Breaking Barriers

Bittersweet

Squirt Octus:

That night was like any other night with Min. We played and listened as she told us stories about my uncle and her and Mr. Alex and Mrs. Talia, the story about their proposal was the best one, but a blanket of melancholy still hung over the room. She didn't want us to leave and there was no way we wanted to leave her either,m, but there was a silent, solemn understanding that if any of us wanted a chance at life, we'd have to risk it in Canada.

When it was time for bed, as Min was shoving all of us into the bedroom, reassuring us that she had one more surprise in the morning, Masha stopped firm in her tracks, and I could hear her whisper to Min,

"You are not going to pack 7 bags alone! I shall help you.

"No, darling," Min soothed her back, "You-"

"It won't take too long with both of us doing the work!" Masha insisted, and Min nodded.

"It'll take even less with three." Nastya chimed in.

"No," Masha insisted firmly, "Go to bed."

"But-"

"No." Nastya glared at her sister and rolled her eyes, "But you can watch the little ones for me if you're sooo desperate to help." Masha offered with a sly smile and Nastya eagerly accepted.

The next morning, Min roused us before it was light outside, and softly put a paw to her lips as she dragged most of us out of the bedroom. As we trudged into the kitchen, she handed each of us a little box packed to the brim with food and gestured towards the pile of backpacks which surprisingly, I hadn't noticed until she pointed them out. Each backpack was brightly colored and filled to bursting with an appropriately sized coat lying over each one.

"Min, why?" Koshi mouthed at her and Min only kissed her forehead and told her,

"Because I love you. Come on, my darlings; take your backpacks. Paani's waiting for you outside." We all got up and began to follow her out the door where sure enough, Paani was sitting on a stump beside the huge navy truck we came in.

"Hello!" He exclaimed cheerfully and waved at us, and we waved back, but not an enthusiastically.

"So how was this circus?" He asked Min casually as Pinto raised his flippers to be picked up. Paani obliged and slung Pinto over his back.

"They've been wonderful, Paani!" Min beamed, "These little darlings are such big helps and they're so sweet. You're so lucky to be getting them." We, in fact, were not the absolute angels Min made us out to be. For instance, last night when an old posh neighbor of Min's came by, Nastya, Nickie, Jane, Pinto, Koshi, and I mocked them and shipped them with my uncle for laughs.

"Of course they were." Paani said in a manner that sounded sincere, but he winked to us kids when Min turned her back, "Well!" Paani attempted an upbeat tone to no avail, "We better be off now, Min."

"Oh, all right then." I could tell it caught her off guard, "Goodbye, darlings. I hope to see you again soon!"

"Bye Min!" I called back to her as Paani ushered us into the back of his truck.

"We promise to write!"

"See you soon!" All of us yelled her name until she became a spot in the distant horizon. It should've been easier to let go,  to go happily with Paani to a new life, but it wasn't. It couldn't be. Why?