Starry Eyed

Brotherly love

"Sarai, hurry sis, we are ready and waiting for you downstairs" Sarai's oldest brother Rome was telling her outside her bedroom door. 

The family home was perfect for our family, the double thick wooden doors opened to a small foyer and an open arch leading into the open plan kitchen and living area, to the right of the foyer was our family room and sliding doors that went from the family room to the other side of the open plan living area. To the left of the foyer were the bedrooms, bathrooms and laundry room, obviously the two master bedrooms with the ensuites were for Sarai and her parents, Sarai didn't dare use the boys bathroom, it always smelt and they always threw their dirty laundry all over the floor.

"Ok, I'm coming, give me 5 minutes and I will be out" Sarai's voice was a bit shaky still nervous on how she was going to tell her brothers that she is going to the other side of the world for school, away from their protection.

The drive to the restaurant was so tense but I think it was only tense for Sarai, the boys were busy chatting and mocking each other. Rome was talking about his girlfriend, who is a beautiful Middle Eastern woman, bright and loved my brother and my parents. Sarai was so glad that Rome had found Rebekah.

The siblings entered into their favourite Italian restaurant since they were taken there by their parents, they sat at their normal table and ordered their normal dishes that eventually would end up being a pot luck dinner, where they would dish food out of each other's meals.

"So, guys I wanted to bribe you with some dinner to tell you something important" Sarai looked at her brothers as they were stuffing their faces and smiling at her "You guys know I love you right?" the brothers smiled with a confused look and nodded their heads, still with food in their mouths "And I know that you guys have always protected me and looked after me, well there is a time where you are going to have to let me spread my wings and allow me to grow" Rome was the first to give her a sharp confused look "I got accepted into Beresford University" Sarai looked straight down to the table, before Tyrell spoke "That's awesome sis, whereabouts in New Zealand is it? I've never heard of it" Sarai looked up at Tyrell, then at Rome and then at Fiji "It's in...New York". 

My brothers were not happy, Rome got up and walked out while Tyrell and Fiji just sat at the table looking confused with teary eyes. I actually didn't know what to do! I love my brothers but I couldn't figure out how to make them let me go - I had to call in the big guns - Mum and Dad

The drive home was so tense but this time it was from all siblings, silence and everyone just stared out the window. 

"Mum and dad, I really need your help please, I think I can get through to Tyrell and Fiji but Rome I'm finding hard to get through to, do you think you could have a word with him?" Sarai snuck into her parents room when they arrived home and told them everything

"Honey, we will try our best but we can't promise anything" Linda said 

I know my brothers, they beat up a guy at school after he punched me thinking that I was the girl who put up an ugly photo of her on social media. He obviously had the wrong person but the damage had been done, after my two best friends sprinted to Fiji and told him what Peter Sams had done, they did not hold back. 

Three weeks later...

There was a knock on Sarai's door

"Come in" Sarai was packing her things and quickly wiping her tears before whoever was at the door entered

"Sis..." Rome entered with sad eyes

"Rome, I'm so sorry" Sarai walked up to her brother with tears in her eyes, she was starting to feel the hurt of leaving her family

"Sarai, you are the most precious thing to us, we promised mum and dad that if anything happened to them you will be our first priority and when you were born, we all took turns holding you and whispering into your ear that we are going to be your protectors forever! You moving away will be so hard for us especially your brothers...but...we love you and we know that this will be the best thing for you" Rome then grabbed his little sister and hugged her, but before she could wrap her arms around Rome, Fiji and Tyrell came around the corner and threw their arms around Rome and Sarai. All the siblings sobbing in each other's arms for a good 30 minutes before it was time for the family to drive Sarai to the airport.

I can't believe the last 3 weeks were silent between me and my brothers, I can't believe we just started talking now and now I am off to the airport, and I'm going to say goodbye to my entire family.

The Talshia family arrived to the airport, parked up and slowly walked towards the check-in area. Sarai holding on to her mother and her father and brothers carrying her bags. 

Oh no, the gates are open, this is it...this is where I have to say goodbye to my family, to the people I never thought I would be leaving. 

"Mum, I love you so much, thank you for everything you have done for me, thank you both for organizing my stuff in New York. I am going to miss you guys so much" Sarai cried into her mum's shoulder and her dad came around and hugged his wife and his little girl.

Here we go, I need to say goodbye to my brothers, I can feel them standing right behind me but I do not want to turn around, I can feel their eyes and their aura filled with sadness. I can't turn around. 

Sarai slowly turned around and saw her brothers standing there with tears in their eyes, before she even walked to them, they had already ran to her flinging their arms around. A few moments later, she was picking up her carry-on bag and walking towards the departure area, turning one last time before turning the corner to wave to her family. She cried all the way to her seat, she cried when the plane landed, she cried when she collected her bags, she cried when she booked an UBER and she cried when she pulled up to her new apartment, a few blocks from the university, all furnished and paid for by her parents. She walked in and thanked the UBER driver for helping her with her bags into the foyer before jumping on the elevator and going to the 3rd floor, unlocking her door and entering her new home.

What a beautiful apartment, not too fancy and just right for me, thanks mum and dad. They had already set up everything for me. When entering the apartment, the corridor was wide enough to fit three people, to the left was the bathroom that also held the washing machine and dryer, to the right was a coat cupboard, a few steps into the apartment and to the right was the kitchen which opened to the living area, the left was another open corridor which was a room that my parents made into a little study room and off from the living room was another door that had an ensuite, I think this was to be my room. The living room had a huge sliding door that opened onto a nice size balcony. My eyes started to tear up when I saw a note and a box on the coffee table - it was from my parents "Our sweetest girl, we know that this is where your heart is, we wish you all the best on this journey, we are only a phone call away and you know your brothers will be on the first flight there if you asked, we love you and we can't wait to see you grow - forever love your family" inside the box was a canvas picture of my family that was pencil sketched. It was beautiful, I placed the canvas picture on the coffee table, checked my doors, grabbed my bags and threw them into my room sat down in the living room and cried myself to sleep.