Here All Along

chapter - 5

Things were indeed getting back to normal, only to prepare us for the next storm.

Two months I had with Win before life wouldn't feel like life anymore.

....

A few days later

Win was turning thirteen next week and wanted nothing less than a fusion of camping cheer and beach bash, a day when he and his friends could go bananas over girls, the tiny butterflies giggling in their swimming suits, winking at them. I did not know how did the idea come to him and nor I wanted to. The argument that he was a teenager who wanted to have fun was enough to prove his point and i or phi Earth or even uncle Wan did not see anything wrong in it.

Aunt Irin did, however, saying he was too young to have thrown a beach party for him. Besides, it took two hours to go to beach and uncle Wan was an early sleeper, he wouldn't be able to drive us back home if we got late. The conversation became argument and Win stormed out of the living room.

"Win come back here right now" aunt Irin shouted, "urgh such insolence, this brat. Heaven knows why is he behaving so wildly these days."

"I don't see why we can't have this party?" I asked slowly, massaging her head and felt her taut muscles of the face relax.

"It's natural he would want to have fun, he's big now."

"Urgh shut it Bright" she sighed, "everyone, especially you, have spoilt him."

"I could drive us back from the beach" I suggested, earning a soft chuckle.

"You hardly know how to drive."

"Uncle Wan has taught me-"

"For a week?" She interposed, "you're not really trained."

"I have seven days ahead-"

"And those you need to utilise well for preparation of annual story writing contest."

"It's fine. I can take driving lessons early in the morning before uncle leaves for office."

"But you wake up half an hour before school."

"I'll ask grandma to wake me up early."

"You'll get tired."

"I think I'd manage pretty well."

"I think you just love him too much."

"So is it yes?"

Aunt Irin stared at me, a thin ray of submission darkening on her face which she confirmed with a faint smile.

"No girls and beers for him. Is that understood?"

I grinned.

....

I wanted to keep my driving lessons a secret in the beginning because Win would have made a big deal out of it, especially when he knew i already had a contest to prepare for. My schedule was indeed jammed for a week. I was a late riser but now I had to wake up at four in the morning for two hours driving practice with uncle Wan who was very apprehensive the second day for continuing because i dozed off while the steering was in my hands and nearly drove into a pole. Aunt Irin had laughed, my face heated up with embarrassment as uncle retold the incident with amusing exaggeration. The next day, i made sure not to drive anywhere near a pole. A tree would be safer, I guessed. And at nights, i would walk round the backyard with Win after supper and we'd lost the track of time in talking until he'd feel sleepy. I would go back and work on my story to be sent for competiton. My indulgences kept me busy and i and Win didn't get much time to hang out except the night walks so to make up for it, Win forced me to visit the lakeside after school. It was two days before his birthday.