A new day begins for Julia

The weather is wonderful. The sun is shining, and the grass looks as though it has just been painted. Julia is looking forward to running barefoot across this lush green carpet and continuing down to the garden gate, where she will find a bag containing milk and bread rolls. Her Retriever, Flocke, will jump alongside her with his bright red rubber ball in his mouth.

But there's no time for that before breakfast – there'll be time after school. First she will eat, then she will do her homework. Once that's finished, though, there'll still be plenty of the day left and Julia will wonder what else she could do. She could go shopping with her friends – there are some great new shops in town. Or maybe she could go down to the lake and let the dog run around? It's definitely warm enough, even if Mum certainly thinks otherwise. Sandra, Anna and Greta will pick her up once her homework is finished. Then they can spend the whole afternoon together.

Her brother will complain about the 'girls' club', but Julia will quickly stick her tongue out at him as she runs out of the house. He's actually OK, but he thinks girls are stupid. The only question is why he always hangs around when her friends are there. Julia giggles a little, then starts thinking about what she's going to wear to school that day. Maybe the new jeans and the incredibly chic jumper that Mum bought her yesterday.

The stylish shoes with heels are a must. Well, they're very small heels. She's one of the few girls in her class who wears them. Most of them still walk around in flats, like little girls. After all, at twelve, you're already a teenager. In the afternoon, it's time to go for a walk anyway, as Flocke needs to go out. Her brother might come along – it wouldn't do him any harm and it would make the walk more fun. He's almost reasonable when there are no girls around. He even walks normally then.

Julia giggles to herself again. As long as Mum doesn't come and wake her up, it's wonderful to imagine what the day ahead will bring. Julia's bed is positioned so that she has a great view of the garden. That's why she knows how beautiful today will be. Maybe Mum will let her go to the afternoon disco with her friends this weekend. There's dancing until 6 p.m., and only juice and sparkling water are served, but there are cute boys and really great music. Julia loves dancing and is pretty good at it, too. She's already wondering if her pocket money will be enough for a new mascara, as the old one is almost finished.

With her arms folded behind her head, Julia smiles blissfully to herself as she thinks about the weekend and all the things she's going to do. Of course, she'll have to make time for her family, too. They could all go for a walk in the woods now that everything is turning green. Dad and Mum will walk slowly with Eric, who is always complaining. Dad takes lots of photos and Mum laughs, but Julia and Flocke are always ahead, playing fetch and hide and seek and having lots of fun. Julia's knees are just as scraped up as Eric's, and Mum shakes her head. She'll have to put plasters on them when they get home.

All the wonderful images blur a little, and Julia almost falls asleep again. But then the door opens and Mum comes in. 'Hey, little dreamer, it's time to get up', she says. She bends down to help Julia sit up. With practised movements, she gets Julia ready for her wheelchair, which she has already wheeled up to the bed. Saying goodbye to her dreams, Julia starts the day as she means to go on... on wheels.

© 'A new day begins for Julia': A short story by Pressenet (translated by Izabel Comati), 12/2025. Image credit: The picture shows a selection of antique clocks, CC0 (Public Domain Licence).