Dublin, Ireland
April 16, 1983
Sienna:
"Braylen why did Ma go to Heaben" 6 year old Sienna asked her twin brother.
"It's Heaven Enna" he corrected his sister.
Braylen Jaymes was the older twin by 5 minutes. His younger twin, Sienna Ariel weighed only 2 pounds when she was born and because of this she was and always would be considerably smaller than her brother. But Sienna was smart as a whip and could put any adult to shame with her knowledge.
"You didn't answer my question Braylen" Sienna pointed out.
"God wanted her to be an angel Enna don't you remember Ma telling us that before she died"
"Braylen why do we have to go to America ... I don't wanna leave Ireland"
"Because our Da lives in America" Braylen said.
"We have a Da?" Sienna asked wrinkling her nose.
"Yes stupid we have a Da, everyone has one"
Sienna sniffled and contemplated kicking Braylen in his shin but she didn't dare to in fear of him leaving her too.
"Why can't we stay here" Sienna asked digging her foot a little into the floor to make a point.
"Because we are too young to take care of ourselves"
Tears began to form in Sienna's grey eyes, "I'm scared and I miss Ma"
"I miss her too" Braylen hugged his sister and rubbed her back till she fell asleep against him. Then he carried her up to her little bed and tucked her in and kissed her forehead.
"I'll never let anything happen to you I promise" Braylen vowed before retiring to his own room.
But Braylen couldn't sleep, he was too nervous about going on the ship tomorrow. He had never left his native Ireland. He wondered what America would be like, also what would his father be like? Would he even want to deal with two 6 year old twins? Why had he never met his father and why only after his mother died did he learn he had one? So many questions left unanswered, he shifted a little in bed and forced his mind to clear itself.
"It'll be fine" he said to himself.
If only he could get himself to believe it.
