I look out at the sky surrounding the plane I was currently sitting in. the clouds moving with the wind and the green paddocks below fenced off by bushes making me realise I was almost home.
I started to think about all the things that I felt behind when I was just the age of eight. Particularly one friend who meant the world to me.
His name was Harry Everyone thought we were going to get married, have the whole white picketed fence house with the two children and the cat but it never did end up like that we where best friends for years never leaving each others side till one day when we had an argument. we grew apart after that and I haven’t spoken to him since.
Then one day when I was eight years old my parents spilt up making me and my mum leave home and find other house that I could grow up in, sadly that was in another country , Australia.
Dad still lived in England though with his blonde 22 year old girlfriend Emilia , my half brother Blaine and my twin brother Louis..
I came back to reality when I felt the Plaines Wheels touch the concrete surface of the Air Strip. My heart started to pound faster and faster as I realised that I was home.
I waited patiently for the signal to say that I could come out of my chair and leave the Plane worry slowly creeping up on me as I did so.
I walked through the airport with the rest of the Plane’s Passengers to the baggage caracal where I collected my bag and belongings. I new that someone from my family was waiting for me outside. Where outside I didn’t have a clue.
As I walked out of the main doors of the Airport I felt the cold winter air send chills down my spine. It was then when I regretted wearing shorts and a singlet due to the weather back home.
“ Gabby” I hear my name get called somewhere in the distance. I start to search the crowded area for the person repeating my name. I soon spot a lady walking towards me wearing blue denim jeans a white shirt and a purple striped scarf covering half her chest.
I stared at the lady for a while watching as the space between both of us decreased and her figure became more noticeable. Her bright Blonde hair flowing behind her and a huge smile across her whole face.
“ Gabby so good to see you” the Lady says embracing me in a hug, her thin delicate arms flying around my body. I place my arms around her after a few moments trying to figure out who the lady that was recently hugging me actually was, thinking that it was the polite thing to do in the situation.
“ how are you sweet heart” she asks with a huge grin once her arms had left my side.
“ fine” where the only words I was able to reply with still a little worried of the situation.
“ we’re so glad that your back for a while I know your father has really missed you”
It all made sense after that , this was Emilia the lady that was responsible for my parents divorce. The reason I was now living in Australia. The reason I hadn’t been home since I was eight.
Emilia grabs one of my bags that where placed down beside me and adjusts them in her hands. “ why don’t we start our trip home, the others are dying to see you”
My head nods at Emilia, I couldn’t bring my self to talk to her. All the memories of the day I found out and met the lady that split my parents coming back to me. her thin body, great taste in fashion and a face 20 years younger then my mums smiling down at my little eight year old self.
“You glad to be back? Emilia asks as we cross the busy road.
“I guess so “I say walking a few steps behind her.
“Well your father is so happy to have you coming back home for the winter its all he talked about since you called”
I kept my distance from her not trying to act suss but enough so that she couldn’t see my hurt feeling.
Emilia’s car was one I could of have guessed was hers from the minute I set foot in the parking lot. The bright Red JEP with the number plate EMZZ taped at the bottom in a bright blue standing out from all the white plane cars surrounding it.
“ here’s my baby” Emilia says as we reach the back boot.
I laughed to my self as she called this car her baby, the feeling that I had to set foot in it embarrassed me.
I placed my bags in the boot before walking towards the passenger side door waiting for it to open. Hoping no one was watching me as I sat down on the leather covered seats.
“ lets hit the road” Emilia says bringing the car to life and reversing out of the parking space. My body slowly lowering in the seats to get comfortable for the trip home adjusting my self so that I was looking out the huge tinted window.
“ welcome home Gabby” Emilia says as a smile grows on my face. It really was good to be back.
As we turned off the main road and into a drive I sat up and looked out at the huge cottage like house in front of me. rose vines covering some of the bricks around the main door frame and Ivy scattered in different places mostly around each window sill.
It was exactly the way I remembered it all those years ago making a warm feeling flood through my body
“Home sweet home” Emilia says as we stoped out the front of the cottage.
I took one more look at the buildings features before joining her outside the car.
the winter chill touching my bare legs making me shiver, the winters here are nothing like the ones back home.
As I grab one of my bags from the back of the car and place it down on the gravel drive. I hear a door open and footsteps walking towards me. as I raise my head from the ground I see my dad walking with an ecstatic expression on his face.
He doesn’t say anything though the smile was enough to set me running towards him my eyes slowly tearing up.
As I reach my father for the first time since I was eight years old his arms wrap around me and pull me close to him my head placed on his chest.
“ I’ve missed you so much kiddo” dad says softly into my hair.
I couldn’t speak if I did the tears that where forming in my eyes were sure to fall.
“ you have grown up so much, I cant believe how beautiful you are”
I place my arms around my dads back and tighten the grip between us i had missed him so much.
Dad slowly lets go of me looking down with a huge smile.
“ how have you been?”
“ f-fine” I chocked up whipping a single tear that had fallen.
“ did you get here okay?” dad asks his expression not changing.
I nod hoping that it was enough.
“ come on, lets get you set up inside before it starts to rain.”
I followed my dad back towards the car where Emilia stood a smile on her face and a hand on her heart.
As I grab one of the bags off the ground I turn to see dad and Emilia embraced in a kiss making my stomach turn.
“ thankyou for going to get her Em” dad says once their lips parted.
“ no problem at all I was happy to do it Mark you know that “ Emilia says with a grin.
