A New Chapter

Sabrina glanced over her shoulder one last time before stepping into the yellow cab. The last time I’ll ever get to call this home, she thought, feeling a pang in her chest. Shifting her eyes from the ornate doors, she looked down at her sweaty palms gripping the handle of her bulging attaché suitcase tightly.

“Hey! I’m not getting any younger in here. You changed your mind or what?” 

Sabrina felt outraged. Nobody had spoken to her like that in twenty-two years of her life. With a frown on her face she pulled the door open and slid in, choosing to remain quiet for the rest of the trip except saying one single word. “Airport.”

Twenty five minutes later she found herself wheeling her luggage to the check-in counter and one hour after, she was seated in a plane to another continent a few hundred thousand miles away from the place she once called home.

Part of her believed she left at the wrong time, but a small laugh erupted from her mouth when she realised that no time would have been right for her to leave. With the nostalgia already kicking in, she felt lucky to have no one she had to say goodbye to. With her loved ones saying goodbye, she was sure she would have changed her mind. But now, her decision was final. It was too late to turn around anyway. 

Sabrina tucked her hands inside the pockets of her warm woolly jacket as she let her mind wander. Her thoughts drifted to the past, not a past so further back, and she felt her heart swell. The image of her mother’s paintbrush swaying on the canvas, her father sitting tall and still on the footstool in front of her sent a warm feeling inside Sabrina, and suddenly she didn’t feel cold anymore.

Jolting upright as she felt a tap on her shoulders, she pushed her memories to the back of her mind and stared blankly at the young boy sitting next to her. For a few seconds too long, Sabrina found herself still looking at the boy’s face. Raven ruffled hair, large curious eyes, perfectly sculpted features- only a true artist’s finest masterpiece.

“Excuse me, do you mind if we change seats? I feel nauseous near the window-seat,” he politely requested, his voice ringing in Sabrina’s ears. She simply nodded and made the quick exchange of seats. As she slumped into the window-seat, she stole a glimpse at the boy, her stomach turning. She lightly touched the top of her head as it began throbbing. No matter how hard she tried to compose herself, nothing helped.

“I’m so sorry, please come back to your seat-“ The boy noticed Sabrina holding her head, but she refused to speak. Her strange companion offered his water bottle and she accepted it, but only took a few tentative sips.

“Thank you…uh-?,” she said, finally feeling good enough to talk.

“Zayn,” the boy replied. Sabrina looked a little closer at him and realised he was no more than fifteen or sixteen years of age.

Sixteen years ago I had my first heartbreak 

Starting from the formal introductions, the conversations soon turned into cheerful chatter of two friends who knew each other very well. Eighteen hours of the flight were remaining and three flew by on the wings of time. Deep in conversation, Sabrina forgot all about her purpose or the pain that she carried with her to the plane.

“When I was four, that is. Can you imagine?” The amused look on Zayn’s face managed to sweep the smile off Sabrina’s face.

Twelve years ago my father went bankrupt.

Suddenly, Sabrina raised a hand to stop Zayn from saying anything further. After a few moments of taking in all the information that mysteriously complimented the facts stored up in her mind, she whirled her head towards him and began firing firing questions at him, her heartbeat picking up the pace.

“Why are you here?”

“Huh?” Zayn’s face was a picture of utter confusion.

“I know it’s a weird question, but bear with me, please. Trust me,” she politely answered.

A few minutes later, Sabrina’s eyes glowed and she hesitantly slid out a diamond ring from her handbag. “Recognise these words?”

Zayn swallowed hard as he pulled out another ring from his jeans pocket and slowly moved it toward Sabrina. “The other half,” he whispered, watching Sabrina all the while. His eyes welled up and so did Sabrina’s.

Sabrina joined the two diamond pieces, hands shaking and she couldn’t believe her eyes. All the answers to every question she ever had about her family were right there.

“May you find each other before it’s too late,” read Zayn.

It was too late.

Knowing the truth was startling enough, but reading the engraved message made Sabrina frown. She suddenly knew it was too late and it disheartened her all over again. For the rest of the flight, she hardly said a word.

The sun set in the horizon and soon both the siblings drifted off to sleep before being jolted awake by the flight attendant’s announcement for landing. Sabrina couldn’t wait to get off the plane. She looked to her right and reality soon dawned on her. Biting her lip, she decided to bottle up her emotions until the right time. She was on the brink of breaking down.

Zayn helped her spot her luggage and pull it out as she continued following his every movement, matching them with her mother’s; the way he searched with his eyes, the way he talked to her…it was all coming back and it was overwhelming.

“Well, let’s go and start a new chapter of our lives. A new beginning…a chance to start over,” said Zayn softly as he came closer. “It won’t be easy now that I know you’re my sister-“

“We’ll help each other,” interrupted Sabrina, smiling through her tears. 

Zayn wrapped her in a hug, grinning. 

“Where have you been, princess-face?”