How Do I Love Thee?

Estonia

I soon found out why nothing felt right. Ian was taking me back to Estonia. I argued with him for an hour straight, I didn't want to leave. At the moment I just wanted to stay here with my dad. But even he was telling me to go. Finally, I just gave in, knowing I would never win this fight.

Ian and Aaron went out to the car and let me say goodbye to my dad. "Dad I don't want to do this. I'm not the person they think I am. I'm not their savior."

He put his hands on my shoulders. "Sweetheart you are. You've always been the person to help others before you help yourself. And no one is asking you to be their savior, just their protector."

"But what if I can't?"

"You can." He pulled me in for a hug and we silently cried for a moment. As we drove away from my home I watched my dad fade into the horizon.

I watched out the window the entire drive. It only took about 30 minutes to the airport where we were catching a flight to Estonia. I sat by myself on the plane, Ian and Aaron behind me. After a while I fell asleep and dreamt. I dreamt of my old life, old friends. Things that I would never have again.

"Alexandra? We're here, wake up." I sighed and opened my eyes. It was dark, early in the morning. I stood up and followed them out of the plane and to baggage claim. I didn't know how they even found it. Everyone around us were speaking in different languages, every sign was in Estonian.

We drove for a long time, into some place, I wasn't even sure if they knew where we were going. We stopped in the middle of the woods and got out. I assumed to just stretch our legs.

"We have to walk from here." Ian said. "It's the only way to get there, but it's not far."

I groaned but followed. He was right, it only took about five minutes to get there, but I felt bad for Aaron, he was the one that had to carry the bags. A woman, blonde and tall, walked up to us.

"Tere, olete lõpuks saabunud." I must have looked just like I felt, I didn't have a clue what she just said, because she laughed.

Ian translated for me and sounded a bit amused. "She said hello, you've finally arrived."

She shook my hand and began to pull me along with her as she walked. She spoke very quickly and cheery like. "I forget many foreigners don't speak Estonian. Good for you most people here speak English. However many of our elders do not and so I will translate for you."

We walked while she told me about the man I was going to have to talk to. He was an old man but she said he was very nice. She said he only spoke Estonian, but English was her second language. She said it was mandatory since the 90s for kids to learn English as well as Estonian. We came upon a beautiful building, she said it was the elders house. It was regal in a way, white marble, it was like a mansion. We walked inside.