Finding Jemima

Gifts from mum

JEMIMA

I woke the next morning, I say morning it was quite late. I wasn't even sure what day it was here anymore. Was Australia ahead or behind in time with England I tried to remember but my brain was tired. I gave up and got up, peeked out my door as I was just in Felix's nirvana hoodie and my underpants and couldn't be bothered to throw on something just to go across the hall. The coast was clear and the bathroom door ajar so I made a dash to the bathroom closing the door behind me. I washed and fixed myself up, then dashed back to the floral room.

I realised I hadn't unpacked yet, there wasn't much to unpack, I pulled out a pair of Tammy's leggings and pulled them on just as I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in" I called out, I looked up to see my brother walking in.

"Morning my little Jem." He almost sang, I rolled my eyes at him.

He plopped himself on the edge of my bed as I sat crossed legged on the floor. I was bracing my self for another lecture but instead he looked at my pathetic still packed cases.

"You unpacking them or what?" He said with sarcasm.

"Was just contemplating it"

"Need some help?"

"If you want" I shrugged. Thinking it would only take five minutes anyway, but I think he was extending an olive branch so I went with it. I unzipped the sorry looking suitcase, which inside had 'PROPATEE OF TAMMY' written with permanent marker in child like writing in large letters. It was obviously an old well used case and the miss spelling gave it away even more than the my little ponies that it used to belong to a young child, that wasn't me.

"Whose Tammy?" Matty asked intrigued.

"School friend" I replied plainly "she gave me the case, said I could throw it out after I'd arrived"

"Did mum not get you a case?" Matty probed further.

"Yeah....but....they....kinda sorta...he....it doesn't matter, you helping or what " I tried to change the subject not looking at my brother. I pulled out some clothes, most were Tammy's hand me downs, but there was no way Matty could know that. The men's clothes that were Felix or Peters were more obvious, but he didn't say anything. I handed him some things and he hung them up for me in the wardrobe, which didn't take long.  I pulled out a few photos and paused to look at them. My brother came and sat next to me on the floor our backs against the bed. He looked over my shoulder at the pictures.

"Is it ok if I take a look?" He cautiously asked. I nodded moving slightly away from him as our arms were almost touching. Just then four boys appeared at the door.

"Ah here you are" Ed exclaimed "whatcha doing?"

"Matthew's just looking at some of my photos from England" I informed them.

"Oooo, can we look too?" Max said wide eyed.

I nodded "sure" they weren't that interesting but whatever floats their boat. They all piled in squeezing into whatever space they could find. They started to look at the photos that were in some cheap frames Tammy had got for me.

"This is me and my best friends Tammy and Peter" we were in our school uniforms in a park, tammy and I were sitting on the swings laughing our heads off and peter standing behind us engulfing us in a hug with a cheesy smile on his face. I don't even remember the occasion I think Felix or one of our other friends must have taken it. It was my favourite picture of us, I had blue hair that went from light to darker shades as it went down the length of my wavey hair. I got in so much trouble for that hair, but I loved it anyway.