Working On Life, chapter 1
<p>As the car slowly pulled up to the house, the little girl sighed. The ride had been long, monotonous and silent. Yet, this was not strange to the man who drove the car. He had tried to make a conversation with the eleven-year old, but she was in no mood to talk. Her eyes, normally looking into the world with an unmatched curiosity, were dull and the questions she always asked about everything she saw remained absent. The driver had given her a comic album to read when they left Washington, but she hadn't touched it for all those hours. She had only mumbled, almost whispered, a 'thank you'. </p>
<p>For, no matter what had happened to her, she would always be polite to people who treated her nice and whom she respected. That is how she was raised by her parents and everyone was always charmed by her. With her blond hair, green eyes, flecked with yellow and curious nature, people were always smiling and looking lovingly at her. And she made her parents proud. She wasn't a goody-two-shoes, her friends had kept her from that. Not that an eleven year old girl could do much damage, but she balanced the line perfectly. She was happy when everyone around her was smiling. </p>
<p>But not today, this rainy, clouded and gray December afternoon. Today, she couldn't care less. The people who could always make her smile were not in the car with her. They were not in the house she had just arrived at, they were not in the house she left the day before. Neither were they anywhere she could touch, them or see them. Not ever again. They were only left in her mind and heart, and on a cemetery in Washington. </p>
<p>Never would she be able to kiss her brother goodnight again, after he had chased her down. Never would she be able to play a game with her Dad, never would she be able to bake cookies with her Mom again. <br /> Never would she give a playful punch to her Brother again after he had mocked her. Never would she be mad at her Dad again because he had beaten her yet again at the card game. Never would she be scolded by her mother again for spreading the cookie-dough all over the kitchen again. </p>
<p>Tears sprang to her eyes as she realised all of this. It had yet to sink in. She remembered being woken at eleven o'clock that night. She had just went to bed when the nanny woke her up. Monica, as she was called, was all shook up. She, still groggy from the sleep, did not know what was going on but was getting worried when she noticed the tears in Monica's eyes. Monica did not tell her what was wrong, she just ushered her to get dressed as quickly as possible. <br /> She obeyed, not wanting to upset her nanny even more. Then, she was taken to the hospital, she asked Monica is her parents were going to be there to. At that comment, Monica broke down and parked the car they had been driving in on the side of the road. And there, on the hard shoulder, she was told the horrible news. At 23:57, 13th December, the little girl was told by her teary-eyed nanny that both her parents and her brother had been killed in a car accident. Monica kept talking about the how's and who's and where's, but she did not hear any of it. Her world had just crumbled. The people who made her world were gone. They had just gone out to a school meeting for her brother, who was 3 years older. She had stayed home, she was left home, for she would have been bored there. She did not mind, it was not her place to be, she knew that. But now she wished she had been in the car, instead of being left out, forced to leave her friends and home behind and being dragged across the country to Willits, California. </p>
<p>Yes, she was now to live with her uncle, her mother's brother, whom she had met a couple of times. He had always been nice to her and told a lot of jokes. At least, that's how she remembered him from two years ago, the last time she saw him before the funeral two days ago. He was a good guy, but at the moment, good did not cut it for her. She was lonely, sad, angry and to top it of scared. Here she was, starting a new life in a different world, because her old one had broken down before her. <br /> "Caroline?" She snappesd out of her thoughts. "Sweetie, we're here. It's time to get out of the car." <br />
She nodded and grabbed the comic book, and opened her door. When she stepped out of the car, she shivered, but soon she was greeted with a warm hug. <br /> "Hi Lin, come on, let's get you inside, 'kay?" Her Uncle walked her inside while the driver, a friend of her parents, grabbed her bags an followed a few steps behind. </p>
