A Way To My Dream

Chapter One: Her birthday

"Her birthday"

August 28, 20**

Yet another lovely morning for the Stratford family. The young Leona happily run down the stairs and bubbly greeted her family.

"Morning, Mom, Dad, Brother Mark, and Brother Kevin!" The family loud laughter can be heard outside their humble two- storey house.

"Good morning, princess. Happy birthday!" Mr. Stratford, Leona's father, hug the girl tightly. Young Leona giggled and kissed her dad on the cheeks.

Mrs. Stratford then followed and the two big brothers.

"Thank you, thank you." Leona bowed acting as if she just finished performing on the stage. The family then laughed again.

They all seated on the round table.

"Where are my gifts?" Leona put a couple of spoonful rice on her plate, jokingly asked her two brothers.

"What! No gift? No way!"  She added.

Mark and Kevin then chuckled at her adorable act.

"My, Leona you're not a child." Kevin, the oldest brother, teased.

"What?! Oh, yes I am still. No? So I'm allowed to have a boyfriend then?"

"No, no! You're just a baby! Kevin,  what are you talking about?!" Mark jokingly punched Kevin's shoulder, trying hard to frown.

"Then, a gift?"

"Fine, it's on your drawer. Do not expect something fancy though." Kevin sighed. Leona's grinned to her brothers and continue her food. The couple lovingly watch their children banter and laugh at one another.

The family has variety of vegetables and couple of different dishes of meat on the table. Humbly celebrating the 15th birthday of Leona, the youngest and the one and only daughter.

The family doesn't lack of vegetables and meat on the table. Given a couple of hectares land in the backyard. The farm consists of different fruits and vegetables. They have, cows, horses, lamb, pigs, and even poultry house. They pretty much have everything a family of farmer can ask for.

"Dad, this meat's so tender." Mr. Stratford grinned at her daughter. As a chef and dotting father he is, he cooked pretty much every favorite dish of her daughter.

"Of course, baby. I hurried back home to marinate that steak. How do you find it? Delicious?"

"Yes, Dad. I love food. However...- Nevermind." Leona awkwardly laughed to her own tongue slipped.

"Eat, eat. We need energy!" Mrs. Stratford encouraged.

Leona sighed secretly and ponder over her thoughts. She really wanted to tell her parents she's on diet. However, knowing her brothers they might over-think and assume things further. She heard one of her schoolmate. They said an entertainment company from another country will conduct their once a year scout for artist. She definitely want to try her luck and audition.

"Mark, how's the delivery?" Her mom asked.

"Stressful. Thankfully, Mang Connor was there to help me. Well, the stock has quite improved. The wool standard is nice." Her brother replied as he slices the steak on his plate.

"Great, great..." Leona compliment.

Though she grew up in the farm, she pretty much don't understand lot of things in regards to the family business. Her father is a businessman and a chef. Her mother's designated to run the farm together with her brothers. Sometimes it makes her think wether her age is an issue, her family probably think she's still their baby. Well, her mother and brother did not like having Leona work in the farm. However, she is allowed to play with the horses and sheep. Something that she cannot understand. She loves the farm, the fruits, the vegetable and the animals. She still literally get her hands dirty when she play. She's just not allowed to work in the farm. But, she still helped her family by doing the household chores and maintain the garden.

The breakfast feast has ended, everyone gets ready for work. Mr. Stratford bid his family goodbye and hopped in his car. Leona watch her family prepare.

"Princess, we're going. Don't starve yourself!" Her brother Kevin shout and closed the door behind them.

Leona sighed and quietly wash the dishes and clean the house.

She cannot stop her thoughts from flooding. She loves the farm and her family business. She doesn't want her family to think that she's putting her ambition over her own family. However, for once she wants to be independent. She wants the name on her own. And she has dreams on her own. Leona thinks that the world is too big, too wide and vast to just sit down on their house, clean the house, do the household chores and maintain the garden. She grew up having everything served by her family. She isn't that privileged, she didn't grew up having golden spoon inside her mouth, but, she's being treated as a princess. Sometimes she thinks she's being ungrateful to her family.

Afternoon came, Leona finished watering the garden. She decided to changed her peach floral dress to black jagger pants and white loose t-shirt and wear her black sneakers. With the speaker on her right hand and her phone on the other hand, she started to walk to the nearest park.