Book One: Brawlin With The Bodyguards

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Who is that? There is a girl sitting near the pond in the garden. The sun was hitting her caramel brown skin, in the most interesting way. I always thought the purple water lilies that float upon the pond she was staring at were the prettiest thing I had ever seen. Now they were only the second prettiest.

Her hair was curly and puffy and big. She was wearing a large long sleeve green t-shirt with a pair of black bottoms. I hear a sniffle as she brushes off her face with one of her oversized sleeves.

“Stop being a baby.” The girl states harshly between sobs. “Come on, just stop crying. You can do this. You’ve got this.”

She suddenly stands up, causing me to jump. I am quick to slide behind a nearby hedge. Luckily, it is actually big enough to hide my large stature. I peek out behind it to look at the girl again. She still hasn’t realized she has an audience.

“You can do this! You’ve got this! Quite being a fucking baby, Esi!” she states louder with more certainty, stomping her foot with each statement.

She looked so cute when she stomped, like a toddler. Is she a new worker? I don’t remember dad saying anything about any new people working here. Maybe the king’s guest? She looks too young to be here for the king. Besides, the king only had guests during his semi-annual balls and the girl has an odd outfit on for her to be a royal.

The girl turns back towards the bench she was previously sitting on and picks something up. I realize they are glasses when she goes to put them on her face. I hide my face behind the hedge again, looking down at the items in my hand. A travel watercolor set and a medium mix media art book that Lilian, my little sister, had gotten me.

I came out to the garden to paint. The garden usually was empty at this time of day, that gave me time to do my art in peace. I wasn’t exactly out a proud about my artwork. It didn’t really go with how the world saw me. Only Lilian and George, the gardener, knew and I would like to keep it that way.

I walk back quickly the way I came, unsure of how the girl got to the pond in the middle of an extensive maze like garden. I wonder if she will be at the palace for long. Maybe I’ll meet her if I’m lucky. She just seems like an interesting person. There weren’t many of those around here.

R. W.

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“Do you think you can get back okay on your own, hun?” Mrs. Watts asked.

We were in the middle of a very large garden. Everything here was large, and it isn’t just in comparison to the town I grew up in. I tell her yes. The walls were covered in color coded flowers to get out. At my answer she wheels my mom out of the garden. Leaving me alone for the first time in three days.

Now that I have sometime time to think about my situation, I can’t help the tears that fall from my eyes. It had been a long few weeks, but that last few days took the cake. Every single aspect of my life had changed. Literally all of it.

My mom’s illness was back and this time all that could be done is extending her life. Of course, her insurance had denied the treatments. Just when all hope was gone, a man appeared. From what I was told, my mom had written to the man’s father. My father.

That was a harsh surprise all on its own. Then to top it all off, the strange man isn’t just my half-brother, he is KING of an entire country. The country I currently in because mom and I had to move here. Even if Benni, that is what I call him in my head, is paying for the treatments to prolong my mother’s life, she is still going to die.

Although I’m not sure of the time frame of when she will die. Apparently that was too much for ‘a girl of fifteen’, to know her mom’s expiration date. Being that girl, I’m highly annoyed. This isn’t the first time mom has been sick. It is simply going to be the last.

Everything is way too much and the people I wanted around were thousands of miles away. To be honest, I don’t actually know where Tempest Flaire, the place I will now call home, even is. I just knew it was nowhere near my best friends.

Jenny Hyun and her two sons, Basile and Kwan, were our next-door neighbors & best friends back home. And home use to be a small town named Olivine Valley. Mom had recently found out she was pregnant with me and had moved in to the single wide trailer next door to the Hyun’s.

As the story goes, a few weeks after she moved in, a three-year-old Kwan came knocking at her door. Ms. Hung had gone into labor early and Kwan went next door, looking for help. My mom took the Hyun’s to the hospital and even stayed with Kwan while his mom was in labor.

It was a hard labor and Jenny and Basile had to stay in the hospital for a while. My mom, being my mom, took care of Kwan since Jenny had no family nearby. Jenny decided she owed my mom for her kindness and offered to help with me when I was born, since they were both single moms. Mom and Jenny became best friends, as did me and the boys.

Gosh, I miss them. I take off my glasses, setting them on the bench beside me. As I wipe my face, trying my hardest to stop the tears. I barely got to say goodbye to them.

