The Unsaid Tragedy.

"Thank you for the family"

"Dinner's ready", cried Christina.  Maralyn came running to the table. Along came David and Evanna along with Peanut, their Labrador. It was Thanksgiving! That night's special menu consisted of roast turkey with juicy gravy and a side dish of potato curry with mushrooms.  The desert was made by the daughters, which were brownies topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and a cherry on top! Even Peanut had a special dinner.  David started, "I am grateful to have such a wonderful family. Thank you God, thank you for this day, the food and thank you for this family". "Let's dig in"! Maralyn shouted with excitement. When the table was set and grace was said, everyone dug into the delicious, mouth-watering food.  Desert was served. After finishing, everyone helped in cleaning the table and the dishes.
"Goodnight", said the sisters to their parents and went to the bed.  This was their time for fun, as in they would talk all night.  Evanna was almost twenty when Maralyn almost fourteen.  They were absolutely not twins, but they shared the same birthdate! And maybe it was the reason why they had such a great connection! One could not stay without the other. Maralyn went jumping with Peanut, straight to their bed. When Evanna opened the door, she looked directly into Maralyn's face and understood what it meant.  She made that face when she wanted Evanna to read her a book, not the same but different, almost everyday. Both being nerdy, was a contributing factor where both enjoyed reading to each other. Not to mention they even had a diary, where they would write many things, about them,  their family, friends, school, life! They never hesitated sharing anything.  They even had a-good-night or a-good-bye line, "P.S. I love you". That night after reading one such story to her little sister and Peanut, Evanna softly said, "Enough for tonight! If mom finds out that we are awake, we both will be grounded! Now try and sleep". "Did I ever mention that you are the best human on the earth?" asked Maralyn funnily. "A hundred times", replied Evanna.  They giggled a bit. "P. S. I love you Ev". "P. S. I love you Marry" were their last lines for the day before they fell asleep. 
As soon as the sun rose, White family woke up.  Another day started. The sisters had school.  They spent these days mostly with friends. Then, when they would come back home, they would have to do their school work. But it was Friday and they had the whole weekend to complete it. Every Friday, they had a family time.  The daughters and the father would cook the dinner, while Christina would arrange the room and select a movie. When the dinner was ready, they served and started watching. This was their weekend schedule.
Days passed. Christmas came. Evanna and Maralyn invited their friends on Christmas Eve and enjoyed their time. And so came New year. "A New year, a new journey". What they never imagined was that,  that year's journey would be life changing.
As David would be busy with his work at the office and Christina with her cake business and the children with school, they would find a day somehow, every month for the family trip. Whenever they would go out, Peanut used to stay with their neighbor, Mrs. Ruby, so she was called, an old widow, without any work, staying all alone and living on her pension, who loved Peanut's company and took care of him dearly.
         After the winter holidays were over at school, Maralyn announced that their class will go for an excursion to a factory and a museum and to the riverside for camping.  Maralyn got really excited as this would be her first experience. That night when they were dining, she told her parents about the tour. Although they encouraged her and gave her the permission to go, Evanna got a little worried.  She thought that will her little sister be able to manage everything on her own? Will she be safe? Will she not do anything wrong and stick with the group? Thoughts like this, triggered her mind. But she even thought that she would have fun experiencing something new on her own. Evanna helped Maralyn to make a list of things she would carry, not forgetting the tiniest of bit. As the day came nearer, Evanna became more worried and excited at the same time. She started helping her pack, she even gave Maralyn her old phone, which she used years ago. Their parents didn't knew about this. The phone's purpose was in case of any emergency and also to call Evanna that one night before falling asleep.
The tour day came. They woke up early.  Maralyn's bag was ready the night before. She ate cereals for breakfast and took few snacks for the day. Evanna rechecked the list again and again, also fixing and trying the phone as it was quite old.  She quietly kept some money in her bag,  just for safety.  The bus came with Maralyn's classmates.  Her family came outside to say bye for the day. "P.S. I love you Eve". "P.S. I love you Marry" were again the last lines before the bus took off. After the tiring yet fun day, where they went to the museum and factory and had their lunch at a restaurant, they went to riverside with tree sticks for bonfire and tents to spend the night.  They fixed their tents and three were to sleep in each. The two teachers had their own. When everything was over, Maralyn called her sister and told what they did and how they spent the day.  The next morning the children woke up, changed and were ready to go back home.  When the bus arrived at Marilyn's house, Evanna was already their, waiting for her little sister to get back home, safely.
      These little positive and happy doings made them a complete family,  just until then. 
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