saying that I should be an ingrate, but oftentimes, there's been nothing for me to look forward to. I want to spread love to others but I'm restrained from doing so, and it seems that the people closest to home are selfish and only want my love for themselves. Well, so it seems. I'm not going to judge them as people, but their actions speak louder than anything else."

"You are not allowed to keep in touch with any of your friends! Do I make myself clear?"
"All the more reason for me to go away. If you're gonna be this selfish, let me tell you in the face, 'somebody-I-don't-know', you don't deserve my love. You'd better be thankful that I'm loving you come what may. Because when I go away, you'll feel the pain of my loss for a long time."
"Ani Suring sent you to OUR house back when you were a defenceless little child!"
"Ani Suring is of MY lineage, mind you! She entrusted me to you because she knew she was going to die. So much for her trust; I don't even think you did a good job."
"Look here! I held the fort here for nineteen years straight! I work hard to earn money for everyone's welfare! I practically do everything! I don't deserve this crap!"
"Go on, go on. Consume yourself in self-righteousness. I don't give a damn about your money. Because if you're gonna hold me in bondage, you'll have made a child in your own undertaking clinically insane for the rest of her life."

My mind was a mess. I was in a total blur. In the midst of all these voices I could hear Irène calling me from several hundred miles away…

"Come, Aimée, come.

"Your name means beloved, and it's only right if we treat you as one of our own. Let me take you in my arms and cherish you."

I started to cry. Irène's voice was like a mother's voice, gentle and compassionate, coaxing me to come to her.

I took out an empty book, with a black cover and black sheets. I started to draw. I was pretty much blinded by my tears for the most part. After regaining my composure, I took a look at the book. It turned out to be what looked like a student concert in a varsity hall, with lots of students cheering from the lower and upper levels. Confetti was thrown all over, and there were polystyrene stars painted with silver paint (of the glitter kind, not the metallic kind). I was singing on stage, backed up by a team of backup singers and dancers. Chances are that they might be my friends. I don't know. I resolved to keep that picture on the front page of that book. I signed my name and placed the book on the table.

It was at that cold, stormy night, in the corner of my room that I decided to chase my dreams in Irinie. It was there that I decided that the little black journal would be a great book for me to record all the things that I yearn to do, all the things that I should do in love.

I decided to call the Françaix siblings and ask how they were keeping, but the line was dead.
I tried Sylvain Dieudonné. The line was dead too.

Maybe… they've got problems of their own too. Or maybe… they want to go to a land far, far away, just like I do. I wanted to yell at my "father's" face and tell him that I'm boarding the train to Point-Neuf, but then again, I've always loved people too much to do such a thing. Truly, if they don't deserve my love, they don't deserve it. I'm just loving them come what may because this is my calling.