Madeline

1. Home

1. Home

The captain's voice came over the speaker announcing we that we would be landing in Auckland soon. I gazed out my window. It was summer now and the sight from my window as the plane began to descend was familiarly pleasant. I hadn't been home in four years. That's the longest I have ever gone. Even though I grew up in London, my dad always made sure we came here during the school breaks. I suspected it was more for his benefit than mine. After losing his wife and second child, Stephen Patel wanted to be reminded of her in every way possible. For him that was coming back to the place where they had met and had a relationship until they eventually got married.

"Maddie!" My dad felt no shame whatsoever about his excitement as he waved to me when I exited the airport departure lounge. I went straight into arms loving the familiar feel and smell of him. We stayed like that for a few minutes before eventually pulling away.

"Hi daddy."

"I can't believe my baby girl is finally home."

"You didn't have to come pick me up. I could have gotten a taxi."

"Come on Maddie, you know those things are overpriced not to mention hard to get this time of year. You'd be waiting here for at least an hour."

I didn't bother pointing out to him that I'm not bothered by the expense or the waiting. Stephen Patel would do whatever he wanted to do. I smiled and followed him to his white Mazda SUV that I had bought him two years ago when he hinted that his car was about to give up on life.

As a child I was very observant. That trait followed me into adulthood. I noticed every small detail about everything. My father's hair had a lot more gray strands than it did the last time I saw him. His green eyes didn't sparkle like they once used to. His face even looked a little haggard. I studied him from the passenger seat not liking what I was seeing. It's true that I had been away for a long time, but whenever I called he never hinted at anything being wrong. He always said he was fine. Now I wasn't so sure.

"Daddy, are you well?"

"What are you talking about, Maddie? Of course I'm well. I'm not usually out in this heat. That's all."

"Okay." If he said he was fine I'd just have to believe that he was. We chatted all the way from the airport to the cozy little home that daddy never had the heart to get rid of when he moved away. He always ensured it was taken care of so he could return one day, which he eventually did.

"Is that Madeline Patel? It is, isn't it?"

"Mr. Smith." Mr. Smith had been my father's neighbour and friend since he was about twenty years old. He even came to visit us in London a few times. He was a little shorter than my father and that says a lot since my dad was about five feet seven inches. That did nothing for me. I was five feet three inches. That was pretty short.

Mr. Smith came and hugged me with his round beer belly. I hugged him back. "It's good to see you, sir."

"How many times have I told you to call me uncle?"

"Ignore him," my father said.

Mr. Smith's wife died eight years ago, but she'd given him plenty of children so he's never alone, unlike my father who had no one but me.

"Goodbye Smitty. Maddie and I have a lot of catching up to do." Mr. Smith grumbled about how selfish he was being but I knew he didn't mean anything by it. They'd been friends for too long.

The house didn't change one bit. Everything was the same as the last time I was here. Pictures of my mother were everywhere. I don't remember her much. She died when I was two while giving birth to my sister who also died. It has always been my dad and me for as long as I can remember. He taught me everything, did everything for me that a mother would do and so much more.