"Once upon a time, there was this girl…" My brother said, his facial expression so serious.
"Wait, hold up. What do you think am I, ten?" I asked him smiling. Seriously, who starts like that anymore it's not like we are in the stone age period. But he is always like that, if I don't stop him he always goes on.
He will make sure he continues with whenever the story goes in line with, once upon a time...
"Okay, you remember that day? You were like mommy please, put me down." He said throwing his hands up showing exactly how I was like that day. He was looking at me while talking, I wasn't sure how he was even walking without tripping on a stone or something on the road, or getting pushed by a passerby who is busy wherever they were going.
"Shut up I didn't, I wasn't doing that," I said to him jokingly, he was loving it.
"You were, I remember dad coming to you. You thought he was going to take you down, but no, he was just rubbing its neck." He said laughing harder.
People were looking at us weirdly, but neither of us cared. They could all think what they want I am having fun with my beloved brother.
"I wished I had a camera that day. I could have taken a video you should have seen your face" My brother continued his story not bothering from the people's eyes.
I love him so much, even if he always loves to repeat the story over and over, "Hey, don't joke about that. It was so high, and both of you were laughing at me." I told him remembering how much I don't like the idea of riding the horses.
My brother is my true crime partner, we are always together. He is loving and caring, and what I always like about him is he still treats me as his baby sister. Even if I am all grown, I like it.
"Come on, it wasn't like it was a mountain or the top of a ten-storey building. It was only a horse."
Okay, a horse really. I think I was still young, it was far yes. I could look down and see that I wasn't going to get down, but maybe it was just my small legs. But am sure that day I looked like someone ready to fly, off to the moon so long as the horse wasn't behind me.
I knew I wasn't going to win that, or even make him change the subject. The memory was too good, and he always love it. Whenever we are all together, maybe eating my brother always makes sure to bring the story, always.
Our parents, especially our father is always number one to support Brandon and start to explain how I looked that day.
"We have been telling you, face your fears. Be like…"
"I don't want to listen to that now." I had to cut him off before he finished the sentence, I knew how the sentence was going to end. I have heard several times.
Face your fears,
Be strong.
Go get a horse.
Ride off into the sunset.
"Fine, let me go to the toilet." My brother said he knew I wasn't going to listen to him talk about that. It has even become a mantra.
"No, let's go back home. Call the driver to come and pick us up."
"My God, you think what, I am never coming back? Come one, I will be fast. My favorite sister."
"I am your only sister."
"And you love me."
"Okay, be quick."
"Of course, love you. Always." He pecked me on the cheek and left.
I looked back at him as he walked then took a corner. I could see people nearby looking at me and all I wanted to yell at them was yes, that is my brother.
I smiled and shook my head. Remembering I was still standing I began walking slowly, scrolling my phone checking on the pictures we had taken of each other earlier before we left for this walk. I was all smiling people and the passer-by was wondered if I was a lunatic.
I kept on walking then as if my heart as its mind skipped. I looked at my phone and found it has passed twenty minutes since my brother left for the toilet. I stood there not knowing what to do, five minutes passed and I turned and went back to where he had pecked me and left.
I stood there a bit and still no sign of him. I decided to go to follow the path where I had seen him go but it turned out to be a dead end. I returned to the exact spot he had left me and texted him to come to meet me. At the rate I was sending texts it was alarming, I was beginning to panic.
I walked now hurriedly to the place I had arrived thinking he was there, I was wrong. I thought maybe he had passed me but he wouldn't have. I could have received a text from him asking me where I was.
I stood there and turned back again, my heart was racing, sweats were starting to form on my body. I was almost in full panic mode, and to say the truth the way I wanted to scream earlier to people and tell them that was my brother didn't sound appealing anymore. I looked like someone who lost their mind, completely.
I went back and texted my brother asking him to meet me at the same place he had pecked me, I don't know why I am going back to the pecking but that is what gave me some hope and push back the anxiety I was feeling coming.
I stood and looked around. I spotted a woman near the road selling her sweets, I head towards her. She was facing the opposite side so I tapped her lightly on her shoulder.
"Excuse me, hi, have you seen my brother?" I asked and showed her his picture.
She turned and said, "No I haven't…." She turned before completing her sentence, I tapped her again.
"What?" I asked.
"Hey lady I said I haven't seen him." She told me angrily and turned back to arrange her things.