“ did you girls have a good chat on the way here?” dad asks turning his attention to me.
I nod not wonting to say anything due to the feeling I was experiencing.
Dad walks into the house first holding the door as Emilia and I stepped in after him.
It was exactly the same, the way the kitchen was set out on the right side of the building and the lounge on the left all in timber and stone furniture. The stair well was placed right in front of me timber beams which go up to the bedrooms and frames with pictures in them along the wall.
“ do you remember where your room is ?” dad asks me as I look around the house.
“ I think so” I say telling him the truth.
“ well how about you go up and put my bags in your room while I make us some tea and biscuits down here?”
A smile appears on my face remembering dads famous homemade yo-yos with the creamy centre which I always ate last.
“ sounds like a deal”
“ do you want help with your bags or do you think you can handle them ?” Emilia asks me from the front door.
“ I think ill be fine” I say reached for the bag Emilia was holding in her arms.
“ well if you need any help just give me a yell”
I slowly walked up the stair well looking at the photos on the walls as I went. Their where some of my brother and people I had never seen before and others of me when I was little and the things I did back then.
As I stop on the top of the stair well I look at the different ways I could go trying to remember which way was my bedroom.
“ your rooms on the right sweetie” Emilia says from the bottom floor.
“ oh yeah thanks”
The memories all came back once I turned right and walked down the large hall.
I stopped at one room and looked in at the open door seeing a bathroom all covered in timber and white square tiles along the floor.
I walked to the other door which was opposite the bathroom and peered in to see my half now mature brother sitting down at the computer screen playing a game.
“Hey!” I say getting his attention.
I watched as Blaine turned around in his chair letting me have a chance to see what my half brother now looked like.
Blaine now had a head full of bright blonde messy hair . his Green eyes and his huge amount of freckles which where placed everywhere on his face.
Blaine eyes grew as her realised who he was looking at .
“Gabby??” he says shocked.
I laughed and dropped my bags running in to a hug that I had never had with him before. Last time I saw Blaine I was just leaving the airport . he was so small and fragile but now he was humongous around 182cm tall and his body hung over me.
“I haven’t seen you in ages.” He says slowly squeezing me.
“I know “
I let go and tug his top!” have you grown”
“I am 15 you know Gabby, I’m not 6 anymore”
“ don’t I know it “ I say looking up.
Another memory came back to me as he said that number. On how dad picked a girl who already had a six year old son while I left him behind.
Blaine’s arms fall from around me as he walks back over to his game. Crouching down and from what it looked like saving before turning back around to me.
“You remember where your room is ?” he asks with a smirk on the right side of his lips.
“ umm. Yeah I think I do” I say half hearted.
“ well why don’t you go down and ill meet you their in a minute, I just need to get changed first.
I made my way further down the hall to the end where their where two doors together.
One of them was mine and the other was someone else’s. I opened the one on the left to see it was one that I remembered so very well. It was Louis’s room a huge king size bed placed in the middle with a desk, set of draws and a chair surrounding it. on one wall their where posters all of women in barely any clothing and others of very expensive looking cars making me giggle that he hadn’t changed a bit.
I then open the right side door and see my room changed but looked awesome.
Their was a bright white timbered king size bed placed in the middle of the room with two bed side tables on each side of it. on the right their was a wardrobe placed between to whole sets of draws. On the back wall their was a couch which had a rose patterned texture facing a plasma hanging off the wall.
My mouth dropped at how amazing my room looked it was better then the room I had back home which wall all beach furniture.
“Wow’
“Yeah I know it’s not fair” Blaine says walking into the room and lying down on my bed.
“Whys that?” I ask still admiring each part of the four walls I now called my bedroom.
“Because my room is the smallest out of Louis and yours and I’m not aloud yours even though this is the first time in nine years that you have set foot in here.” I pulled the curtains open and saw acres of paddocks everywhere. The grass looked so healthy and fresh so different to the fake grass back home.
“Gabby!” I hear dad yell from down stairs making me remember how un sound proof this cottage was.
“YEAH!”
“ could you please get changed into something nice before you come down”
I look at Blaine hoping he had the answers to why I was having to change out of my shirt and shorts.
“ where going out in a while”
“ where are we going?”
“ to a friends house for dinner, their normally a big deal so make sure you look Pretty”
Blaine left the room after the convocation finished saying that he himself had to finish changing before we had to leave
I I opened my bag and grabbed out a dress that looks amazing on me it’s white and floral with a pink ribbon under the boob it has no straps which are the only types of dress’s I really like because I have the chest to hold them still without moving around one bit.
I left my hair the same way it was before applying a little amount of foundation to cover up the few pimples that where showing on my face.
“How’s your mum going?” dad asks as he takes a sip of his coffee.
“Yeah she Okay!”
“ how about school , what year are you in now?”
“ I’m in the middle of finishing year 11”
“ wow, soon you will be out and in the wide world like your brother”
As I finished off my yo-yo I looked up at dad wanting to ask him a question once the food was finished in my mouth.
“ where is Lou?”
Dad’s face started to show a grin as he took another sip.
“ his out in the City for the night with a few mates”
“ doesn’t he know I’m here?”
Dad shook his head “ no, I’m trying to make it a surprise”
Dad lifts his arm up and looks at the time a frown appearing on his face.
“ we must get going or where going to be late”
Dad grabs my cup of tea and places it in the sink.
“ Gab darling could you go get your brother and tell him where leaving?”
I nod and do as I was told knowing that it was the only way to find out where we we’re going to be visiting.
.