"Mom, tell Oliver to mind his business" a blonde haired girl with sea blue eyes, tall, very tall and slender shouted while running down the stairs. A tall boy who looks to be a head taller than the girl, same eyes, same face, same lips, same everything sprinted after her down the stairs. The girl ran into the kitchen and hugged from behind a tall slender woman with blonde hair, who was busy cooking in the kitchen.
The woman turned and glared at the boy who stopped at the door and grinned. The girl who was hiding behind her mother stuck her tongue out to him while he grinned again, mouthing 'I will get you' "what's wrong with you Oliver, why can't you let your sister be?" The woman asked.
"Mom, I didn't come into this world alone so how can I let her be? Besides, as a good older brother that I am, it is my responsibility to make sure she is always smiling" the boy now identified as Oliver replied while taking a pear from the fruit basket on the table, he turned and raised his eyebrow at the girl hiding behind their mother "I'm I right baby sis?"
"I am not a baby, for crying out loud, you are only older than me with two minutes. Two minutes!" She showed him her two fingers to support her claim "when are you going to get that into your thick skull?"
Oliver chuckled "two minutes, one minute, one second, it doesn't change the fact that I saw the doctor's face before you and breathed in the earth's air first. So you see, you will always be my baby sis" he clicked his tongue.
Olivia rolled her eyes and left her mother's back which was her hideout and approached her smiling brother, she looked at him from head to toe and grinned "very soon people won't believe that anymore."
"Believe what?" Oliver frowned before getting a hold of what she was hinting at "dream on, you will never be taller than me."
"Haha, look! You are only a head taller now, very soon, it won't even be up to an inch" she grinned.
Oliver wanted to retort but he doesn't know what to say, truthfully, his sister is really growing fast. Back when they were younger, people believed she won't be half as tall as him because she appeared to have a stunt growth but then, three years ago, she sprung up like a baby tree who has been denied water for a while and finally got a hold on some. Surprising not only him but people who saw them together again "what did you feed her when I wasn't around mom? Fertilizer?" He grinned and Olivia winced.
"Shut up Oliver. If I feed your sister fertilizer, won't you be the first to kill me?" Their mother asked not really paying attention in their bickering, they are always like that and she has grown immune to it. People who doesn't know better will think they hate each other to the bones but in truth, they don't joke with one another and can hardly stay without the other, they love each other so much and are hardly separable.
"Yea right. Maybe..." Oliver was saying when the phone rang and he left to answer it. Olivia decided to help her mother in the kitchen while she listened to the muffled sound of Oliver's reply to whoever was on the phone.
"When are you resuming work?" Mirabelle asked her daughter.
"Monday."
"Why Monday, haven't you finished your exams?"
Olivia chuckled "well, I told my boss I will be writing my last paper on Friday" she grinned.
Mirabelle shook her head unbelievably "when are you going to stop your deception Olivia? You should be lucky you got such a nice job before graduating and they even gave you leave to finish your final papers and yet you still lied to them."
"Come on mom, I just wanted to spend some more time with you before returning to my busy schedule" she smiled and kissed her mother's cheek.
Mirabelle smiled, she knew her daughter did it for her. Sometimes she often wish her and her brother will return to their teens so that she could spend more time with them but sadly, they are already twenty one this year but still, she is happy for them "I just don't want you to lose your job dear."
"I know" Olivia smiled, she wanted to say something more but Oliver walked back into the kitchen.
"I need to go meet dad. He said I should come pick him up, something is wrong with his car" he said and the two women looked at him before nodding.
"You guys will be back before dinner right?" Mirabelle asked.
"Sure mom, I'm the one driving" Oliver grinned and Olivia rolled her eyes.
"I will not tell you again to mind how you drive" she said.
"Your sister is right Oliver, you need to take it easy with the speed, you..." Mirabelle was saying when a loud thunder roared, the wind blew up the curtains and the windows rattled "looks like storm is coming."
"Uh oh, gotta go ladies. Don't want the old man greeting drenched" Oliver smiled and walked out the kitchen, his gaze first settling on his sister for a while and he smiled at her.
