I'm The Yes Girl

Good-bye England Hello America

I took one last look in the mirror, running my fingers through my hair for what was probably the hundredth time this morning. My long, dark locks fell in thick waves down to the middle of my back, looking as perfect as ever. It honestly didn't even make sense for me to be concerned with my hair at the moment, not with a ten hour flight ahead of me.

Sighing, I turned away from the mirror and bent down to grab my duffel bag off the floor. My large suitcase and backpack were already down in the car waiting for me. With one last look around my room, I pulled the door shut, knowing that I wouldn't be back here for awhile.

"You all set, kiddo?" My Dad shouted from the landing, the sound echoing in the quiet house.

"Yeah, I'm coming," I called back, "Be down in just a second!"

However, I still felt myself hesitate outside my door. Everything would just be so much easier if I could stay in England and finish school here. Who cares if my dad was going to some place in New Zealand to try get an actual job?, let him go have his mid-life crisis on his own and let me stay here. There was no need to ship me off, to make sure that I was 'well taken care of in his absence'. I was almost eighteen years old; I'm pretty sure that I could take care of myself.

"Come on Maya," I then heard my dad call again, "You don't want to miss your flight!"

"Yeah, yeah." I grumbled to myself. Actually, to me, missing my flight didn't sound like such a bad thing. Nonetheless, I threw my duffel bag down the flight of stairs where it landed with a dull thump on the hardwood. I tromped noisily down the stairs behind it, hoping that my dad got the hint that I wasn't very pleased with him.

From the time we locked the front door behind us, during the twenty minute car ride to the airport, and through all of the security and baggage lines, I could tell that my dad was doing his best to keep me in high spirits.

"Come on, it won't be that bad," My Dad said, resting his hand on my shoulder. We had reached the point where he would have to go one way for his flight and I would head in another.

"Smile Maya," He cooed, pinching my cheeks, I just shoved him away hoping he got the message.

"Ah c'mon maya! You haven't seen your aunt Lucinda and cousin Grace for a while. Don't you think it would be nice to visit them?" My dad grinned, totally unaware that I wasn't as excited as I should of been.

"I gue-"

"Flight 42kb is ready for take off, all Passengers please make your way to Gate 23 to hand in your tickets and get ready to board." The Intercom called out through the airport speakers, before I had time to reply to my dad.

"Good bye honey, make sure you call me every single day! be careful sweety and be good." My Dad sobbed, strangling me in a bone-crushing hug.

My dad can be a little over-protective and annoyingly emotional at times but I love him anyway. Even though we've never been that close, I'm glad he's still around. He never used to be, only recently after things got complicated. My dad was never really at home most days, he was always working hard and coming home in the early hours of the morning but last month he quit for a reason he doesn't speak about. I know he's trying to be a better role model for me and show me he still cares but it feels like he wants to get rid of me, almost as if I was a burden to him. Shipping me away to a another country miles and miles away from him, just isn't fair on me. The only reason he wanted to do this was so he could try to 'find a new job', I couldn't help but feel disheartened at the fact a job was more important than me, his daughter. I gave my dad a quick kiss on the cheek, ducking my head away from him before he could see my eyes welling up with salty tears.