where her dreams led

chapter one.

I am so excited. I will be turning four in a week and in two weeks I will be starting school.

daddy said I have now become a big girl and that he will buy me my favourite colouring book that I saw at the book shop when me, daddy and mommy went to buy my books for school. but daddy said I will have to achieve something then he will buy it for me. I did not understand what he said so I asked him, "daddy." We were sitting on the table for breakfast. he was talking on the phone so I had to wait. mommy said good girls don't disturb elders when they are busy so I waited for daddy to finish his work. I started drawing on my drawing book when daddy put aside his phone. "yes Christi" he said. that is another thing about daddy. whenever he is happy he calls me Christi; short for Christine. I remember one day I left my toys in the kitchen when I was with mommy while mommy worked, I did not put the toys back like mommy said. when daddy came home he scolded me and said that if I do not listen to mommy then I will become a bad girl and he will not take me to the park. "daddy, what did you mean about what you said that to me about my favorite colouring book. it was a very difficult word and my dishiry said she did not know" I said to him. he laughed and messed my hair because he knew it irritated me. "daddy! don't mess my hair. mommy just put them up in a braid and she said I should not mess them up; that I should stay neat and tidy." he smiled. "yes Christi, I know. and it's not dishiry, its dictionary. you want to learn more words, yes? achieve means you have to do something to earn it. you have to do something good then I will buy it for you. then you will understand the meaning of hard work" daddy said proudly. "George, do you really think that she is going to understand all that? she's only three," mommy came from the kitchen carrying her coffee. she had dark brown hair that reached little below her shoulders which she had tied into a lose braid, complementing her fair complexion. "what? she understood it pretty good. right, Christi?" daddy looked at me expectantly. "yes, - um no?" I answered shyly. mother started laughing while daddy crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look grumpy book failing to do so. later daddy left for work and I went to play with my toys while mommy went into the kitchen. aunt lily and grandfather were coming today and they would be staying for the weekend! aunt lily will be bringing her son who just turned one year old and I love to play with him but mommy never lets me hold him for much longer.

Later sometime in the afternoon, they came and grandfather picked me up in his arms and sat me on his shoulders while I constantly giggled. he put me down me down and started tickling me. "your laughter echoed through the whole house! you've become a big girl Christi.” uncle Dave said smiling, holding his arms open and I climbed up in them. "so, how is my little niece doing?" he asked. "I’m going to be four in a week." I told him. "won't Christi say hi to little Fin? why, I was going to let her hold him longer this time," aunt lily came in the living room. "aunt lily!" I jumped down from my uncle's embrace and ran to her, "let me hold him! Let meee!" I put my arms forward. aunt lily put Fin in my arms as he was opening her eyes, just waking up. "hi there. how are you little Fin. aunt says we are cousins by blood even though I don’t know what ‘by blood’ means but I am going to call you my little brother and we will play with new toys when you grow up," he looked at me with his big eyes and waved his little baby hands trying to hold hair strands that fell out of my hair band. I started walking but mommy made me sit back if I wanted to hold him. I sang the rhyme, 'Mary had a little lamb' while tickling his little baby nose. then mommy and aunt called us saying that dinner was ready so uncle took Fin from me and together we all went to the dining table where mommy and aunt had set the food.

there were other dishes but I only had eyes for my mommy's special pasta. we all ate and talked. well, at least they all talked and I ate my delicious pasta. uncle asked me what I did today so I told him I made drawings and coloured in my colouring book. he said he will look at them after dinner was over. later we all sat in the living room and since it was cold they all drank coffee while I had my favorite hot chocolate. while mommy brought them from the kitchen I jumped from grandfather's lap and ran to my room to get my drawing book. I showed it to them and don't know why but they all laughed at my explanations of the drawn pictures. we were all laughing and talking when suddenly I felt something burning at the back of my neck and I screamed. I screamed as tears came down from my eyes as the pain and the burning was too much. grandfather instantly stood up and reached for his bag that he always carried whenever he came to meet us. daddy took me in his embrace as mummy came rushing from the kitchen while calling my name and asking me to hold still while grandfather put something on my neck while muttering something which I could not decipher as I started going dizzy and a haze took over my eyes as I tried to stay awake and conscious. Whatever grandfather was doing was lessening the pain but still I was somehow feeling too weak as if all the energy had been sucked out of me in that very instant. before I completely blacked out I heard mommy saying while hugging me, "oh no. it's them again. oh, my dear Christi." she was crying. everybody was silent and worry was evident on their faces. I opened my mouth to ask what was happening but I felt something being injected in my left arm before my body went numb and I blacked out completely.