Part I
Always wise beyong her years, six year old Katy gazed into her mothers eyes with full understanding. She understood that her mother and her would have to move halfway across the world for Mommys job. Katy didnt want to leave behind her friends and the life she knew so well, but she knew she should show no negative feelings, as her mother felt bad enough already about having to do this. "Katy, Auntie Asha is comign as well, along with Erica." Her mother knew these words would lighten Katys spirits, as Auntie Asha was her beloved favourite aunt, and Erica was her daughter, although three years older than Katy, Katys best friend, and cousin, Katy insisted that the age difference meant nothing to the girls. The two would have sleepovers, and stay up late into the night talking about the meaning of life, and Erica and Katy would talk about girlish fantasies as well. Once Katys mother Lia, awakened in the night and heard the two girls whispering, she heard Katy say When I get Married I want to arrive in a hot pink car, in the rain, outside."as Erica whispered in agreement, Lia knew her daughter was above avgerage.
"Think of it this way sweetie, you and Erica can sit together on the plane, and you can still have sleepovers in Australia." Katy looked thoutful for a minute then asked, "Mommy, whats Australia like?" "I Dont know sweetie," Katys mother responded honestly. Katy knew it was time to end the discussion. "Im going to bed now mom, I love you," Katy kissed her mother on the cheek, and ran down the hallway of thier ranch stlye home in a small town in Quebec. Katy had been raised speaking English just as often as French, and she wouldnt have it any other way. Katy and Erica were both homeschooled, Not together, but sometimes, on days when the girls were being good, Asha would bring over Erica and the girls would study together, although Katy should have been in her second year of kindergarten, she had passed all the tests third graders were required to take, so Katy and Erica were both fourth graders. One of the main reasons Katy was homeschooled, a six year old in a class of nine and ten year olds would be too emotionally straining for her, especially if she started high school when she was merely nine. Lia and Asha, who had been miserable in public schools, had made the joint decision to homeschool thier daughters. Lia and Asha had been much like Katy and Erica, except they were real sisters. They had been best friends, and they were only 10 months apart, so they were in the same grade, they grew up learing everything from each other and eventually they both married men in the military. Their husbands, and Erica and Katys fahers, did not live with them, for they were in training camps in Africa.
Katy awoke the next morning bright and early. Her mother hadnt' mentioned when they would be moving but she felt she should start packing, so there would be less work for her mother. But instead of packing, she tiptoed down the hardwood floored hallway to her mothers room, and got into the big bed with the white down comforter Katy knew so well. She lay next to her mother and wept. She loved her home, she didn't want to leave. As Lia soothed her young daughter she felt like the could cry herself. "Shh sweetie, its gonna be okay," Lias eyes were full of dismay, the last thing she wanted was to move half-way around the world, away from the country she knew so well. But she knew this was something she had to do. "Mommy, what exactly IS your job?" Katy looked up at her mom curiously, and Lia realized that her daughter had never asked this before, she felt it odd that her own daughter did not know her occupation. Lia looked into her daughters searching eyes and said, "Mommy does the paperwork for an airplane company, she fills out lots of forms and stuff like that." It wasn't important, Lia's job, but Katy wanted to know what her mommy did for a living. "May I come to work with you sometime?" Katy asked her mother, and Lia smiled "Sure honey, anytime." Katy slowly got up, and as she was leaving her mothers room she asked "Mommy, when are we leaving?" Lia knew the dreaded question was coming "1 week from tomorrow, pack your things anf pick out 5 outfits for until the trip. I love you Katy." Katy looked at her mother and tried not to cry. "Yes Mommy." As Katy disappeared from the room, Lia blinked back tears. She didn't know what to do, so she did what she always did when she was in trouble, She called her big sister. The phone rang seven times before Lia got the answering machine. "Darn!" Lia muttered to herself, but she dragged herself out of bed, got dressed and brushed her hair. In her long white skirt and white sleeveless shirt, she knew the weather today would be warm. As she stepped out of her bedroom she laughed, seeing Katy sitting on the floor of the hallway, with all her toys lined up against the wall, she was telling them all that they would be packed away for awhile, but she promised not to leave them. Then, one by one, Katy brushed the barbies hair, gave them nice clothes, kissed them on the foreheads and packed them into the box. All her other toys one by one, she hugged them and said goodbye. She carefully selected four dolls to keep with her until they arrived in Australia.