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They are already packing up mom’s and my things when the black Sudan pulls up to our trailer. Basile is sitting on the steps of their trailer glaring at the men going through my home. Kwan is standing facing their trailers’ outer walls. As soon as the vehicle stops, I unbuckle myself. Flinging the door open, I sprint towards the boys.

“Bas! Kwan!”

Kwan turns towards me fast, stepping forward and opening his arms. I notice his eyes are puffy and swollen and wrap my arms around his torso. My head hits his slim chest. He holds me to him tight, like if he lets go, I will simply vanish.

Even though Kwan is older than us, he is still the biggest crybaby. Bas could be an ass, and he often tease Kwan about how emotional he is. Curious on why I hadn’t heard a peep out of Bas, I peak over to where he is standing near us. He is staring at Kwan and me with an odd expression on his face.

When he notices my eyes on him. He looks away with a pink hue to his cheeks. His dark brown eyes on the morning glories the trail up the trellis he built me. At this time of day, they are in bloom. The blues, purple and pink hue flowers full in the morning sun.

My eyes close as I enjoy the warmth that Kwan's hug is bringing me. I breathe in his scent. I already have it mesmerized. It is calming. For a while, I forget what’s happening around us. Kwan is the first boy I ever had a crush on. Not that the crush isn’t still somewhere deep down. I knew we would never be together like that, so I pushed it to the back of my mind. Our age difference is definitely too large and besides him and Bas treat me more like their little brother than a girl.

Kwan finally lets me go, after who knows how long. I lung towards Bas who still was at our side. Still staring at those silly morning glories. He is never been one for touchy feely stuff, but he doesn’t even flinch. We are close in height, so my cheek ends up pressed against his. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me tighter against him,

“I’m.... I’m going to miss you.” He whispers into my ear, I heart is beating hard and I’m sure my face is red due to his unexpected words.

My cheek suddenly feels warm and wet. My eyes become wet as well, but my tears don’t fall. “I’ll miss you too.” I whisper back.

Bas is my true best friend. We grew up together. He is only seven months older than me. Although we argue all the time, we are ride or die. I have never thought of a life without him and Kwan in it. When he pulls away, I realize my half-brother has appeared with more men dressed in black.

I hear a loud slam and realize that the noise means the moving truck is fully packed. I still don’t know where we are going or really what’s going on. Kwan had dropped me off at the hospital to see mom. She had visitors, one of which claimed to be my brother on my dad’s side.

Within a couple of hours they had mom discharged, and they shuffled us into the Sedan. My brother, Benito, left, saying something about meeting us when it is time to go. My mom explained we would move today, ASAP. I guess that now is ASAP.

One guy barks orders and the men in black get ready to leave. I feel Bas’s hand touch my shoulder, bringing my focus back to him. I hug him to me again and hear him sigh, rubbing my back. He pulls back and looks into my eyes.

“This ain’t forever Esi. We will see each other again. I know it. You and me and Kwan, we will be back together making trouble again, eventually.” Bas says with determination in his eyes.

“He is right. No matter what, we will be together again.” Kwan interrupts, his brown eyes glossy.

“Uh, here, uh, we got this for your birthday. Maybe it will help with the boredom, you know from not having us around.” Kwan continues holding out a cardboard fruit box.

I didn’t have time to open it when my mom calls for us to leave. Kwan takes the box over to the SUV, giving it to one man dressed in black. Bas and I follow. I hug Aunt Jenny; she kisses my head and I say my last goodbyes before climbing in the vehicle.

I turn my head towards the trellis that Bas is staring at earlier. The flowers are close now that the sun has shifted. Only green stands out against the yellow of our old trailer. I miss them already.

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“Stop being a baby.” I state harshly between my sobs. “Come on, just stop crying. You can do this. You’ve got this.”

I shouldn’t have allowed the tears to fall, now they won’t stop. It is making me angry, I need to pull myself together. For mom. I know she is stressed out about all this and the more she stresses the more sick she gets. I jump up from my seat maybe I just need to put more energy into not crying.

“You can do this! You’ve got this! Quit being a fucking baby, Esi!” I state louder, stomping my foot with each statement.

Huh, I feel better. I feel my eyes dry a little and wipe my face with my sleeves again. I reach down to grab my glasses, cleaning them before putting them on my face. I should get back, to the palace.

“Let’s go try this princess thing, I suppose.” I say looking at the water lilies.

Those sure are pretty.

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