My Frenchman

Prologue

Ruby's pov.

It's the 30th day of May and everything still feels the same since we left our home country for the United States of America. My parents thought that a change in location would solve all our problems. Guess they've never been more wrong, asides from the climate nothing else changed. I have a degree in a course I wasted four years of my life studying. Honestly those four years were among the worst years of my life. I got depression and anxiety, ADHD etc in exchange for a second class upper in Library and Information Science. Trust me it wasn't worth it. After university, I waited so long without a job I searched for so longer i even got tired of looking so i registered for fashion and designing class where i was learning how to make clothes from a roadside tailor. Don't judge me, it was actually better than staying at home. I eventually started enjoying the process of making clothes myself.

My dad lost his Job as Head librarian in a tertiary institution and my mom retired. My younger siblings attended boarding school, while my older siblings taught at a highschool where they were underpaid and overworked, they went to work early in the morning and came back late at night. During summer break, everyone was around everyday yet it was gloomy at home, no one really talked much, most days the only words shared was the good morning and good night greetings. It got so much that my parents decided that we needed to relocate. Yes like move to a new country. My younger siblings were really excited about it, but we the elders felt indifferent. But the decision was already made.

Two years later, our papers were ready. We were going to the United States, NYC. The last thing I threw into my box was my certificate. I sat for hours staring at it like it was my first time seeing it. My full name 'Matthew Amara Ruby' clearly written on it along with my CGPA and the name of my university. Most times I resist the urge to rip it up and scatter the pieces around my room. Most times my reason being that it was my parents hard earned money so I don't have to destroy it. Gold my eldest sister, was already engaged by then so I could hear her and her fiance through my room. They were going about how they were going to miss each other. While Silver my immediate elder sister, on the other hand broke up with her boyfriend a year ago and was still recovering from the heart ache. Topaz my immediate younger brother and only brother had just graduated from highschool and was ranting about how he was going to study engineering when we get to the US. Diamond is the last child of our parents, still in highschool was really excited about starting a new life.

We arrived to the United States a week later. Still can't get over the face the attendant made after checking our papers. She asked the same question I used to ask my parents as a kid. "What's the obsession with gemstones?" My parents laughed it off as usual but I still wonder why they named all five of us after a gemstone.

In less than a month we were already settled in, thanks to my mom's childhood friend who let us stay at her place for a whole week before we got our apartment. To me, she's a real hero.

My room was just plain like the one I had in my home country. I didn't see the point in decorating it so much. The only thing asides my clothes was my sewing machine which I insisted on bringing with me from Nigeria.
Overall, I think Gold was the luckiest. Her fiance will also coming to the United States next month, so he can be with her for good. They've even fixed a wedding date. She also got a job. Silver on the other hand is already seeing some guy she met at a shopping mall.
Topaz is working part-time at a diner while waiting for acceptance letter from NYC University. Diamond was already enrolled back to highschool. My Dad wounded a job at a local library as the assistant librarian. Mom joined the mothers club in our area where she's an active member, though she stays at home other times claiming to be enjoying her retirement and taking care of the house with me doing most of the taking care of the house job. I spend most of my time in my room with my headset and my sewing machine and drawing book where I make sketches of random designs I form with my imagination.