<p>Caroline, or Lin as she was called, looked around for the first time that she had left home, ex-home if you please. She had to admit, it was a beautiful place, secluded, calm, simple. High up in the mountains. She followed her Uncle in to the kitchen where she sat at the table. <br /> "Do you want anything to drink? Hot coco? It'll warm you up a bit." Caroline nodded again, she was in no mood to talk yet. The driver had left her luggage in the hallway and entered the kitchen as well. He sat across from Lin as her Uncle proceeded making the coco. <br /> "Larry, could you make me some too. I'll just have a drink and then I'm gonna head back to Washington. Is hat okay with you?" The question was not only diected to Larry, as her Uncle was named, he was also checking with Lin. Although he did not know her too well, he fully understood her. <br /> "Sure Bob, you don't wanna stay here too long, it'll start to get dark in a few hours as well, so it'd be best if ya left soon. Lin and I will start unpacking when you've left, right Lin?" Larry spoke as he placed the damping mugs on the table. <br /> Lin nodded and warmed her hands by cupping the coco. After they had drank in silence, Lin decided to stop being stubborn and at last say something. As Bob stood by the door, Lin spoke up. <br />"Bob?" <br /> "Yeah, kiddo?" <br /> "Thanks for diving me here." <br /> "Anytime, Lin, anytime" He spoke as he hugged her. <br /> "Remember, don't let all of this get you down, 'kay? It hurts now, but you're a strong girl and I'm sure that everything will turn out fine. If there ever is anything, remember that I'll always be there. Your Daddy was always so proud of you and I'll make sure that nothing will happen to his little girl even if I'm on the other side of the country. And Uncle Larry will take care of you, yeah? So keep your head up and look where you're going, that way you'll always see the bright side of the world." <br /> He gave her a last hug and kissed her forehead. <br /> "Bye Bob." Lin said has she saw the last part of her old life drive away. Not for good, but for a long time. </p>
<p>"Come on Lin, let's go to you're room. We'll just get you settled in for the night and tomorrow we'll decide on what you wanna do with it." Larry grabbed her bags and walked up the stairs, with Lin following in his trail. <br /> The room was normal sized, bland and light. A standard guest room. Lin understood. Her Uncle was not prepared for this. As far as she knew, he had never been married or had kids, so this had to be a big change for him too. <br /> "Uncle Larry?" <br /> "Hmm?" <br /> "Is it okay if I'll just go to bed now? I'm really tired." <br /> "Of course Sweetie, we'll just see what tomorrow brings." <br />
He hugged and kissed her goodnight. <br /> "And if you ever get lonely or wanna talk, my room is across the hall. I'm so sorry for what has happened, you don't deserve this and I know I'll never replace your parents, but I'm here for you. I don't want you to see me as your Daddy, see me as Larry. Us two, were gonna make the best out of this and we'll get you smiling again, 'cause your face is to pretty to be in sad-mode all the time." <br /> Lin chuckled, and sniffed. <br />
"Hey, hey, your Mommy used laugh at that too when I cheered her up. Now, let's get you to bed, shall we?" <br /> Lin nodded first, but then decided otherwise. <br /> "Can I sleep in your room tonight, it's just, you remind me of my Mommy and.. -"<br /> "Yes, Lin, of course that's alright." <br />
And with that they crosses the room and she climbed in the bed. She did think Larry looked a lot like her Mom, he even smelled a bit like her. And for the first time in days, she fell asleep without that horrible feeling of lonleness. </p>
<p>For, no matter what had happened to her, she would always be polite to people who treated her nice and whom she respected. That is how she was raised by her parents and everyone was always charmed by her. With her blond hair, green eyes, flecked with yellow and curious nature, people were always smiling and looking lovingly at her. And she made her parents proud. She wasn't a goody-two-shoes, her friends had kept her from that. Not that an eleven year old girl could do much damage, but she balanced the line perfectly. She was happy when everyone around her was smiling. </p>
<p>But not today, this rainy, clouded and gray December afternoon. Today, she couldn't care less. The people who could always make her smile were not in the car with her. They were not in the house she had just arrived at, they were not in the house she left the day before. Neither were they anywhere she could touch, them or see them. Not ever again. They were only left in her mind and heart, and on a cemetery in Washington. </p>
<p>Never would she be able to kiss her brother goodnight again, after he had chased her down. Never would she be able to play a game with her Dad, never would she be able to bake cookies with her Mom again. <br /> Never would she give a playful punch to her Brother again after he had mocked her. Never would she be mad at her Dad again because he had beaten her yet again at the card game. Never would she be scolded by her mother again for spreading the cookie-dough all over the kitchen again. </p>
<p>Tears sprang to her eyes as she realised all of this. It had yet to sink in. She remembered being woken at eleven o'clock that night. She had just went to bed when the nanny woke her up. Monica, as she was called, was all shook up. She, still groggy from the sleep, did not know what was going on but was getting worried when she noticed the tears in Monica's eyes. Monica did not tell her what was wrong, she just ushered her to get dressed as quickly as possible. <br /> She obeyed, not wanting to upset her nanny even more. Then, she was taken to the hospital, she asked Monica is her parents were going to be there to. At that comment, Monica broke down and parked the car they had been driving in on the side of the road. And there, on the hard shoulder, she was told the horrible news. At 23:57, 13th December, the little girl was told by her teary-eyed nanny that both her parents and her brother had been killed in a car accident. Monica kept talking about the how's and who's and where's, but she did not hear any of it. Her world had just crumbled. The people who made her world were gone. They had just gone out to a school meeting for her brother, who was 3 years older. She had stayed home, she was left home, for she would have been bored there. She did not mind, it was not her place to be, she knew that. But now she wished she had been in the car, instead of being left out, forced to leave her friends and home behind and being dragged across the country to Willits, California. </p>