Olivia returned the smile and watched his leaving back, something pulled at her heartstring and she felt goosebumps, she shivered and looked out the window "getting cold already."
"Go get a jacket then" Mirabelle said and she left for her room, she heard the sound of Oliver's truck coming to life and leaving the driveway before she made it to her room.
Olivia and Mirabelle sat in the living room while waiting for the other two of their family members to return, it's been two hours already and the rain had started pouring for about an hour and thirty minutes after blowing strong wind for thirty minutes. They were getting worried, the men of the house should have been back by now unless if they are waiting for the rain to stop. Olivia was feeling extremely cold and she wondered why. She has already downed on her jacket but it seems like she was cold inside her body. She stood up from the chair and peered at the driveway through the window but there was no coming headlamp's lights. She sighed and walked back to the sofa and sat down.
Seconds ticked by turning into minutes and before long, another hour passed. Olivia was getting restless and moreover she couldn't understand the strange feelings she has been having. The image of Oliver's smiling face to her before leaving kept on popping in her mind. She was feeling cold, weak and scared. She can understand the cold, although the rain has stopped the night was still cold. She can understand the weak part because she had been working since morning and had been staying up for a lot of nights because of her exam which thankfully she has finished but she just can't understand the scared part, why is she scared? Why does she has the feeling of fear building up inside her? Why this touch of loneliness? She just can't understand.
The sound of a car stopping brought her back to presence, she sprung to her feet and was out the door before her mom could say a word, she just wants to see Oliver, him and no one else. Mirabelle followed her outside and they saw their father getting out of a car, they know the car, it belongs to Mr Stuart, their neighbour. Why is Mr. Stuart the one that dropped father? Where is Oliver? Olivia thought before walking out to meet them. She saw Mr. Stuart place his hand on her father's shoulder and shook his head softly and also her father's dejected figure, her brows creased, what is happening?
The fear inside her started growing fast, her heart thumping loud in her chest, goosebumps covered her body, her lips trembled and unknowingly, her fingers started to shake "da...d...dad?"
Malcolm looked at his daughter and the tears he thought had stopped came rushing down his face again, he gulped and reached out his hand to his daughter, he pulled her into his arms and sobbed on her shoulder.
Oliver felt the last strength in her go weak, what is going on? Why is her father crying and most importantly where is Oliver? Where is her brother? Her sweet, adorable brother? What is happening for crying out loud, she looked at Mr. Stuart who was standing few steps away from her her and her crying father, his head hung low and he seems to be dabbing at his eyes.
"Malcolm, where is Oliver" Mirabelle's shaky voice asked, her husband was crying and so was Mr. Stuart, her son left to pick up her husband and here he is without her boy, crying, her mind was already telling her what could have happened but her heart refused to believe it.
"Mirabelle" Malcolm muttered before reaching out for her, he hugged her tightly and silent sobs escaped his lips "Oliver, our boy...he...got into an accident...a tree broke and..." He sobbed "fell on his windscreen. Oliver, our little boy" he sniffed and covered his mouth to silent his sobs but unfortunately, he had said more than enough.
Olivia went crazy, she screamed "no! You are lying. Nothing happened to Oliver, dad you are lying."
Malcolm released his wife to grab his already crazy daughter but she slipped her hand from his and ran away from him "Stuart please."
Stuart nodded and ran after Olivia while Malcolm faced the already frozen Mirabelle in his arms "sweety."
"My boy, just this evening, he was laughing and playing with Olivia. What are you telling me Malcolm, what happened to my boy, my beautiful boy?"
"He...left us honey...to a better place. He is in a better place my love."
"No! My Oliver. My boy, my sweet boy. No! Where is my little boy Malcolm. He was at home, he was okay. You called him, you called him out. Where is my little boy Malcolm, give me back my boy please... Please...I want him back, I want my Oliver. Please Malcolm, please bring him back, bring him back to me" she slumped on the wet ground sobbing hysterically.
Malcolm knelt beside her and sobbed along "he is in a better place my love. He is in a better place."