Catarina.
"Catarina, komm heir, ich muss dir etwas sagen." My Oma's voice is harsh. I rush to finish the part of the painting I am working on. It is a flower, a lily. My Opa was the person who started it, after his death I continued it.
"Kommen Oma!" I shout as I walk into our tiny living area.
"Was ist das Oma?" I ask her. Her eyes are filled with tears as she looks up into my face.
"Catarina." Her voice cracks. "Ich sende dich zu diener Mutti, sie will du."
My mother wants me? After all these years?
I hug my Oma, and she tells me to pack my things, I would be leaving early tomorrow morning to see the woman who never wanted me.
I couldn't help but wonder why she wanted me after all these years. I had just turned fourteen last month. Fourteen years, and I only lived with my mother one month of my life.
I drag out the old suitase set. I haven't used them since I was seven years old, before my Opa died, we went to Italy, and stayed there for a whole month. I will always remember that trip, those few happy years before Opa got sick and died.
I pack all my clothes, knowing I might have to get rid of some of them in America.
I put my painting supplies, and the canvas with the lily flower in another suitcase. I take down my posters and pictures from the walls and throw them in a suitcase. I grab my pillows and the old quilt that Oma quilted for me when I was brought here to Germany.
It takes less then an hour to pack all of my things, and I sit down on the floor of my empty room, I mean sure there is still my bed and my desk but everything else is packed away in one of the three suitcases I have.
Tears fill up in my eyes. I was about to leave Germany behind. My friends. Oma. Oh, my Oma, how was she gonna live without me? The tears became sobs and Oma rushes into my room, she sits down besides me and hugs me close.
"Nicht weinen madchen. Das wird am Ende in Ordnung." My Oma pulls her fingers through my hair, she looks around my room and closes her eyes as through she is trying to remember the room when my stuff was scattered across it.
We sit there like that for a long time. Until Oma tells me it is time for dinner and then I am to go to sleep early so I don't fall asleep on my flight.
We eat in silence, neither knowing what words to say. I want to let her know that I didn't want to leave but I just didn't know how.
After we are done Oma says "Gute Nacht" and goes to bed. I clean uo dinner and then I try to fall asleep on the couch.
However, I can't fall asleep, my brain is to busy thinking about my Mom. I want to know what she looks like, what her personality is. But, soon enough I am asleep, where only my dreams keep me company.
Too soon after I fall asleep, Oma is waking me up, and telling me to hurry up and get a shower.
I obey and soon enough I am ready to leave.
My Oma watches me drag all three suitcases out from my bedroom, she is standing by the door, like a lost puppy. She hands me a ticket and tells me I have about 2 hours until my flight leaves.
She takes my face in her wrinkled hands. She studies my face very carefully.
"Ich liebe dich Enkelin." My Oma says pulling me into a huge hug.
I look into her blue eyes, the same color as mine.
"Ich liebe du, fur immer und ewig." I tell her.
I drag my 3 suitcases behind me as I leave my Oma standing all by herself, tears filling her eyes, in the doorway.
