Episode 2 Cozy Family

Me, Alice and Lily sat on the chair and eying each other with suspicion. In recent months I have been trying to gain new skills that will be useful to me in the future. I have been studying the graphic designing, nothing too serious just some playing cards. Right now we are playing one of the recreations of mine to pass time; Uno.

I saw Lily only 1 card left and about to win as a smile slowly creeping up in my face I put the +4 card dramatically slow to the table. Right at that moment the big smile in Lily's face faded instantly. She looked at me flushed red.

Lily: "You are cheating I was about to win!!"

John: "Unfortunately sis you need to get better before you can win."

 Hearing this Lily was about to shout at me but Alice put down on her last card and won. I forgot she was in her last card too. She is quite sneaky. Seeing this Alice:

Alice: "I won." She said smiling.

Lily: "You both cheating. I want to play again."

 Our adoptive parents watching this couldn't help but laugh at our behavior. We are truly a beautiful family. Father is an investor of sorts he got couple of apartments in the central part of the city. Couple of small stores and a garage, which I wanted to go because I love fiddling with cars and I don't still know how these cars work maybe works differently from my old world. I was always proud of my car fixing skills and I wanted to regain it. Today he promised me take me to the garage he owns and show me around.

 We ate together and got out to car. Father started driving towards to garage. Almost a year has passed since we got adopted and it has been nothing but fun. Lily is as same as how it looks energetic, mischievous a happy beam in our house. Mother is kind but strict father is more laid back but always supportive. He was surprised when I wanted to download a free design tool for the computer but still allowed it and I was able to create uno and still trying to create monopoly though these games are often dangerous friendships and families lost because of these I think we will be fine.

Henry: "This is it. This old place was the first one I got my uncle used to work here. I did bring quite a lot of lunches here for him. Let's take e look around."

 We got out of the car and started to take a look around. A man with beard and oil on his overalls came near us speak to my father.

Man in overalls: "Henry! Been a while since you came here yourself car broke down again? Who is this little guy?"

Henry: "Hi Fred no car is fine but general maintenance would be good tough. This is my son John."

John: "Hello sir."

I walked towards him and extend my hand which man surprised first but shook my hand. His hand had motor oil but I didn't care I worked this kind of place for a long time in the past so I know one had to deal with that.

Fred: "What a smart little fellow."

Henry: "That he is."

Fred: "So he is the son you adopted."

Henry: "Yeah John was curious about cars so I bring him here so he can see what you are dealing with."

 Fred looked towards me and said:

Fred: "Sorry to disappoint you lad but you won't see a race car here. We are dealing with old cars mostly."

John: "I wasn't expecting see a supercar here I just wanted to know how these machines work they must be very complex."

 Fred was dumbfounded by John's words as he never expected to hear this kind of difficult words from a 5 year old boy. He taught he was baited by the race cars from the posters and pictures like he did when he was 15. But all he got was engine oil and exhaust smoke.

 Henry started laughing after he saw Fred's face. I got to say he looks funny when he is shocked.

Henry: "Hahahaha! Fred I said he was smart. I saw him looking through different car parts when he is on the internet home."

 In this world cars was about to same but different parts works differently some better some worse I can see why though. History is different so are needs. Car had generally better engine but worse suspension and electronics in it. I don't know the production costs but if I were to be the designer for the cars parts in my past life I could have used this to recreate the parts from my earlier life to make some serious cash. Though it is not possible now.

Fred: "You want to see how these machines work? Sure I can show you little."

 And we went to a car that was in the process of repaired to show me some parts and their duties. I nodded and started comparing to the parts I knew from my previous life. Half an hour later we done talking and left the garage when the maintenance fathers car done. Father allowed me to come in weekends here seeing I was serious about learning about cars.

 When we got back home I saw Alice went to school as she was 7 and officially needs to starts going school at 7. I took a quick shower and grabbed a book about cars that I bought earlier started reading it. Of course Lily came right after I started reading as usual because he was bored. I read her a story and played little until she was sleepy and fell asleep on my bed. I put a blanket on her and resumed my reading.