<p>Yes, she was now to live with her uncle, her mother's brother, whom she had met a couple of times. He had always been nice to her and told a lot of jokes. At least, that's how she remembered him from two years ago, the last time she saw him before the funeral two days ago. He was a good guy, but at the moment, good did not cut it for her. She was lonely, sad, angry and to top it of scared. Here she was, starting a new life in a different world, because her old one had broken down before her. <br /> "Caroline?" She snappesd out of her thoughts. "Sweetie, we're here. It's time to get out of the car." <br />
She nodded and grabbed the comic book, and opened her door. When she stepped out of the car, she shivered, but soon she was greeted with a warm hug. <br /> "Hi Lin, come on, let's get you inside, 'kay?" Her Uncle walked her inside while the driver, a friend of her parents, grabbed her bags an followed a few steps behind. </p>
<p>Caroline, or Lin as she was called, looked around for the first time that she had left home, ex-home if you please. She had to admit, it was a beautiful place, secluded, calm, simple. High up in the mountains. She followed her Uncle in to the kitchen where she sat at the table. <br /> "Do you want anything to drink? Hot coco? It'll warm you up a bit." Caroline nodded again, she was in no mood to talk yet. The driver had left her luggage in the hallway and entered the kitchen as well. He sat across from Lin as her Uncle proceeded making the coco. <br /> "Larry, could you make me some too. I'll just have a drink and then I'm gonna head back to Washington. Is hat okay with you?" The question was not only diected to Larry, as her Uncle was named, he was also checking with Lin. Although he did not know her too well, he fully understood her. <br /> "Sure Bob, you don't wanna stay here too long, it'll start to get dark in a few hours as well, so it'd be best if ya left soon. Lin and I will start unpacking when you've left, right Lin?" Larry spoke as he placed the damping mugs on the table. <br /> Lin nodded and warmed her hands by cupping the coco. After they had drank in silence, Lin decided to stop being stubborn and at last say something. As Bob stood by the door, Lin spoke up. <br />"Bob?" <br /> "Yeah, kiddo?" <br /> "Thanks for diving me here." <br /> "Anytime, Lin, anytime" He spoke as he hugged her. <br /> "Remember, don't let all of this get you down, 'kay? It hurts now, but you're a strong girl and I'm sure that everything will turn out fine. If there ever is anything, remember that I'll always be there. Your Daddy was always so proud of you and I'll make sure that nothing will happen to his little girl even if I'm on the other side of the country. And Uncle Larry will take care of you, yeah? So keep your head up and look where you're going, that way you'll always see the bright side of the world." <br /> He gave her a last hug and kissed her forehead. <br /> "Bye Bob." Lin said has she saw the last part of her old life drive away. Not for good, but for a long time. </p>
<p>"Come on Lin, let's go to you're room. We'll just get you settled in for the night and tomorrow we'll decide on what you wanna do with it." Larry grabbed her bags and walked up the stairs, with Lin following in his trail. <br /> The room was normal sized, bland and light. A standard guest room. Lin understood. Her Uncle was not prepared for this. As far as she knew, he had never been married or had kids, so this had to be a big change for him too. <br /> "Uncle Larry?" <br /> "Hmm?" <br /> "Is it okay if I'll just go to bed now? I'm really tired." <br /> "Of course Sweetie, we'll just see what tomorrow brings." <br />
He hugged and kissed her goodnight. <br /> "And if you ever get lonely or wanna talk, my room is across the hall. I'm so sorry for what has happened, you don't deserve this and I know I'll never replace your parents, but I'm here for you. I don't want you to see me as your Daddy, see me as Larry. Us two, were gonna make the best out of this and we'll get you smiling again, 'cause your face is to pretty to be in sad-mode all the time." <br /> Lin chuckled, and sniffed. <br />
"Hey, hey, your Mommy used laugh at that too when I cheered her up. Now, let's get you to bed, shall we?" <br /> Lin nodded first, but then decided otherwise. <br /> "Can I sleep in your room tonight, it's just, you remind me of my Mommy and.. -"<br /> "Yes, Lin, of course that's alright." <br />
And with that they crosses the room and she climbed in the bed. She did think Larry looked a lot like her Mom, he even smelled a bit like her. And for the first time in days, she fell asleep without that horrible feeling of lonleness. </p>
