We're Back

Can I Get An "Uh Oh"?

"What do I do now Ray? I lied to my brothers about finding  my sister and if she suspects that they know she's bound to kill me!" Australia confided to his pet snake in the confines of his bedroom. Ray flicked his tongue out at Aussie as if pitching in his own two-cents while watching his owner pace the floor like the world depended on it from his spot on the cluttered desk. "Sure I kinda dug my own grave but what was I supposed to do? She told me that she didn't want to ruin the memories but what memories are there to ruin?" slithering towards one of the photo frames Australia had scattered on his desk,Ray rattled his tail to get Aussie's attention.

The picture of the four boys with France and Britain at Mount Uluru managed to bring Australia back to his senses and he flopped unceremoniously onto his bed with his face planted on the pillows. To be honest, he was just plain sick and tired of being overshadowed by his 3 older brothers. Yes, landmarks like Mount Uluru and his wildlife may have helped shine some light on him but how does that compete against the Washington monument? All 4 of his siblings including Singa made their mark on the map but what about him? He didn't want to be forgotten...   Sighing, Australia grabbed his cellphone from where it lay on the bed next to him, "Maybe I should just call Singa...  Ray rattled his tail in agreement and watched as his owner scrolled through his contacts.

"...So after that Wicked musical, we headed over to 21 Chump Street so we could call Hamilton and tell him all about it. But then we saw an advertisement for a salon called Legally Blonde so we went in and there was a mini cafe and the Waitress who sereved us was oh so nice and...." Singa groaned inwardly as she exchanged glances with Myan and Laos. Whose brilliant idea was it to dare Cam to make as many musical references as she could?

Lucky for the girls, Singa's ringing cell phone ended the session as an unknown number flashed onto the screen. "Looks like our little lawyer can't stay away from court for long~" Myan teased Singa as she stepped out of the room for a minute. "Guess you could say she's an...Ace Attorney!" Laos quipped much to the chagrin of everyone in the room.

The silence that reigned over the phone was one of the most terrifying things Aussie has ever experienced in his life yet also a familiar experience. Britain himself would often keep silent as he listened to his sons stammer through an apology or an account of whatever shenanigans they had gotten into. It seemed that the apple didn't fall far from the tree in that area in Singa's case because even from over the phone, Singa's silence managed to send a chill running down Aussie's spine. "You know what?  It was bound to happen. Sorry for putting you in this position Aussie. How 'bout we meet up at the cafe from last time? My treat!" An inaudible sigh of relief escaped Australia as he came to the realisation that Fate had let him live to see another day.

Ending the call, Singapore heaved a sigh as she gazed out her bedroom window. The glistening sun setting over the horizon nearly blinded her but her eyes refused to leave the dazzling sight. From a young age, she had known that she would be overshadowed by her brothers no matter where she went, what she did and that there was little she could do to remedy the situation. Thank her lucky stars for Asean. 

If it hadn't been for him, she would have never learnt how to shine her own light or how to make her own mark in this world. She knew instinctively what was going through Aussie's mind and figured that if anything, she could use it to her advantage. After all, what was the first lesson Asean had taught her? 'Take every opportunity that comes your way. You may never know how it'll play out'. A peculiar lesson to teach a 10 year old but Singapore held it close to her heart regardless. Turning that particular lesson over in her mind, the setting sun suddenly didn't seem that blinding.