Anabella

Chapter 2

2006
Holmes Chapel

Annabella lived with us.After her family left she had no where to go and no relatives ready to take her responsibility so we had one choice and it was keeping her.Not that we didn't love every moment spent with her,actually I used to take a picture of her every day to keep it in my special book.

I came up with her name but that is a long story ,I watched her grow everyday.She was my joy,so innocent and full of life.Now Annabella is 8 years old and she is in the second grade,I always pick her up from school and take her home.

As I arrived to her class I saw her sitting on the swings in the playground.Her balck hair was in its curly nature,and it was pinned back with a small flower crown.She heard my footsteps and her head snapped and revealed her big green eyes.When she saw me she quickly jumped and hugged me

"Harry."She kissed my cheeck

"Anna I missed you."I ruffeled her hair

"Missed you too."She giggles

"How was your day?"I ask her as we started to walk

I tried to hold her bag but she refused independent as always.

"It was fun....we learned about Flowers."She clapped and I held her hand as we walked home.

Each second I took a galnce at her imagining my life from now on.It was time for me to go to college and I don't know how to tell her.

"Hey Anna want to go to the icecream shop?"I asked her and she jumped.

"Yeah."She widdened her eyes in joy.

"But we can tell aunt Anne."She whispered and I laughed

Annabella has a coughing problem,it comes and goes the doctor said it was nothing serious but she should stay away from cold drinks or foods.But what kind of big brother would I be if I didn't help her cheat every while.

As we walked Annabella started to smile.

"What is it Anna?"I ask the little girl holding my hand

"Tulips are beautiful."She smiled

"They sure are."I smiled back

"Our teacher said that flowers make people happy....can we give every person a flower so he would be happy?"She wondered

"That is a little hard love."I smiled

"When I grow up I want everyone to have Tulips like me."She gestured to her flower crown and giggled

"Sure thing love."I smiled

Beautiful childish ideas!

We reached the icecream shop and she ordered three strawberry scoops.We sat down and I watched her dig in.

"Hey Anna can I tell you something?"I started and she nodded whipping some cream off her nose with a napkin.

"You know I am a big boy now and I have to go to college."I say and she nodded.

"College is where you study more right?"She asked in a disgusted expression.

"Yes but I might be gone for some time."I said and she looked at me confused.

"How much?"She frowned.

"I don't know for years maybe."I said and she shook her head and got off her chair.She climbed to my lap and hugged me.

"Don't leave."She said softly,her little arms raping around my waist as much as she can.And her head rested in my neck.

"It's okay love I will be back and you will be a big girl by then."I cheered her up.

She smiled at me and nods
"Promise to come back?"She held her pinky up.

"Promise."I rapped my pinky around hers.

She unclasped a necklace she was wearing and handed it to me.It was a paper airplane.

"Keep this."She smiled and I wore it.

"I will wait for you Harry."She said.

"Me too Annabella."I stood then hugged her.....if only I knew that my promise was too serious to be broken and the sentence "I will wait for you" was indeed true