Turnabout Home

'But I want to go back to California,' a sad little Miles said.

'You can't and you won't. This is your new home now, in Germany. Do not act rebellious with me, do you think your father would approve of your attitude?!' Manfred von Karma said, sounding very threatening.

'N-no, sir.' Miles looked down, staring at the ground.

'Good, now come in.' Manfred von Karma opened the front door of the big detached brick house. Miles walked in and stopped. What did he hear? Was it a crying little child? 'Come on, hurry. You don't want me to stand here in the cold, do you?' Little Miles walked into the hallway. 'Give me your jacket, Miles.' Miles did what he was told and handed his jacket to Manfred, who hung it on the peg. A woman entered the hallway. She held the hand of a little girl.

'You must be Miles Edgeworth, isn't it?' She said and smiled. Miles nodded.

'Y-yes, madam.'

'Lea, please take care of him for me. I need to rest. It has been very busy,' Manfred said and touched his shoulder.

'Of course, Mr. von Karma.' She took Miles his little hand too and lead him and the girl to a small room next to the living room.

'Are you his wife, Mrs. Von Karma?' Miles asked and looked up. She laughed.

'No, I'm Lea, the maid. I have been taking care of everything in this household for a few years now.' She sat down on a chair and took the little girl on her lap. 'This is Franziska, she's two years old.' He looked at the girl. 'She's your sister now.' Lea smiled to the little boy.

'Where is Franziska's mother?' Miles asked. There was a silence and Lea sighed. 'Sorry for asking, I will not ask again,' he said softly and felt guilty. He focussed his eyes on the ground.

'No need to feel guilty about it, Miles.' She stroked his head. 'She and Mr. von Karma divorced and she took her other older daughter with her. I was already working here. It was quite sad.' Miles nodded, he could understand it was sad. But Franziska has an older sister? 'Are you hungry? I will get you some dinner now.'

'Yes, please,' he answered and sat down at the table. Franziska sat on the opposite side in her small chair, watching him with curiosity.

'Tomorrow, your private teacher will come to give you your lessons, such as history and math.' Lea put the cutlery on the table.

'Are they in German? The lessons I mean,' he asked her.

'Unfortunately for you, yes. According to Mr. Von Karma, there is no perfect teacher nearby who can explain everything in English. '

'But I can't speak German!' Miles said. He was confused.

'Don't worry, you will get used to it very fast. Mr. Von Karma said you must learn German since you will live in this country. He ordered me to speak German to you, starting from tomorrow onwards.' She handed him a plate with some vegetables, meat and potatoes.

'Thank you, Ms. Lea.'

'Want some lemonade, Miles?' she showed him a bottle with juice.

'Yes, please,' he said after swallowing a bite of food.

'Before you came, I finished preparing your room. Your stuff is already there.' She sat down next to Franziska. The girl looked Lea in the eyes. 'When she's looking like that, it means she wants something. What do you want, Franziska?' The girl grinned and looked at Miles.

'Miles!' she said and pointed her finger towards him, like she was raising an objection.

'Haha, I think I know what she wants. I guess she wants you to tell more about yourself. She is very intelligent, she knows what you are talking about when you speak.' Miles looked again at the innocent girl.

'She does?!'

'Yes, so tell me, how old are you?' Lea smiled at him while talking.

'I'm nine years old,' he answered, showing nine fingers to make it a bit clear for Franziska.

'That's seven years older than you, Franziska. You're two.' Lea hold up two fingers.

'Two!' the girl said with enthusiasm.

'What are your hobbies, Miles?'

'I like to read and to play the flute,' he answered. Lea asked some more questions, while waiting for the boy to finish his dinner.

Suddenly, the big grandfather clock in the room rang.

'Oh, look at the time. It's time for you to go to dreamland, little girl. Maybe you can look at your room the same time, Miles. Are you coming with me?' Lea proposed.

'Yes, Ms. Lea.' Miles followed the maid upstairs.

'Just make yourself feel at home. It is your home now,' she winked and took Franziska with her to the room next to Miles his room.

Miles examined and looked around. In his room, there was a bed next to the wall. On the other side of the wall, there was a cupboard. Under a painting with flowers, there was a little desk. It looked quite fancy and expensive.

With all his strength, he pulled the suitcase to the middle of the room and got some things out. There it was. A photo frame with a photo of his father and himself.

While Mr. Von Karma was ordering the removal contractors around in the house of the Edgeworths, he found this in the trash bin. Of course Miles wanted to keep it and without Mr. Von Karma knowing, he put it in his suitcase. Miles took the photo frame in his hands and walked to the window.

'Here, now you can see where I am.' Miles put the photo frame on the window sill, walked to his bed, sat down and looked at it. 'I miss you, father,' he whispered. He felt a bit lonely here, but he knew that he liked Lea already. Miles didn't really like little children. Just like other small children, Franziska almost couldn't speak. But he would be fine. He laid down on the bed, still looking at the photo. 'I will do my best to be just like you. Don't worry, father.' Miles yawned. I will try to rest now, tomorrow I need to do my best with the lessons! he thought. Little Miles felt tired, it was likely caused by the jetlag. He closed his eyes and fell asleep really quickly.