Never Ending

Chapter Two

"Vita!"

I almost jumped when I heard my brother calling me. I haven't realized that I have zoned out on him. I shook my head lightly and smiled in front of my laptop. "Sorry, I zoned out a bit."

Nikolai and I always talk via video call on skype. He and I are close and this is the only way to keep our communication steady. Unfortunately, my brother is attending Political Science in Oxford but no matter how busy he gets, he always clears up at least an hour or two of his day to talk to me.

"So, what's on your mind?" Nikolai said before biting into his apple.

"Nothing." I lied. I didn't know why I even bother lying. Sure enough Nikolai would see pass through me,

"That doesn't look like nothing." He said in serious tone.

I pursed my lips before sighing. "Nah, it's just about a dream I had last night."

"What's it about?"

I told him what I saw in my dream alone and was about to tell him about the note I picked up yesterday but stood against it. "You didn't have to worry about a thing. Dreams are just a mix of fantasy and reality because your subconscious is unable to differentiate the two."

"I know that. I just—" I heave a sigh before continuing. "I don't really know why it bothers me so much. Perhaps it's because it felt so real... like dreaming about a memory."

His thick brows furrowed a bit before smiling at me. "Vita, you know you can't rely on memories. Your brain is constantly changing it."

I roll my eyes at him. Nikolai never really believe in things such as destiny, fate or anything that cannot be explained. He always believes in science and would always stand by reason and logic. "I knooooow! But you know what I mean." I said looking away."

He stared at me for a couple of seconds before chuckling. "Maybe, but you know me." He said, grinning sheepishly. "By the way, have you called Papa yet?"

I shook my head. "Do I need to?"

"You haven't been watching the news are you?" again, I shook my head and he laughed. "He's coming to America."

"WHAT?!"

My father is coming here?! Whatever for?! My mind suddenly brings me back 2 years ago.

I stood by my father's office with my heart beating like a drum as I hold out two letters in my hand. Nervously, I raise my right hand and knock three times at the mahogany colored door and wait for him to tell me to enter. When he did, I twist the knob and push past the door to his exquisitely looking office.

I walk straight towards the chair in front of his desk and sat on it. I look up at my intimidatingly looking father. Nikolai looked exactly like him only my father's appearance seems always intimidating because of the age lines that have started appearing years ago. His eyes, always seems like watching you like a hawk, watching every move.

"What is it you want to talk about, Antoinnette?" He said his baritone voice echoes around the room. He always calls me Antoinnette maybe because I was named after his middle name Antoine.

"It's about these, Papa." I carefully laid out the letters on his desk and sit back straight to my chair.

He took out his glasses on the side of his desk and hangs it to the bridge of his nose. He first opens the letter from Oxford and read it. He looked up at me before setting the letter down. "I'm happy that you have been accepted, Antoinnette." He said, but his face says otherwise. If I didn't know better, he would have appeared to be cold, but that's just how my father is. His smiles only appear on tv but never in person. "I wouldn't be as surprised. It's what's expected of you."

"What about the other letter, Papa?" I asked.

He looked at the sender of the letter but shook his head. "I don't think Wakefield University will be able to offer you better programs than Oxford."

This is what I dreaded to hear. Every single one of my family were from Oxford including my brother and I will be the first one to ever not one to attend there. "But I prefer to be in Wakefield, Papa."

"Nonsense! Why would you even want to be in America?"

"It's not about which country it lays. I have heard that they offer better programs in literature—"

"--Have we not agreed that you will be taking the same major as your brother?" He interrupted even before I could have finished.

I got a little scared when he raised his voice but I couldn't back down now. If I won't at least try to convince him, I would have no choice but to live the life he preferred for me. "Papa, I am already 18. Please let me lead my life as I will."

He furrowed his eyebrows at me. "Perhaps you are, but I can never be sure to trust you to lead your own life. I am your father and you will do as I say."

I shook my head. "No!" Both he and I were stunned when my voice rose than I intend to. "Papa, this is my life! Ever since I can remember, literature has been the best thing in it and I intend to study it further or I will never study at all. I may have been a bit of a nuisance but I have always followed your wishes. Please let me do something for myself this time."

I was out of breath when I was done. I have never spoken like that to my father. He always nag me about how I should be doing the things around the house and now standing up to I want makes me feel so confidently different.

He was silent for what seems like hours as he studies me. The longer he went the silent, the more my confidence falters until his opens his mouth and spoke. "Alright." I heard him, yes, but I couldn't digest it faster in my head that I must have looked ridiculous in front of him with my mouth slightly parted. "But one wrong move, and I will drag you back to Berlin."

It was the best day of my life. Only now I have to keep my grades up or my father will make sure I'll be deported back to Berlin. He and I aren't close, in fact we're estrange to one another. Probably because he always looks out for Nikolai more and gives more attention to his work which I somehow admire.

But what truly bothers me is why he wants to go here in America? I just hope that he isn't coming here to drag me back or else I wouldn't know what to do. Oh God help me.