Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Chapter 19. I Think... I Have Crazy Brothers

I watched outside the plane window. We were about to land. Everything seemed so tiny and because winter was winning summer in their battle, everything was covered under a thin layer of white thing that I did not like. I was a summer person and snow represented everything I disliked; cold. When the plane touched the runway I sighed. So this was it. I was back home. Funny, I had pictured this very differently. Most importantly I had pictured this to happen on March. I knew my whole family would be waiting for me at the airport so I was mentally preparing myself to be happy. Don't get me wrong, I was really happy to see them, but still I wish I didn't have to, not yet. When everyone else got u to get their stuff from overhead lockers, I decided to stay on my seat. It always irritated me when a plane landed and every single person on the plane wanted to be the first person to get out. So instead of joining them, I stayed put and that way I also didn't have to face Finland just yet. See, I have a theory that if you're in an airplane your not in any country. You're in a neutral no man's land. Of course I couldn't stay there for ever. As I had expected, my whole family was there. Mom, dad, Nooa, Nilkas and Kayley, my grandmas and grandpas. Lot's of hugs and kisses and me and my brothers trying to make our mom stop crying was what usually happened at our airport reunions. This was no exception. My mother was having her "I got my baby back!" moment and we just had to leave as fast as possible to avoid any more weird glares at us. Last time someone, who said he was doctor, had asked whether she needed medical help. I was driving with my brothers and Kayley.

"I know you missed me a lot, but don't you think this is a bit too much. Just break your leg so you could finally see me." Nooa was teasing.

"Ha haa. That's very funny." I said and playfully hit his shoulder.

"Hey kids, knock it off!" Niklas who was driving said in that very authoritative big brother voice.

"Is it too early to ask about him?" Kayley asked and Niklas nearly drove off the road. See my brothers, especially Niklas, were really protective over me. I hadn't told them anything about Sidney, because he actually might have flown across the Atlantic to give Sidney "the talk". ANd luckily Kayley had kept the secret.

"I don't want him to go crazy, so of course I won't tell them anything." She had said on the phone.

"There's a he?" Niklas asked in shock. I noticed how Nooa was also really tensed next to me and demanding me to answer with his stare.

"Thanks Kay!" I laughed. She gave me a fake apologetic smile. I knew that there was no way out of telling my crazy brothers. They literally were crazy. My dad had joked that he didn't have to buy a gun to keep boys away from me since Niklas and Nooa were doing such a great job.

"So Tiny, (they called me that) who's this guy?" Nooa asked.

"Well, he's Canadian." I started carefully.

"He's a lot more than a Canadian." Kayley said and giggled at my discomfort.

"Seriously Kay! Shut up!" She just winked at me over her shoulder.

"Tiny, start talking." Niklas ordered.

"Well he's not a jerk. Isn't that all you want to know? I've heard you going on and on about how I should stay away from jerks. So you should be very pleased." I said.

"Tiny, I don't trust your judgment." Niklas said.

"I know a jerk when I see one." I said offensively. My brothers just burst into laugh.

"Yeah. And Kayley here is going to learn cross country skiing." Niklas said sarcastically.

"Never!" Kayley almost screamed. She had very strong opinions about cross country skiing. According to her she would never ever do it in her entire life, no matter how great exercise it was.

"That's what I thought." Niklas laughed. Then I did what I always did when I was younger and my brothers were teasing me. I pouted my lips and refused to talk to them after I had said "I don't like you!"

"If Tiny won't tell us anything, it's your job to inform us." Niklas said to his wife who was still thinking about cross country skiing.

"What, me? Babe, as much as I enjoy observing you and Nooa doing your big brother thing, I am a woman. And we women have to have each other's back. I'm not even going to tell you that he is someone you guys have been discussing about last summer. "

"Kay!" I sighed.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Nooa asked clearly irritated.

"I'm not telling anything." Kayley said but I could see she was thinking something more to say.

"Did you have good time in Pittsburgh?" She asked innocently. Okay, that was it. They would guess from that.

"Um... yeah." I muttered.

"Did you see him play?" She continued. What ever happened to "we women" speech? Well I guess I would have to tell them sooner or later. I'd rather do it later but Kayley clearly didn't like that idea.

We were in the middle of highway, but that didn't stop Niklas from braking really fast and pulling to the side. I was happy there wasn't a car just behind us or otherwise there would have been an accident.

"I don't think you are allowed to stop here." I said.

"Yeah, babe. If a police sees us here..." Kayley was also getting worried and she was eying the road behind us making sure there were no police cars near.

"Kayley, are you, in your very subtle way, trying to tell me that my sister is involved with some a hockey player?" Niklas asked his wife.

"Niklas, don't get upset. He seems to be a very nice guy." Kayley said and tapped gently his arm. My brothers snorted almost in unison. It was time to open my mouth and say something.

"Guys, he really is. He's good to me. He's sweet and gentle. He would never hurt me. And I'm not being naive like with...Daniel. He really is. I'm finally over Daniel. It's a good thing, right? Didn't you always say that I should be with someone who's worthy of me. He is. And if you'd meet him, you'd agree. I think you would like him, cause he doesn't go easy on me." I noticed how Niklas was looking at me with really weird eyes. I couldn't read his expression. Neither Nooa's.

"Are you in love?" Niklas asked. His voice was both worried and curious.

"It's too early for that." I mumbled selfconsciously.

"Tiny, if he breaks your heart, you know we got your back." Nooa said softly. And with those words they were telling me that it was okay, well maybe okay but almost okay.

"I wonder what would Sidney say if he knew how crazy this dudes are." I guess Kayley thought that it was time to tell them the last part of this secret.

I'm glad that the car was not moving. Niklas would most like have flipped the car around.

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