 In the afternoon before Alice was about to come back from the school I went down to see my mother to learn a little cooking from her. I always enjoyed cooking, trying different recipes and tasting them. She didn't wanted me to be in the kitchen at first because of the sharp knifes and boiling pots but with my insistence she let me help her. The cousine of this world was quite different but techniques wasn't so I wanted to learn new dishes or bring back some of them back. She and I cooked together and prepared the meal. After Alice came all of us sat down together and ate as a happy family.

Jane: "How was the school dear?"

Alice: "It was fine mother John taught me to read before the school so it is so easy and boring."

Jane: "Studies are important but school is not just about studies. Did you made any friends."

Alice: "Yes I got friends I am playing with."

Jane: "That is very good dear."

Lily: "I want to go to school too Mom."

Jane: "When you are older you will go too dear."

Lily: "I wanna go nowww." Said pouting.

 I smiled when I heard this. I know she will be crying not to go when she must. I know I did when I was young.

-5 years later-

I was waiting for the school bus to come with Lily and Alice.

John: "Looks like it will rain today."

Alice: "Hm."

Lily: "What I am going to do I didn't bring my umbrella!!"

John: "Here I got yours too I knew you would forget yours."

Lily: "Thanks" said smiling mischievously.

 As we were chatting bus came and we went to school. Recent years was both boring and exciting for me I worked as mechanic in the garage. I learned everything he wanted to teach quickly, he was astonished by my performance. Of course he didn't knew I was cheating basically.

I now know how to repair cars, change parts, maintain it I got a little money for my work too. I basically bought books for myself and gear for digital drawing which I started to like more. In the future I am planning to manufacture and sell some board and card games as well so I can live comfortably.

 In school I don't go to classes anymore since a teacher tried to scold me for sleeping through it, but I already knew the subject. When I solved the problem she was trying to use to embarrass me she went to the principal and my parents came. When I told principal that I knew the entire curriculum of my year and even after that he helped me to pass to the 2 years of boring reeducation. I was glad but he said I cannot skip anymore years as it is illegal to do it I asked him to stay in the library to study myself for the year. He didn't liked it but said if you ace all your exams for the first term he said he'll think about it. I think he taught I wouldn't be able to do it and wanted me to be more serious about studying.

When I aced it he was shocked it is hard to skip years but you have to take state exams to do it. But acing the exams It was supposed to be impossible. He reluctantly let me study myself at library since he knew teachers wouldn't be able to teach me anything. I still need to do the exams though.

 School became much more bearable after that. Library of my school is one of the biggest in the state so it had a lot of books about everything. I started learning coding and electronics there. Coding is with the computers in the library was comfortable to learn but the electronics was hard since all I could learn was theorical knowledge not the practical experience. But there was enough source in the internet for it too.

Things were going great until I became 16 was at home waiting for to be 18 to go to university. A call came from school said that lily was transferred to the hospital for coughing up blood. We all panicked and rushed to the hospital. Waiting for the tests was the hardest thing I have done ever since I came to this world.

About half an hour later Alice came to the hospital too. She was in university now studying to be a doctor with almost perfect scores all year round. She was panicking. We were very close so it was hard for us to accept anything bad happening to her.

When the test results came doctor explained us to she had lung cancer and we would lose her in 2 years we couldn't believe it. When she heard this she acted like she didn't care but I could see she was shaken.

Lily: "Oh it's just cancer I'll beat it too you'll see it."

Jane: "We will beat it together."

All: "Yes we will" "Yes"

 She smiled at us but she was trying to hide her true feelings I knew my sister best and I couldn't accept it. But we were here. Doctor prescript medicine for her and we got to car. On our way home nobody could talk more than one or two sentences and atmosphere was heavy.

 When we got home I scoured the internet for alternative treatments for hours. But I couldn't find anything decisive I don't know if in my old world there was different treatments but I was not a doctor so I wouldn't know.

 Four days later I got call from the police officer and been told to my mother and father was involved in a car crash by a drunk driver. I freeze on my spot. We couldn't even come to terms with Lily's situation but there comes another. I didn't call anyone and hop on my bike to the police station then to the hospital they were in but they were already gone I confirmed their identities and called Alice and Lily we got together at home and sat the couches I wasn't able to say anything.

 16 years later I came this world I lost my parents again.