Bahama Girl

Chapter 1

Bahama Girl

By Molly Elaine Mayes

~chapter 1 ~

As soon as I jumped off the plane, I could feel the sand in my toes. The smell of the ocean invaded my senses, and I could instantly tell. I was in paradise. I glanced over at my twin sister, Lekki, and we exchanged smiles. " Lani, Lekki, time to go!" my mom calls. " We have to get through immigartion." I follow my parents and sister, sad to feel my shoes hit the regular concrete. It's more magical to feel the roots of everything naturally.
One hour later, and we are successfully through the airport and have gotten all our bags. The rest should be waiting for us at our new home. They'd gone by boat from our old house in Illinois. Old. Even as excited as I was to be in Exuma, I still couldn't imagine living here. It just wasn't the same as America. And while we would move home again, back to our old house and school, that would be in three years, After the hotel was up and running, when we could transition between everything better. Three years. No, Lani, i tell myself. It's OK. Who wouldn't want to be in this magical place?
" Lani, " Lekki says, breaking me from my thoughts. " Are you ready for this ? " "Of course!" I say, trying to sound confident. " Sis, this will rock!" " I hope so...." Lekki says worriedly. " I just miss- " But my mom cuts her off. " Girls, " she says, " Jump in the car! It's time!" " Tell me later, " I whisper to my twin as I step into the car . We ride for around an hour, then pull through the gates of a fancy, spread out neighborhood. There's hardly any houses, and they're all spread out. My dad pulls the car up to a beautiful, white brick house , and starts talking .
" Attention, fellow Annhari's! ", he exclaims , jokingly . " We have arrived! Now, it's time for some ground rules and expectations. We only just moved to the Bahamas, and apart from vacationing here, this is a completely new place. So, we have to be a bit more cautious. Things are different than they were in America, obviously no views like this, " he looks around. My dad seems so relaxed, I almost can't tell how tired he really is. Everything has been difficult lately, and knowing that the move has helped him makes me feel much better. " Our house is in a very nice place, " he continues, " and it's full of U.S. and English citizens who have moved here for a new adventure. Well, anyways," he says quickly, looking at my mom, " You all probably know the rest! Now let's go see the house!"
Lekki and I jump out of the car and run inside. As I climb the cushioned carpet upstairs, I look around at our new home. It's spotlessly clean and has sunlight streaming through every window. The Beach is our backyard, and the clean, teal ocean stretches until my eyes can see. We are really, truly in a magical place. Inside, there's a classic boho theme, noticeable even with our mismatched furniture. The movers had tried to guess what went where, and while I value their effort, I thought even a cat could do better. Wardrobes and mirrors in the living room?
And was that a bed I spotted? I wasn't so sure about that. Yet, the white tiled kitchen and vibrant cabinets made up for it. " Sis," Lekki called out, " Come on! We've gotta choose our rooms!" Up the stairs I continue, forgetting I'd stopped. I find myself in a den that's as large as our living room back home in Illinois was. There's four surrounding doors, a few of them open, and one closet in the back. I see my twin go into a blue painted room, and decide to try out a gray and white speckled door. Inside it, I'm shocked. A room that's twice the size of the one I had back home is in front of me, with light purple walls. Beyond it, I can see barn doors that lead to my own bathroom and closet. I'bve never once had that before. The only furniture inside my room is a bed and desk, but I already feel at home. This place just keeps getting more amazing.