Chapter 2 To a New Beginning Part II

'Hm...what a lovely day!' thought Tracy as she looked at the clear blue sky. The gentle morning sun and the cool breeze made her feel so much alive. She was welcome by the refreshing sweet scent coming from the flowerbed under the shaddy red palm tree in the garden. The double-storey linked house coated in pastel peach paint with white pillars and slightly washed-off red roof seemed to be quite appealing.

'Welcome home Tracy!' said Daphne as she stepped into the livingroom. Then she continued,'This is your elder brother, Vincent; this is your eldest sister, Yvonne; and this is your elder sister, Sandy. '

Tracy could not believe her eyes. She had three siblings and she knew nothing about them until now. How disappointing! All the while she thought she was the apple of her father's eye and her mom's only sweetie. The idea of sharing her parents' love with these three other creatures was simply unacceptable.

'Urgh! Look at those dumb smiles on their faces. Hey, stop grabbing my legs! Don't touch my head! Let go of my hand! Just leave me alone....!' exclaimed Tracy in frustration but they were deaf to her pleas.

'Mom, why is Tracy so tiny and ugly? And she's almost, bald, too!' asked Vincent who was overwhelmed by curiosity.

Yvonne who was equally curious added excitedly, 'And her eyes are so small; I can hardly see them! Thank God I've such big and beautiful eyes.'

Those words pierced right through Tracy's heart. She was both angry and upset with their mean and thoughtless comments. She began to wonder how she would live in harmony with such creatures!

'Hush! Don't speak ill of your little sister. She's such a lovely baby. I'm sure she'll grow up and become a fine lady someday,' said Daphne to the children who were listening eagerly.

Unfortunately, the harm was done as Tracy had already started to distant herself from them, especially Vincent and Yvonne. Sandy, who was only one year old, appeared rather approachable. When their eyes met, Tracy knew instantly that they would get along fine. Her intuition was a gifted asset which very few possessed; and she was grateful to God for being so generous.

'Have all of you said hello to your little sister?' asked Charles, the children's father, as he came into the house. He was all smiles when his three older children greeted him cheerfully. He put his arm around Daphne's shoulders, looking straight into her eyes and sincerely said, 'Thank you for making me the happiest husband and father in this world...'

When Tracy looked up, she saw her mom smiling happily without a word. She realised that the bond between the couple was so strong that they could communicate with mere gestures. However,this touching moment was broken by Yvonne who was trying to attract her father's attention. She whined, 'Dad, I'm hungry!'

In a loving tone Charles said, 'Okay, okay, I'll cook your favourite pasta with minced chicken and mixed vegetables.'

Lying cosily in her new cot, Tracy felt at ease. She liked the fact that she was part of this family now. It was a sense of belonging she should not take for granted for there were many homeless children scattered all over the world. She promised to herself that she would try her best to be on good terms with everyone.

To be continued......

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