Maria Noseworthy

Chapter~1~

The room was dark and cold. It was winter with the snow turning ice, freezing everywhere up to the bed post that stands like a guard at the corner of the bed.
I sat at the already frost window, ducked in a thick maroon red sweater and a brown fur coat which covered my body up to my feet. I remembered how mother used to cuddled me on her beautiful tender arms, even when I was already 15,I still sat on her laps like a baby waiting to be fed breast milk.
“How time fly’s”I remembered vividly,
Its being two years since mother past away, and my dad has never been himself anymore. I heard a knock on the teak wooden door to my room, dad just had it changed last month,’oh I forgot, dad wants me to come by, with him to uncle Sam’s place’ “Maria” Margaret our nanny called, “it already late, why aren’t you dressed up yet”
“Your father will be up in any minute
now” Margaret said,
“Do I have to accompany him” “I mean Alec is downstairs playing video games, why doesn’t he go” Sighing” maria dear,you know your twin brother is very mischievous, your dad prefers you going along”
“Now be a good girl and dress up” Maria sighs” what a boring cold day it is”
The days are always like this in the house, ever since mom died. Dad was so taken aback by the sad news. He cried every night, though he appears strong on the outside, I know it is still eating him up on the inside.
He stop attending meetings, parties, stopped organizing birthdays, talked less only to few persons around and is always locked in his study, except when he goes to work. He never allows any one of us enter his study, not even we,his children. He is always lonely and that loneliness spread to us and everyone in the house.
My twin brother and I, never really
had lots of friends just one or two to be precise.
We were all heart broken when mother died, even the maids. My dad is already planning on sending us to a boarding school in London, as so I heard”. But I don’t really approve of the idea. After my mum’s death, I really wanted to stay close to the family, more especially my father, as he is still unstable over my mother’s death. After coming from uncle Sam's place, we were very tired. After dinner,of salad, fries and grilled chicken with mint tea,father called us to his study to discuss about something, but I don’t have any idea what it is yet.
This is the second time, i had the
opportunity to enter his study, the first, was when I was twelve, we were back from horse racing with my aunt and her family, they came for a visit and dad sent me to collect some collections of "Giovanni Boccaccio ”book which he got at an auction. He wanted to gift to aunt Rita’s husband
“Mr Russell Hullard”, because just like my father, he loves reading and collecting rare collection of books and that is why father is giving out his prized collection to Mr Hullard, which never leaves his study room.
He sat in a newly polished armchair “I wondered who polished it, because i have never seen any of the maids inside his study room”I thought as we sat on a sofa facing the fireplace not too far from him,
“Maria, Alec dear, I know for the past two years, with everything that has been happening, and with your mother’s passing, I have decided to transfer you two to the”prince academy”London.”
“i hope you make the best out of it, because it is a boarding school and I was able to get your transfer through a friend of mine whose brother is a former principal of the school “
“And I hope that’s clear “
“Yes father “Alec said smiling.. “But father isn’t that place a bit far
away and besides that school is bad news “I said with a frown
“Maria when I make a decision, I don’t make any room for argument and stubbornness “father said looking displeased
“Dad I don’t have a problem with the school “Alec said glaring at me.
Sighing”seem like this is an argument i am never going to win “i thought
“Okay father, we will go, but are you sure you will be okay all by yourself,;
“You need not worry about me my dear, I’ll be more than fine here” Taking a deep breath, I smiled and hugged him, kissing him good night, we both retired t our various room, leaving father in his study.
I spent half of the night thinking about what dad said “maybe it’s for the better”i said to myself “but just thinking about the new school, new city, new life, new friends, not that we have much just give me the creeps.
The next following days were just as usual, except for the very excited Alec, seems he really needed a
getaway.
We stayed for the next three weeks before the school spring section starts.
The day we left, father dropped us off at the airport and booked a drop for us when we get there. It was really sad leaving father, all by himself, but we didn’t really have any choice either.
It took us about 2 hours and five minutes from Bergen,Norway to London. The journey was very stressful for me, a very noisy child which never stopped talking and crying sat close to me,
“Very frustrating” I said in my head and sigh “what a good way to start my day in London “.
After collecting our luggages at the baggage collection area, we saw our lift at the entrance of the Heathrow airport London, a small mini van. It took us round the town before taking us en route to our destination. “Prince academy”London.
I sat in the car, watching the moving trees go by as our van sped off, on the wide English road.
When we got there, we met the school security checkpoint, with some security personnel, checking our van for any illegal substance. After being scrutinized, we got our pass and soon we were on the road to school.
Alec and I, were so dumbstruck on seeing the magnificent gate, decorated with creepers plant, trimmed beautifully to give it that somewhat royal design. But, when we saw the main building, it rendered us speechless.
“I'm pretty sure it’s a tourist castle and not a school, because *pftt,* I mean who can even attend this kind of school and be transported on a mini van. “Very ironic “.. I do not mean ungrateful..... If you understand what I meant.
First of all, the lawns*wow*”they are so beautiful, i feel like I’m in paradise.
Then we saw the building, it’s as big as Nord university. It is extravagantly built, with artwork and statues all over the place, I even saw my favorite statue of “Hera” on the west side of the compound.
We stopped at the far end of the gate, because there were already lots of exotic cars parked in every available space used to drop different student.
We got down from our car and Alec took our luggage from the trunk, we thanked the driver and he left.
Still standing at the same spot, “Maria, I think I just known now that we are rich”Alec said excitedly “Oh, Alec, you are so dumb, we aren’t rich, we are just so lucky to end up here” “But do you think we fit up here, I mean look at everyone here, we are so much different”
“Yeah, I know,i’m already feeling
weird just standing here” “Let’s go now, or we’ll be late”.