Anna & her Alphas

Thirty Two: Dreams Can Come True

Pic: Anna, 13.
(Mackenzie Foy)

A N N A

I have no reason to whine or complain about any aspect of life right now. To me, everything is perfect.

Two weeks later and Mum is fully recovered, the team of doctors were marvelled by the speed of her recovery and she was slowly back to completing all the 'mum' duties: washing, cleaning, making lunches, cooking etc etc. But Steve and us always do our fair share, its not the 1930s anymore! I don't take them for granted anymore, and I try to appreciate every thing she does for us, no matter how small.

Our home has become a whole lot lighter, happier and full. Back to how it was.

We had a rocky mother daughter relationship for a while when I was about ten to thirteen. A mixture of things that ultimately stemmed from Dad's tragic, sudden death. I was the sole witness, as a damn nine year old. I struggled a lot. I couldn't cope in everyday life, I was mentally scarred and could not accept that I would never see his beautiful, brave, loving soul again. Ever. My emotions were unpredictable, one moment I would be fine, even smiling at something my brothers said, but the next minute I would be huddled in a corner crying my eyes out, panicking and hurting. Sinking.

Somehow, I had this steel, suffocating belief hat she preferred Brett and Louis to me. My loving mother did not know how to help me, she didn't know how to stop me from sinking and hold me up above the water. But it was never true, my indestructible brothers were in a much more emotionally stable position to help her, and they helped her a lot. I couldn't. Sure, they had their moments and I'd never seen so many bruised knuckles and dented walls in the first year since Daddy's passing; but they were always taking on extra responsibilities and basically sacrificed most of their childhoods overnight. For me and mum. I can never repay them for what they did for me, and they can never get their childhood back.

As a result, she ended up giving them raises in allowances, more attention sometimes if they were helping her with jobs or tasks at hand, and besides all this, she worked pretty much full time at the hospital to make up for the loss of monthly income. I felt alone, isolated even, a lot of the time and struggled with the concept of neither of my parents being around.

We got a small pay out from Dad's life insurance that Mum used to pay off the big kitchen extension we had done at our old house when I was about seven, and to also see herself and us through the first three months she took off work and the rest was put aside for the three of us to have when we're older.

Dad's yard was sold, including his old work truck and van too, and that money has gone into savings and for college funds. We begged Mum to keep his old truck but she didn't like driving it and the twins were still only fourteen and wouldn't have been able to drive for at least another two years.

The turning point of our relationship was when we moved into our new house and family. It wasn't easy coming here, and mum dealt with the whole situation poorly, I think. I hated her for it, and she knew. Somehow, however, she knew what she was doing as we are all very happy and retrospectively, I am glad we have moved on to a new chapter. It was needed.

"Dinner's ready, sweetheart," Steve knocks on my door.

"Coming," I force myself out of my deep, succumbing thoughts and jump off my window seat where I was absent mindlessly watching Brett mow the lawn for Steve, and Louis and Logan kicking a ball about.

We all gather for mum's chicken curry she's made and chutneys, bread, rice and onion barjis are also shared round.

"Looks amazing," Adam comes in last and takes a seat opposite mine, not hesitating to grab his share of the cuisine.