Dear Z,

Chapter 1

Disclaimer- This is a work of Fiction. Name, character, places and incidents are either product of author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

All rights reserved.
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Dear Z,
You left when you thought you knew something about the world.

You left when you thought you had to give up to attain in the world.

You left because you just wanted to escape from the world.
• • •

                                       Zaid

Saturday Mid-Afternoon

I stood in front of the white mansion that I used to call my childhood home. The recently painted walls reflected the anticipation of something exciting and new to happen. The grass was cut and sprinkled. The gravel beneath my feet had me remembering the skinned knees I often got when I slipped and fell from my bicycle during the times of my youth.

All this came rushing in quick small montages as I walked slowly up the three eloquent marble stairs to the large black polished hard wooden front door with a golden knocker in the middle.

Hefting my olive duffle bag over my shoulder,  I released a breath as I held the knocker in my hand. About to send it hitting against the hard wood door, it never reached when the door itself swung open and filling its view was my beloved annoying older sister, Adrianna.

We stared at each other. Eyes flicking over the other, seeing if all things were exactly where they were. Eyes in one place, hands all connected, legs still joined. Nothing was out of place. Nothing out of ordinary. Nothing to worry.

"Zaid Edris, come here you!" She grabbed my shoulders which was several inches away from her in her already towering height. Bringing me to her, she wound her arms around my shoulders.

I breathed the scent of home in her. The wispy mint and chocolate smell that I always associated with Adrianna was like home to me.

"I missed you, baby brother." She mumbled into my uniform shirt. The medals pressing against her cheeks. Her hands ran pleasingly over my back, soothing me of all the hurt I had come to know.

"Missed you too, Miss-getting-married-already. I thought you never were getting hitched and here you are, tying a knot. What did you do? Threaten him?" I laughed into her hair as she pulled away to hit me on my arm.

"Funny. I didn't threaten Archer. If you must know, he threatened me with his lips and his huge big-" Her words were muffled as I covered her filthy mouth with my palm.

"Don't let me lose whatever I ate over your I'm guessing new dress, please." My eyes turned slanted with disgust as I felt her lick my palm. "Yuck, woman. Now you got your germs all over me." Rubbing my wet palm on her white crisscross dress, she grumbled under her breath but pulled me inside and slammed the door behind us.

"Look who is finally here." She dragged me to where the voices of many and many of our- lord no, relatives that sprung from our vast family tree who were currently residing in the enormous living room hall.

Carpeted with light baby pink flooring and huge golden painted fireplace that was hedged in the middle along the pristine egg white walls with white plush sofas and lounge chairs surrounding it. Bookcases of polished dark wood were framed at the end of the room and crystal fancy bulbs and chandelier hung from the ceiling. Nothing changes around here.