Prisoners Of Paradise (CTBB Spin Off)

~11~

"Vinaka," I tested the foreign word on my tongue, and the girl before me grinned.

"It means thank you," she told me.

"Okay, then, vinaka for teaching me that word!" I said, and she giggled.

For the past ten minutes, Kalara's ten-year-old daughter Alitia had been teaching me Fijian words while Ilyas and Kalara's eight-year-old son Thomas were playing a game which involved rapid reflexes and slapping the opponent's hand. As soon as the kids had arrived they couldn't stop staring at the two strangers in their home, but it didn't take long for us all to hit it off. Plus, these kids were cute, and I didn't mind them, but Thomas' cheeky nature reminded me of my own cheeky little brother, Haydar. Just thinking of Haydar made me realise I actually did miss him, even a tiny bit, because as much as he was a pain in the neck, ears and all other areas, I did love him, deep, deep, really deep down.

"Ow! You've got quite a slap, little guy," Ilyas cradled his hand, half-laughing, half-wincing, while Thomas just sniggered almost maliciously at his pain.

"Thomas, be nice," Kalara scolded as she came into the room again.

"I am!" Thomas shot back, but ten seconds lately he had slapped Ilyas' hand again and was grinning evilly.

"Are you letting him win?" I cocked an eyebrow at Ilyas.

"No, he's just that good!" Ilyas replied in slight awe for this kid's superhero-like reflexes.

"Or you just suck," I muttered with a chuckle, watching the tendons in his arms flex as he concentrated, waiting for the right moment to strike...

"Come on, let me show you my room," Alitia tugged my hand and before I could comprehend what was going on, I was being dragged down the narrow hallway and shown various rooms, including the toilet, which Alitia felt necessary to give me a whole tale about how once it broke down and sewage flooded the floor. From what I saw on this tour this house was barely a quarter of my house, but then again I had a pretty big house. And what made my jaw drop the most was the size of the bedroom she had to share with her brother.

"You sleep here?" I stepped into the room and looked around. There were two separate beds on separate sides of the room, and one wardrobe, as well as a chest of drawers under the window, but other than those things, that was it.

"Yep. This is my bed," Alitia jumped onto hers, which I had initially guessed was Thomas', and I continued to circle the room, which was barely half of mine. In fact, it looked more like the size of Elif's walk-in wardrobe.

"What's it like sharing with your brother?" I inquired with a slight wrinkle of the nose.

Alitia shrugged. "It's okay. But we fight a lot."

"Does he take your stuff or something?" I glanced out the window, which had a view of the backyard, and I could see the clothes we had come in, drying in the sunshine.

"No, we just like to hit each other," Alitia replied. "I lost half my teeth because of all the fights we have had."

"Ouch," I grimaced. Haydar was too young for me to full-on fight with him, as he was eight years my junior, and we did hit each other, but never to the point of losing teeth.

"They've grown back, so it's okay," Alitia showed me her teeth, all mismatched and vampire-like, as a ten-year-old's teeth usually appeared. "Hey, do you want to see my shell collection?"

"Sure." I sat on the bed as she rummaged through the wardrobe and brought out a box full of assorted shells.

"You know, you could make some really nice jewellery with these," I suggested, holding up a white shell to collarbone. "You could even sell them if you want."