Status: Fin <3
Origins
They just don't understand
I put my phone into my pocket and stand up. I walk away from my group without a word to go find Anna and Archer.
“Frances?” Denner calls after me. I ignore all of them and walk to my sister’s group. I take her by the hand and sit her at an empty picnic table, I get Archer and sit him there to. Then I explain to them what Grandma has just told me.
“Frances, I want to go but we can’t leave Sydney not til the end of term,” Archer objects.
“I agree Arch, I’m going to explain that to Grandma, and personally I don’t want to leave Sydney at all. I want to stay here with Spencer, Scott, Mark, Blythe, Aimee, Denner and the girls,” I tell them with tears streaming down my cheeks.
“I want to go home,” Anna says quietly crying.
“Same Frances,” Archer says also crying. I nod and tell them we’ll go see Mr Harvey. We walk up to the office and I explain what has happened. He agrees that we should go home and we walk to Archer’s group and get his bag, we get Anna’s then walk to my group.
“Chizz what’s going on?” Blythe asks.
“We might be moving back to Queensland,” I tell her. Blythe bursts into tears and Denner stands there in shock, “We’re going home because Grandma is coming down tonight. I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” I hug them and grab my bag and leave the school.
*
The drive home is extremely quiet the only sound comes from the car itself and outside. We pull into the driveway and walk upstairs. We walk into my room and sit on my bed. Since we had gotten home we had all been sleeping on a makeshift bed on my bedroom floor. It’s not like we don’t have the room, I mean my house is huge, it has 7 bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs, not to mentions the large kitchen, dining room, an office, a large space near the stairs another smaller bathroom and a laundry downstairs and a basement that we converted into a party room and a lot next door that acts as our backyard. The three of us just have very bad nightmares if we don’t sleep in the same room and also my bedroom is the furthest away from Mum and Dad’s room.
*
We talk for a while then eventually Anna and Archer fall asleep. At 6pm I write them a note and leave the house. I get in my car and drive to the airport, I get there with 15 minutes to spare so I buy a coffee and sit as far away from the planes as I can, which is hard in an airport but I managed. Soon my Grandma’s plane pulls up at the gate and I throw my empty coffee cup into the bin. I watch all the people disembark and eventually see my Grandma. Fear grips me and I don’t move, she spots me though and runs up to me pulling me into a bone crushing hug. I break down into her arms finally letting go of all my built up emotions.
“I want them back Grandma,” I cry.
“So do I my darling, so do I,” We stand there and cry into each others arms until gradually the tears ebb. We let go of one another and look at each other, “Let’s get my bags then we can go home to your siblings,” She decides, we lead each other down to baggage claim and retrieve her bag.
*
Once we’re on the highway I thank God for the peaceful rhythm of driving. Clutch in, change gear, clutch out. So graceful and swift, just like clockwork. We arrive at my house a while later and I park. I quietly unlock the front door, let Grandma in then lock it again. I show her up to the guest room and leave her while I check on Anna and Archer. The two of them are spread out on the mattress both snoring softly. I smile and leave the door slightly open. I walk downstairs and begin making dinner.
“Frankee, what are you going to do if you stay here?” Grandma asks while she helps me cut up the vegies.
“I’ll get a job, take up the offer to play professional soccer and I’ll keep going to school,” I tell her.
“You do realise that we can’t leave Anna and Archer here with you? Even though you’re 17 now you’re not old enough to legally look after them. They need to come to our house, your Poppy and I are their legal guardians,” Grandma explains.
“I realise that, which is why I agree that they should go. Right now I need Spencer and the girls, Annie and Archie need to be surrounded by family and its best if they get out of this place, I know I can survive living here as long as I have my friends, I still need my family, but not as much as Annie and Archie do,” I explain.
“You realise we’re going to have to organise a heap of stuff to make it possible for you to stay here?” Grandma asks.
“You mean I can stay?” I ask amazed.
“Yes, but Ann and Arch will have to come to our place at the end of term. Tomorrow I will go have a meeting with your principle and begin organising everything,” Grandma tells me.
