CH 13: BEACON!

I stirred as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow across the room. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I glanced at the clock – still early, but we need to go in time, journey to beacon is quite far,it is a few hours away, a place tinged with memories of my late father who had died years ago. We don't usually go there often, only during the Christmas period when the whole family gathered and we are given a break at work. Our commitments to work and the distance made it difficult to visit more frequently. But today, with Clarina's health in question, it felt imperative to make the journey. My best friend had crashed at my place last night to make our early morning departure to Beacon easier.

With a soft sigh, I rolled out of bed and padded over to Olivia's makeshift bed on the floor, gently nudging her awake. "Hey, Liv, time to go," I murmured, shaking her shoulder gently.

Olivia stirred, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Already?... Isn't it too early " she mumbled, her voice thick with drowsiness.

"Yeah, long journey ahead ," I replied with a half-hearted smile, trying to shake off the heaviness in my heart.it isn't about Clarina alone, any time i am at beacon memories of my late father keeps flooding my head. My dad died in a very fatal accident. And trust me when I say I never been okay after the incident. I just mask everything with a smile

Olivia stretched and yawned and walk into the bathroom, I busied myself with packing our bags. Olivia already has her bag packed . I rummaged through my wardrobe, selecting outfits for the trip. Comfortable yet presentable . After all, we never knew who we might run into back home.I know I'm not going home for anyone I might run into but Clarina would be fine , that's one thing i'm sure of and i don't have to look ugly because my sister is sick.

Olivia emerged from the bathroom, her hair tousled and a sleepy smile on her face and I also went into the bathroom to have my bath .when i was done , we wore our dresses and set out to the train station that will take us to beacon. At the train station, we chatted and laughed a lot. We shared stories about our family and remembered all the fun times we had during our previous visits. As the train chugged along, Olivia tapped away on her phone, probably catching up on the latest gossip. I, on the other hand, stared out the window, lost in thought.

Finally, the train pulled into Beacon station, and my heart skipped a beat. Stepping onto the platform, we were greeted by Mariana infectious energy came bounding over with a big grin on her face. "Hey, big sis! Hey, Big Aunty Olivia!" she exclaimed, giving us both a tight hug.

"Hey there, Mariana!" I said, ruffling her hair. "You're looking more and more like mom every day." I said

Mariana beamed at the compliment. "Thanks, big sis! Come on, let's get your bags. Mom is waiting."

We followed Mariana to the waiting car, chatting about everything from school to the latest gossip in town. Olivia and Mariana hit it off immediately, exchanging stories and laughter as if they'd known each other for years. Olivia and Mariana are like cats and rats

"Can you believe Mrs. Johnson is retiring already?" Mariana exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Who's going to teach Algebra now?"

Olivia chuckled. "Well, whoever it is, they better be ready for those tough questions you always ask "

Mariana grinned mischievously. "Hey, I just like to keep them on their toes!"

I couldn't help but smile at the banter between my little sis and Olivia. It was moments like these that made me grateful for family and friends who felt like family.

As we drove through the familiar streets of Beacon, memories flooded my mind. I remembered playing in the park with Mariana when she was just a little girl, and the time Dad took us to our favorite ice cream shop for a treat. But those memories were bittersweet now, tinged with the absence of Dad, who had passed away a few years ago.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed when we pulled up in front of our house. Mariana turned to us with a grin. "We're home, big sis! Mom's been waiting to see you."

Entering into the house, the familiar scent of home enveloped me, bringing back a flood of memories. Mom was waiting for us in the living room, her face lighting up with joy as she saw us.

"Elena! Olivia!..my babies are here! Mom exclaimed, enveloping us in her embrace. "I've missed you both so much."

"It's good to be back, Mom," I replied, returning her hug.

Olivia chimed in, "Hi, Mom. How are you doing?"

Mom's smile faltered slightly as she glanced at us. "I'm doing okay, dear. But your sister Clarina has been asking for you two."

"We'll go see her right away," I assured Mom, my voice tinged with urgency.

But Mom held up a hand, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "Not so fast, girls. You must be tired from the journey. Why don't you freshen up first? I've prepared your favorite dishes for lunch."

Olivia and I exchanged a glance, silently agreeing to Mom's suggestion. We took our seat on the lofa . It's feels too soft!

"Big Aunty Olivia! " Mariana exclaimed, her voice tinged with excitement. "How was the journey? Did you see anything interesting on the way? And did you bring me any gifts?"

Olivia chuckled at Mariana's rapid-fire questions, her enthusiasm contagious as always. "The journey was long but uneventful," I replied, ruffling her hair affectionately. "And yes, we brought you a little something".

" Thank you" she grinned , a mischievous glint in her eyes. "guess what happened in school today?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with excitement.

Olivia grinned, knowing that Mariana always had a knack for getting into interesting situations. "Tell us, Mariana. We're all ears," she encouraged, her tone playful.

With a dramatic flourish, Mariana launched into her tale. "Well, you see, during math class, I decided to spice things up a bit," she began, her words pouring out in a rush. "I started cracking jokes about fractions and decimals, and everyone was laughing so hard. But then the teacher got all serious and sent me out for being too disruptive!"

"Your teacher sent you out for making her class interesting" she said, a fond smile gracing her lips.