Always wise beyong her years, six year old Katy gazed into her mothers eyes with full understanding. She understood that her mother and her would have to move halfway across the world for Mommys job. Katy didnt want to leave behind her friends and the life she knew so well, but she knew she should show no negative feelings, as her mother felt bad enough already about having to do this. "Katy, Auntie Asha is comign as well, along with Erica." Her mother knew these words would lighten Katys spirits, as Auntie Asha was her beloved favourite aunt, and Erica was her daughter, although three years older than Katy, Katys best friend, and cousin, Katy insisted that the age difference meant nothing to the girls. The two would have sleepovers, and stay up late into the night talking about the meaning of life, and Erica and Katy would talk about girlish fantasies as well. Once Katys mother Lia, awakened in the night and heard the two girls whispering, she heard Katy say When I get Married I want to arrive in a hot pink car, in the rain, outside."as Erica whispered in agreement, Lia knew her daughter was above avgerage.
"Think of it this way sweetie, you and Erica can sit together on the plane, and you can still have sleepovers in Australia." Katy looked thoutful for a minute then asked, "Mommy, whats Australia like?" "I Dont know sweetie," Katys mother responded honestly. Katy knew it was time to end the discussion. "Im going to bed now mom, I love you," Katy kissed her mother on the cheek, and ran down the hallway of thier ranch stlye home in a small town in Quebec. Katy had been raised speaking English just as often as French, and she wouldnt have it any other way. Katy and Erica were both homeschooled, Not together, but sometimes, on days when the girls were being good, Asha would bring over Erica and the girls would study together, although Katy should have been in her second year of kindergarten, she had passed all the tests third graders were required to take, so Katy and Erica were both fourth graders. One of the main reasons Katy was homeschooled, a six year old in a class of nine and ten year olds would be too emotionally straining for her, especially if she started high school when she was merely nine. Lia and Asha, who had been miserable in public schools, had made the joint decision to homeschool thier daughters. Lia and Asha had been much like Katy and Erica, except they were real sisters. They had been best friends, and they were only 10 months apart, so they were in the same grade, they grew up learing everything from each other and eventually they both married men in the military. Their husbands, and Erica and Katys fahers, did not live with them, for they were in training camps in Africa.
Katy awoke the next morning bright and early. Her mother hadnt' mentioned when they would be moving but she felt she should start packing, so there would be less work for her mother. But instead of packing, she tiptoed down the hardwood floored hallway to her mothers room, and got into the big bed with the white down comforter Katy knew so well. She lay next to her mother and wept. She loved her home, she didn't want to leave. As Lia soothed her young daughter she felt like the could cry herself. "Shh sweetie, its gonna be okay," Lias eyes were full of dismay, the last thing she wanted was to move half-way around the world, away from the country she knew so well. But she knew this was something she had to do. "Mommy, what exactly IS your job?" Katy looked up at her mom curiously, and Lia realized that her daughter had never asked this before, she felt it odd that her own daughter did not know her occupation. Lia looked into her daughters searching eyes and said, "Mommy does the paperwork for an airplane company, she fills out lots of forms and stuff like that." It wasn't important, Lia's job, but Katy wanted to know what her mommy did for a living. "May I come to work with you sometime?" Katy asked her mother, and Lia smiled "Sure honey, anytime." Katy slowly got up, and as she was leaving her mothers room she asked "Mommy, when are we leaving?" Lia knew the dreaded question was coming "1 week from tomorrow, pack your things anf pick out 5 outfits for until the trip. I love you Katy." Katy looked at her mother and tried not to cry. "Yes Mommy." As Katy disappeared from the room, Lia blinked back tears. She didn't know what to do, so she did what she always did when she was in trouble, She called her big sister. The phone rang seven times before Lia got the answering machine. "Darn!" Lia muttered to herself, but she dragged herself out of bed, got dressed and brushed her hair. In her long white skirt and white sleeveless shirt, she knew the weather today would be warm. As she stepped out of her bedroom she laughed, seeing Katy sitting on the floor of the hallway, with all her toys lined up against the wall, she was telling them all that they would be packed away for awhile, but she promised not to leave them. Then, one by one, Katy brushed the barbies hair, gave them nice clothes, kissed them on the foreheads and packed them into the box. All her other toys one by one, she hugged them and said goodbye. She carefully selected four dolls to keep with her until they arrived in Australia.