“Okay Grandma,” I sigh and return to cutting up potato, the realisation that nothing is ever going to be the same finally sinking in.
“Frances?” Denner calls after me. I ignore all of them and walk to my sister’s group. I take her by the hand and sit her at an empty picnic table, I get Archer and sit him there to. Then I explain to them what Grandma has just told me.
“Frances, I want to go but we can’t leave Sydney not til the end of term,” Archer objects.
“I agree Arch, I’m going to explain that to Grandma, and personally I don’t want to leave Sydney at all. I want to stay here with Spencer, Scott, Mark, Blythe, Aimee, Denner and the girls,” I tell them with tears streaming down my cheeks.
“I want to go home,” Anna says quietly crying.
“Same Frances,” Archer says also crying. I nod and tell them we’ll go see Mr Harvey. We walk up to the office and I explain what has happened. He agrees that we should go home and we walk to Archer’s group and get his bag, we get Anna’s then walk to my group.
“Chizz what’s going on?” Blythe asks.
“We might be moving back to Queensland,” I tell her. Blythe bursts into tears and Denner stands there in shock, “We’re going home because Grandma is coming down tonight. I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” I hug them and grab my bag and leave the school.
*
The drive home is extremely quiet the only sound comes from the car itself and outside. We pull into the driveway and walk upstairs. We walk into my room and sit on my bed. Since we had gotten home we had all been sleeping on a makeshift bed on my bedroom floor. It’s not like we don’t have the room, I mean my house is huge, it has 7 bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs, not to mentions the large kitchen, dining room, an office, a large space near the stairs another smaller bathroom and a laundry downstairs and a basement that we converted into a party room and a lot next door that acts as our backyard. The three of us just have very bad nightmares if we don’t sleep in the same room and also my bedroom is the furthest away from Mum and Dad’s room.
*
We talk for a while then eventually Anna and Archer fall asleep. At 6pm I write them a note and leave the house. I get in my car and drive to the airport, I get there with 15 minutes to spare so I buy a coffee and sit as far away from the planes as I can, which is hard in an airport but I managed. Soon my Grandma’s plane pulls up at the gate and I throw my empty coffee cup into the bin. I watch all the people disembark and eventually see my Grandma. Fear grips me and I don’t move, she spots me though and runs up to me pulling me into a bone crushing hug. I break down into her arms finally letting go of all my built up emotions.
“I want them back Grandma,” I cry.
“So do I my darling, so do I,” We stand there and cry into each others arms until gradually the tears ebb. We let go of one another and look at each other, “Let’s get my bags then we can go home to your siblings,” She decides, we lead each other down to baggage claim and retrieve her bag.
*
Once we’re on the highway I thank God for the peaceful rhythm of driving. Clutch in, change gear, clutch out. So graceful and swift, just like clockwork. We arrive at my house a while later and I park. I quietly unlock the front door, let Grandma in then lock it again. I show her up to the guest room and leave her while I check on Anna and Archer. The two of them are spread out on the mattress both snoring softly. I smile and leave the door slightly open. I walk downstairs and begin making dinner.
“Frankee, what are you going to do if you stay here?” Grandma asks while she helps me cut up the vegies.
“I’ll get a job, take up the offer to play professional soccer and I’ll keep going to school,” I tell her.
“You do realise that we can’t leave Anna and Archer here with you? Even though you’re 17 now you’re not old enough to legally look after them. They need to come to our house, your Poppy and I are their legal guardians,” Grandma explains.
“I realise that, which is why I agree that they should go. Right now I need Spencer and the girls, Annie and Archie need to be surrounded by family and its best if they get out of this place, I know I can survive living here as long as I have my friends, I still need my family, but not as much as Annie and Archie do,” I explain.
“You realise we’re going to have to organise a heap of stuff to make it possible for you to stay here?” Grandma asks.
“You mean I can stay?” I ask amazed.
“Yes, but Ann and Arch will have to come to our place at the end of term. Tomorrow I will go have a meeting with your principle and begin organising everything,” Grandma tells me.
“Okay Grandma,” I sigh and return to cutting up potato, the realisation that nothing is ever going to be the same finally sinking in.