“I will be fine, we should remember her even if it is in tears,” I said to him as I went to help Aunt Cecilia in the kitchen prepare evening tea.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
By morning there were over twenty people in our house. Most of them were dad’s relatives because mom’s relatives were living in Sierra Leone and couldn’t visit till the next month. I was so busy making sure everyone had eaten that I probably didn’t eat myself. If it wasn’t for my Abuela I probably wouldn’t have made it through the day. She was my shoulder to cry on. The day went by like a flash, let alone the week. Before I knew it, it was the end of the week. We had been so busy with burial arrangements we hadn’t celebrated the twin’s birthdays. We bought them presents and cake but nothing was the same without mom. There will always be a big hole she has left in our hearts
Present Day…
It has been two years since my mother passed away and a lot is still changing. I mean, I am now eighteen and about to go to college, Leo is now a sophomore, and the twins are going through the hormonal roller-coaster of being a preteen. I recently just went shopping with Nina for graduation dresses. For some reason she wanted me to pick some big fancy gown that I am pretty sure was a wedding dress. Anyway, I ended up leaving with a champagne-coloured mermaid dress. We had so much fun and before you ask about him, yes, Mateo and I are still together. That sweet ball of cuteness asked me out last year. Took him long enough as Nina would have said. I got home to find my dad seated on the couch as usual, but when I entered the front door, he stood and welcomed me home with a hug, something he had never done since we were kids.
“Dad, what’s going on?
“What do you mean?”
“You have never hugged me apart from when we were kids and on my graduation.”
“Well, I need to talk to you about something.”
“If it’s about Lilly and Lola’s school incident, I already talked it out with the principal and she’s willing to take them back.”
“What school incident?”
“Oh, umm, nothing.”
“Why didn’t I know about this, what did they do?”
“We didn’t want to worry you.”
“Lilly and Lola Armente, come down this instance!”
Soon the girls came down in their sweaters as it was quite windy.
“Yes papa,” they both chorused.
“What is this I hear about you getting into trouble at school,” Dad said while shaking his head, “I thought me and your mom raised you better than this?”
“Well, some girl at school, Eliana Caballero, likes picking on Lola so I told her to leave her alone and stop being a meanie.”
At that time Lola began to sob and Lily sniffled.
“What happened, what did she do?” My dad asked with concern.
“It’s okay, you can tell him,” I assured them.
“She called mom a blind pig that got knocked and didn’t know how to drive,” she said with a sniffle, “So we pushed her backward into the sandpit from the top of the slide,” Lilly said with her face held up.
“Then why are you the ones in trouble, shouldn’t it be the other girl Eliana?” Dad asked.
“The Caballero’s are the principal’s daughters.”
“Wait, isn’t Caballero the girl who used to bully you, Sierra, I never liked her.”
“Yap.”
“Those girls are very undisciplined and uncultured; all they need is a good swing to their backsides.”
The girls cackled at their dad’s statement.
“Anyway, I need to talk to all of you. Where’s your brother?”
“Hey,” Leo said as he came in through the front door.
“Leo, just the man, not boy, I was looking for.”
“Dad, I get it. I’m sixteen; you don’t have to shove adulthood in my face.”
“I’m just messing with you, have a seat, family meeting,” Dad said motioning him to sit down with his sisters.
“Hey princesses,” Leo said as he hugged the twins and planted a kiss on my cheek.
“Hey bro,” the twins said while snickering.
“Settle down, it’s important. Life-changing possibly!” Dad said as his voice changed into the deep tone that he only used on special occasions.
“Dad, what’s going on?” I said kind of getting uneasy.
“I got a promotion.”
With that said we all jumped out of our chairs and cheered. I carried Lola and swung her around.
“Does that mean we will be able to fix that old leaky ceiling in me and Lola’s room?” Inquired Lily.
“Actually, no.”
“Why not?” Lola enquired.
“Since you won’t have that room for long because we’re moving.”
“Moving, as in to another neighbourhood?”
Dad sighed and said, “No we’re moving to New York.”
“What!” I exclaimed.
“Yay, we’re moving.” Shrieked the twins who were jumping up and down around their father.”
“Wait, dad, what about our lives here?” I asked.
“Yeah, our family is here, and Abuela? Asked Leo.
“We can always come to visit now that the promotion will be bringing in more money.”
“But what about our friends here,” Leo asked with an agitated face.
“You can make new friends there and your sister’s university will be closer to home.” Dad tried to explain.
“But this is our home!” I yelled half frustrated and in tears, “Mom is here!”
“What is all this commotion about?” Abuela said as she walked into the living room supported by a cane.
“We’re moving, Abuela,” the twins exclaimed ecstatically as they swathed their grandmother in hugs and kisses.
“That’s great,” Abuela said as she sat down in the wooden rocking chair in the corner of the living room next to my chair.
“You knew?” I asked utterly shocked, “I thought you of all people would be the last to agree to this.”
“Sierra, change is good for all of us right now, and your mama will always be in our hearts, she is not tied to any building,” Abuela said as she put her hand on my shoulder to steady herself as she stood up from the chair. As she was walking to the kitchen though, she started coughing rather violently.
To be continued…
princejez 