the surprising journey • chapter 1 •chapter 1

No ! "screamed Eleanor " after our mother sasha told us that she is sending us to the city in the western part of the country . mommy is sending us there to spend the rest of our summer holiday with our aunt Sandra and our cousin Jason.

Aunt Sandra is my mother's older sister, she is also my only aunt. Aunt Sandra is very caring and jovial, but she is a very stern woman When it comes to a person's behavior. Aunt sandra lived in the next parish far away in the west from us.

This summer would be the first summer that Eleanor and I have ever been to aunt Sandra's house in the city.

As aunt Sandra only came to visit us in the countryside.

My mother, Sasha, said that "the city is amazing, there are tall buildings, luxurious houses, job opportunities, and getting to meet new people there", she said.

I wasn't looking forward to visiting the city. After all, what would a country girl like me would be doing in the city I thought.

still, mom pointed out that my sister Eleanor and I will go to the city. she said you girls need to spend some more time with your cousin and your aunt sandra.

I thought you wanted to know how things work in the city, on day you will have to go there by yourselves for a better life.

"besides i bet you and eleanor will love the city the moment you get there ella", mom said to me.

Still, I thought that the city was going to be boring or just too different from how I lived .

After some time, Eleanor and I had no choice so we packed our bags the night before.

In our bags we have clothes, underwear, toothbrushes, towels , rags and pairs of slippers.

After eating our dinner, eleanor mommy and i went to sleep.

due to the fact that we lived far I way from the city , inorder to get there tomorrow before night , eleanor mommy an I slept extremely early . Just to make sure that we wouldn't over sleep.

In the middle of the night , I was having terrifying dream about the city ,then suddenly i started feel someone or something tickling my toes.

In curiosity, I raised up with my looking around . It was mommy and eleanor,"wake up",they said , "it's time to get ready"

It wasn't even dawn yet.

Eleanor and I both bathe in the bathroom outside using a bucket of water then, together we rushed to eat breakfast .

i said good morning to our mother and there i continued eating. Already in our clothes we grabbed our bags , and left out the house , we walked straight from out of the community, right to the bus stop.

Moments after, we arrived at the bus stop ,Waiting to take a ride to the city . Our journey began when a bus stopped at our feet to pick us up. We struggled to get in the bus has it was fully packed with passengers like a can of sardines.

As the journey was long, we had to transport by two different buses . After driving for hours and minutes , it had already gotten dark , and as most of the passengers departed the bus we were able to sit in a seat each.

Looking through the windows, I then realized that the environment started to change.

It was like I have entered an whole new universe.

I have never seen so many cars and so many tall buildings before.

The surface of the road was smooth and neat.

The look of the colourful lights illuminating the tall buildings and the streets in the night was looking lush.

I guess mom was right.i did fall in love with the city.

The bus then stopped in the middle of the traffic. from there we had to cross the busy road, to take a taxi to aunt Sandra's apartment .

Has the taxi stopped at the gate of western hills apartment.

We then saw our aunt sandra, Standing at the security post of the apartment gate that she lived in. she was there awaiting for us.

Happy to see aunt Sandra, as the taxi stopped, we could contain ourselves to wait till the gate was opened, but as soon as it was openeded, I rushed out to the gates, then i ran has fast as i could to hug aunt sandra

"Hello cleaner and ella, how are you girls doing" ? aunt Sandra asked.

"We are doing pretty great and you" ? We replied.

"Well I am not bad ,but am glad that you girls are ok and here so far" ,she said .

Aunt sandra continued by talking to my mother, sasha, saying , "Hello sasha its been a while how are you "? she asked. Mom then replied.

Soon after we hugged , kissed and waved to mom saying bye .

"Take care girls, I love you two see you soon", mommy said.

"I love you too ,bye mommy",we both replied.

Standing we waited till mom could get a vehicle to go back home.

when she finally got a taxi we waved to her and stood there until the car was driven out of sight, then we went on.

Walking to aunt Sandra's

apartment , we talked about our life in the country ,while enjoying the modern world of the Western hills apartment , but as we walked more into the building , I could see glass doors, marble tiles, glowing before my eyes and showing my reflection.

"I have never seen a floor that's so shiny that i could even see my reflection in", i said.

We went up to a little structure that had two shinny doors and buttons on it.

what's this, I asked aunt sandra. she said it's an elevator , this will take us to the apartment, floor eight.

We walked in and aunt Sandra pressed one of the buttons that marked floor eight.

By seconds later I heard a ping sound then the door closed.

After we came out of the elevator, I started to feel dizzy

Then we came up to a hallway that had about twelve doors along the way.

Each door had a suite number , aunt Sandra's suite number was one hundred and twenty-five.

when i entered the suite, I saw shiny granite tiles on the floor, and furnitures that I have never seen before.

wow what I nice suite aunt Sandra's got.

"here have a seat would you like to eat"? aunt Sandra asked.

"Anything you have" , we replied.

our cousin Jason , excited to see jason we ran to greet him.

"hello ella and eleanor it's been a while how are you "? he asked. "we are fine , and you " ,we replied .

"i am great , glad you asked", jason said.

As soon as we settled in aunt Sandra started lying out the rules of her household.

" no running ,no shouting , no fighting in the house , clean up after yourselves , do your chores and no outrageous behaviour " , aunt Sandra stated.

she also said " that after we did our chores then and only then we would be allowed to have fun ".

"follow me let me show you where your room is",said aunt sandra.

We then went through a hall way, then we came up on two rooms.

Here ,This is your room. Here is where your going sleep for the time your being here .

"wow this is a very nice room" , I said to aunt sandra .

In the middle of our packing aunt Sandra appeared "what would you kids love to eat" ? asked aunt sandra. "anything ", we said.

minutes after we heard the aunt Sandra calling. dinner is ready come and eat.

Before we even see what's there

, we could already smell the wholesomeness of the meal.

we hurried to the table and started biting into the fried chicken and rice.

By the time we were finish we started licking our fingers, and licking our lips .

"so you kids love my cooking" ? aunt sandra asked. "oh yes we do it's very tasty", we said.

"well that case I bet you would love a taste of my chicken soup" aunt sandra stated happily

"yes for sure", i said.

After eating aunt sandra asked us about what we would love to do tomorrow ." could we go to the mall"? jason suggested.

well i suppose we could do that i said , after all the girls have never been to a mall.

Eventually i got tired of the noise , so i decided to go to aunt sandra's room .

There i saw that her door was opened and she was sitting around a table working with a stack of papers .

I knocked the door , she then turned around and said that I could come in .

when I went in, i immediately asked why are there loud noises coming from my room.

Aunt sandra said that the tenants were reinstalling some new modern appliances in there suite

"At this hour"! I asked.

"Don't mind the noise just go back to sleep now", she said.

Still I went back to sleep , even though I was annoyed .